Seminar: Challenging Propaganda through Remembrance 22-25 June 2022 in Mitrovica, Kosovo

 

About the Project

This seminar is part of a project also named “Challenging Propaganda through Remembrance”. The purpose of this seminar is to challenge the dominant narratives and to shed light on the truth of the war and post-war events in Kosovo and Mitrovica in particular, but also in the Balkan region, through the exploration, identification and remembrance of these violent events. The project also aims to empathize with the victims of violence of all ethnicities and alleviate the hatred and stereotypes about each other that exist among the younger generations in Mitrovica, Kosovo and the region.

About the Seminar

The youth of Kosovo, Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina, many of whom do not have experiences and memories from the past but have shaped thoughts and feelings through the stories of others, will be able to better understand the history of violent events that have taken place in Mitrovica, other parts of Kosovo and the region and will have the opportunity to actively participate in dealing with the past and reconciliation processes. They will be provided with knowledge, skills and practices on these processes and remembrance in particular.

The objectives of this seminar are:
– Exploring and exchanging regional practices around remembrance;
– Primary sources and media literacy;
– Identification and marking of places of violence in Mitrovica;
– Online exhibition (as a follow up activity).

This seminar will be organized in Mitrovica on June 22-25, and will involve 15 participants, aged 21-30, from Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (five from each country).

About the Organizer

The seminar “Challenging Propaganda through Remembrance” is organized by GAIA Kosovo, more specifically by its program in Mitrovica and is financially supported by RECOM Reconciliation Network. GAIA is a peace organization working in a field of peace building, solidarity between people, social justice and environmental protection. GAIA is also promoting cultural diversity and works on education and integration of marginalized and minority groups in society, especially Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian. GAIA is the official branch of Service Civil International in Kosovo.

Outcome:  We want to develop a virtual exhibition as a concrete follow-up project at this seminar.

COVID-19 during the seminar: Considering the current situation with COVID-19, the seminar will be held in person in Kosovo in June. If the situation changes, the other option will be virtual seminar. All the participants will have to be fully protected from COVID-19 (e.g. vaccinated with booster shot, recently recovered from COVID-19). We will have a hygiene concept for the group during the seminar and will follow all regulations by the authorities.

Participant’s profile:

All participants selected for this project should meet the following criteria:

• be between 21 and 30 years old;
• be able to work in English;
• be interested in the topics of the seminar and have a strong motivation to act as a multiplier;
• able to attend for the full duration of the seminar;
• be a citizen of Serbia, Kosovo or Bosnia & Herzegovina.

We explicitly encourage participants of all classes, educational backgrounds, genders, sexual orientations, abilities and ethnic backgrounds to apply.

Logistics, financial conditions and sustainability

Simple life: The seminar will take place in Mitrovica, a city in the northern part of Kosovo, in a facility with simple living conditions. You will sleep in a room shared with a few other people.

Costs: We can cover all essential costs of the program (including food, travel costs up to a maximum amount per country, visa costs, accommodation and training) through RECOM Reconciliation Network.

Sustainable food: The food we provide will be vegan/vegetarian. This is not just a practical decision, but also an ideological one: GAIA believes in the values of sustainability and climate justice – and if we want to contribute to a more peaceful planet, we need to give up on industrialized animal agriculture and its destructive effects on our planet. In the application form you can tell us, if you have any diets, allergies or intolerances that we should be aware of.

Sustainable travels? This is also why we ask you to come to this training through more sustainable means of transport rather than flying (e.g. by train or bus), if somehow possible. We will give you more guidance on how you can reach the venue, once you are accepted to the seminar.

How to apply? Applications should be sent to Lena at info@gaiakosovo.org. All those accepted will later receive a detailed infosheet (incl. info on how to get to the venue, how to book your travels, more info about the agenda of the project). First deadline for applying is 3^rd of June 2022.

Contact: If you have any questions regarding the project and your application, don’t hesitate to contact Lena at info@gaiakosovo.org. We are looking forward to your application!

Download the Call for Participants here.
Download the Application Form here.