The Future of Multiethnicity in Kosovo - Project on Ethnic Relations

TABLE OF CONTENTSPreface 1Introduction 3Elections and Political Participation 5Prepar<strong>in</strong>g for Status 15Uncerta<strong>in</strong> <strong>Future</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Multiethnicity</strong> 23Restor<strong>in</strong>g Interethnic Dialogue 29Manag<strong>in</strong>g Multiethnic Municipalities 39<strong>The</strong> <strong>Future</strong> <strong>of</strong> the Serb Community <strong>in</strong> <strong>Kosovo</strong> 48Conclusions and Recommendations 56List <strong>of</strong> Participants 58Publications 61PREFACEAn earthquake <strong>in</strong> the Balkans sent shockwaves through the entire world.<strong>The</strong> earthquake was the violence emanat<strong>in</strong>g from the 1999 conflictbetween Serbia and its southern prov<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>of</strong> <strong>Kosovo</strong>. Some say the violencewas due to the multiyear discrim<strong>in</strong>ation and eventual efforts at ethniccleans<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the Albanians by the Serbian government <strong>of</strong> Milosevic.Others have said that the violence started with the appearance and activities<strong>of</strong> the then shadow <strong>Kosovo</strong> Liberation Army. In any case, the <strong>in</strong>ternationalcommunity eventually got <strong>in</strong>volved and Serbia and Montenegro(as well as Serbia’s southern prov<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>of</strong> <strong>Kosovo</strong>) received more than amonth <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>tensive bomb<strong>in</strong>g by NATO forces aga<strong>in</strong>st military targets(with countless civilian casualties as well).A decade has passed s<strong>in</strong>ce those events and the reality on the ground looksdifferent. <strong>Kosovo</strong> has now been recognized by over 50 countries as a newstate and is try<strong>in</strong>g to enter the path <strong>of</strong> belong<strong>in</strong>g to the Euro-Atlanticstructures. However, there is still a serious <strong>in</strong>ternational presence on theground which is mostly meant to protect and encourage the Serbian communityto be part <strong>of</strong> <strong>Kosovo</strong>’s life even if not recogniz<strong>in</strong>g its current status.Relations between Belgrade and Prist<strong>in</strong>a are at best frozen if notdownright hostile. <strong>The</strong> greatest challenge for all <strong>in</strong>side <strong>Kosovo</strong> as well asthe <strong>in</strong>ternational community is how to deal with the relations between<strong>Kosovo</strong> <strong>in</strong>stitutions and the Serbian community.To respond to some <strong>of</strong> these challenges, the <strong>Project</strong> on Ethnic Relations(PER) has been work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>tensively on the ground as a neutral brokerbetween the two ma<strong>in</strong> ethnic communities (as well as the Roma). PERhas been active <strong>in</strong> Southeastern Europe s<strong>in</strong>ce 1991 and has a long history<strong>of</strong> organiz<strong>in</strong>g dialogues among the ma<strong>in</strong> players on some <strong>of</strong> the mostsensitive issues. Although the situation is still very complex on theground, there are some opportunities that have recently appeared whichmight make progress <strong>in</strong> the relations between the two communities moreproductive. PER will cont<strong>in</strong>ue its work <strong>in</strong> <strong>Kosovo</strong> for the com<strong>in</strong>g periodand hopes to be among those forces that br<strong>in</strong>g prosperity and better<strong>in</strong>terethnic relations not only <strong>in</strong> <strong>Kosovo</strong> but <strong>in</strong> the entire Western Balkanregion. <strong>Kosovo</strong> and the situation there is very much <strong>in</strong>terwoven with allother countries <strong>in</strong> the region and no country can exist without the other.For the good <strong>of</strong> all, we hope that they will be work<strong>in</strong>g together towards acloser and more productive neighborhood.1