Minority Rights Protection and Human Rights Policies in ... - IFSH

which it approves, by majority vote, declarations on current draft laws, in order to directly and
adequately address the rights and interest of the community. Concerning the “Constitutional
Framework for Provisional Self-Government”, Magdalena empathized Chapter 3.1 and
Chapter 3.2. as well as Chapter 9.4.1. and their special importance for equal human rights and
fundamental freedoms for all the Kosovar inhabitants. When speaking about the “Anti-
Discrimination Law”, she especially pointed out the importance of the use of languages, also
regulated by law in Kosovo. In the end of her presentation Magdalena concluded that a basic
precondition for the realization of the rights regarding identity protection and promotion for
national minorities is the possibility for members of minority communities to be informed in
their mother tongue, in this regard she emphasized on the importance of minority medias, but
also on having different language programs in state radio and television.
Dukagjin R. Leka, candidate for a Master in International Law and International Relations at
Prishtina University: Linking communities through the sports system of Kosovo
Dukagjin talked about “Linking communities through the sports system of Kosovo”. Dukagjin
lectured about the challenge of getting all members of the different communities in Kosovo
integrated in one national sports system and on establishing multicultural sports institutions
based on international standards. He mentioned
that in accordance with the “Constitutional
Framework for Provisional Self-Government” and
the “Law on Sports” all the sports federations in
Kosovo have to comply with the standard, that in
every executive board of a federation one place is
reserved for a member of the non-Albanian
community. This regulation is, among others, such
as sports competitions among teams with different
ethnic backgrounds for instance, regarded as a
mean of integration and reconciliation, according to Dukagjin. As a good example of
integration efforts he mentioned the Basketball teams of Prishtina and Peja. Dukagjin pointed
out, that the basketball teams recently started to hire foreign coaches and basketball players,
which creates an “international, multicultural atmosphere” inside the teams. As another
example he referred to the basketball team of Mitrovica, the so-called “Bambi”- team, which
consists of mainly Serbian players, but is nevertheless playing successfully in the first league
of Kosovo and is also accepted by the Kosovo-Albanian basketball fans. As an example of a
successful and peaceful competition, Dukagjin mentioned the game between the “Bambi”-
team from Mitrovica and the, mainly Albanian-dominated team “Kastrioti” from Ferizaj.
As a conclusion Dukagjin pointed out that in his opinion, through sports activities integration
and rapprochement of the various communities in Kosovo could be promoted, but that there
should be more support from the international community for these efforts (in the area of
basketball from the “World Basketball Federation” for example). He also emphasized that
ways need to be developed to continue the process of stabilization of the sports structures and
that the possibility for Kosovar sports teams to “access the international sports arena” should
be improved, because he believes both could ultimately contribute to the maintenance of
peace and reconciliation in Kosovo.
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