BHS / ENG

310

 

Kenan Beqiri

Contact:
kbeqiri@gmail.com

www.cbmitrovica.org

Kenan Beqiri

Project Officer / Civil Society Activist

  • Former activities:

    Several years of experience in international organizations (World Vision and NDI/National Democratic Institute for International Affairs) in different projects related to peacebuilding and reconciliation working with youth, community representatives, religious affiliations and local institution officials, including strengthening the capacities of Roma and Ashkali communities in Mitrovica.

  • My organization:
    “Community Building Mitrovica” (CBM) is a local NGO operating in the field of peace and community building in the wider region of Mitrovica, northern municipalities of Kosovo. The overall aim of CBM is to facilitate contact and dialogue between citizens in the whole of Mitrovica municipality. CBMs staff consists of devoted citizens – both Serbs and Albanians – who grew up in this region and want to restore the previous confidence and even friendship that war and politics have destroyed.
  • Examples of concrete activities I have organized/am organizing in the field of “dealing with the past”:
    • “Supporting Tolerance Among Youth – Karl Popper Debate” with secondary school students from Kosova (Mitrovice/a, Podujeve/o and Gjilan/Gnjilane) and Serbia (Presheve/Presevo, Bujanoc/Bujanovac and Vranje/Vranje).
    • “Empowering communities and religious affiliations in the Mitrovica region”
    • “Supportive environment for business women startups in Mitrovica”.
    • “Transitional Justice – Role of Universities in addressing the past”.
  • Concrete challenges I am facing in my “dealing with the past”-related work:
    • Insufficient institutional support for the war victims and their families.
    • Insufficient institutional support for abducted persons and sexually abused victims during the war in Kosovo.
    • Confronting the opinions of different generations (group age) and ethnic groups about dealing with the past.
  • My personal link to/interest for the topic of “dealing with difficult pasts”:

    Having in mind that I was affected by the recent war in Kosovo it is always an opportunity to interact and learn/share different experiences regarding dealing with the past.