BIRN Kosovo News and Events

In the space of five days, four bombs went off in Kosovo, three targeting senior members of the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, the biggest political party here.

RTK, Pristina, September 22, 2006

A BIRN-organised RTK debate at the Pjeter Budi Institute on July 3 looked at the problems facing the Customs Service of Kosovo, which collects 70 per cent of the revenue of the Kosovo govenment budget.

RTK, Pristina, July 3, 2006.

Another episode of the BIRN-organised “Life in Kosovo” programme was broadcast on Kosovo public television, RTK, on June 7, looking at economic life in the region.

RTK, Pristina, June 7, 2006.

Jeta Xharra, Kosovo BIRN Director, held a training session for 17 young human rights activists in Vucitern/Vushtrri on July 15, focusing on how to communicate with the media and pitch stories of human rights interest.

Kosovo television, RTK, broadcast a BIRN-organised debate on July 19 on how politicians in the Balkans mythologise historic events, looking specifically at the Battle of Kosovo, June 28, 1389 – local Serb celebrations of which were this year attended by Serbia’s prime minister Vojislav Kostunica.

RTK, Pristina, July 19, 2006.

BIRN this week launches ‘Life in Kosovo,’ a new series of current affairs television programmes for broadcast on RTK.

BIRN Kosovo aired the first in its series of TV debates, “Life in Kosovo,” on October 19 on the public service station RTK.

Work continues on BIRN’s documentary film project, which explores the regional context for, and consequences of, determining Kosovo’s final status.

A discussion on Kosovo’s future at St Antony’s College, Oxford University, opened on 8 December with a screening of the first debate in BIRN’s “Life in Kosovo” TV series, in which a number of high profile politicians answered citizens’ questions on final status negotiations.

The final edit of BIRN’s documentary film on the regional context for Kosovo status negotiations is now complete.

A documentary reflecting the concerns and hopes of Balkan citizens on the eve of crucial talks over the final status of Kosovo is to be screened at the Front Line Club in London on January 9.

A BIRN Kosovo TV debate aired on January 18 saw police and other public officials argue vigorously with local journalists on the issue of recently increased violence against the latter.

More than 200 people attended the Pristina premiere of the BIRN documentary Does Anyone Have a Plan? on February 10 in Kino ABC.

BIRN Kosovo will present the next in a series of televised debates on March 15 at 22:00 on RTK, focussing on successful women of Kosovo.

Seven articles were published on June 1, resulting from journalistic training for Kosovo minorities organized by BIRN SaM in northern Mitrovica in April.