Trading with the enemy in Mitrovica, Kosovo. - RUhosting

elieves inter-ethnic trade will improve relations and that Albanians would not care to hire Serbs if they get
some reward for it (respondent #15). Regarding his subsidies argument I have to add that according to
research conducted by CARE in 2006 this does not work. Subsidies cannot be used to improve relations
because it's a form of positive discrimination which is in the case of Kosovo - where jobs are so scarce -
negative discrimination for the other ethnic group and this only increases tensions. Additionally, it again
gives the local population the idea that they are being forced into liking each other, which should be avoided.
Trade does not have the disadvantages which subsidies for cooperation have, because it does not rely on
(positive) discrimination nor is it being forced by anyone. There is a lot of trade happening between
Albanians and Serbs in Mitrovica, something one might not expect based on the animosity between the two
ethnic groups. The importance of money, especially in a poor region, creates a special place for trade.
Especially because the "the rules of the inter-ethnic game" which were shown to greatly hinder contact are
also influenced by the power of money. Although these intra-community rules do also hinder trade, they are
less strict in this area. Trade or economic cooperation in general, is one of the few activities in which interethnic
contact is allowed. Socialising with members of the other ethnic group may still be forbidden, but
when money is involved these rules change, or at least bend. When respondent #2 started working with
Albanians his friends and family didn't care because it was for a job: “everybody understands you have to
make money”. Although it is more or less allowed to have contact with the other ethnicity for trade or other
money-making activities this is still done mostly in secrecy. This becomes clear from my interviews with the
traders. An Albanian trader from south Mitrovica keeps everything hidden from his family and most friends,
only his best friends know he is trading with Serbs. The reason he gives for this is that people can talk, and
that can have “bad consequences” (respondent #7). A Serb trader tells about the same problems, the reaction
from the environment was very difficult in the beginning. “It was not accepted to deal with Albanians”
(respondent #6). The Albanians he worked with faced the same problems with their own community he
noted. Nowadays it's less of a problem but still not very easy.
In this paragraph it was shown how money in the extremely poor region of Mitrovica is of such importance
that it makes inter-ethnic trade possible despite all the incentives not to engage into contact with "the other".
The take of local traders on this will be discussed in the next paragraph.
6.2. The traders.
The stories of three Mitrovica-based traders will be told in this paragraph. Earlier in this thesis the troubles
with finding traders to interview have been discussed as well as the difficulties that arose when asking the
traders for sensitive information about their relations with traders of the other ethnic group. Each trader's
individual story will be told here so that it is easier to understand them in their context. After these three
stories there will be a short conclusion in which some points of attention will be highlighted.
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