BIRN Kosovo through the Resilient Community Programme aims to contribute to enabling the general public to be more informed on the matter of P/VE, R&R, and other forms of violent extremism and also organize different activities for media actors, for the main level and local level on P/CVE and R&R in the implementation of the National P/CVE Strategy and Action Plan.
Summary
Kosovo’s post-conflict setting is characterized by continued political and social tension and it has been characterized and challenged by various forms of extremism, including ethnonationalism, religious, political, and those driven by extreme right-wing ideologies. Despite political willingness, central and local level institutions have shown a lack of capacity to perform PVE and R&R activities and when it comes to other forms of Violent Extremism there is a lack of knowledge and engagement.
BIRN Kosovo has taken the initiative to organize media campaigns and lobbying actions to promote awareness among the general public regarding P/VE, R&R, and other forms of extremism. As part of this initiative, TV debates will be conducted to disseminate information and provide a platform for discussions on these matters. The aim is to ensure that people are well-informed and equipped to tackle extremism in all its forms.BIRN is committed to providing support to local institutions through expert guidance and training sessions. This project aims to facilitate training programs for municipal assembly members, workshops for municipal staff and multidisciplinary teams, and offer on-ground support to frontline workers. Our efforts at the local level are geared towards strengthening institutions and building capacity, which will ultimately benefit the community at large.
On the national level, part of the implementation of this project is the direct monitoring of the implementation of the National Strategy for Preventing and Countering Terrorism 2023-2028 and its Action Plan which will be achieved by conducting 4 bi-annual analysis. Additionally, a customized curriculum will be designed for training judges and prosecutors on the topics of Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE) and Rehabilitation and Reintegration (R&R). This training program aims to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively handle cases related to these issues. To foster a more informed and nuanced discussion on violent extremism, we will be providing training to media actors and awarding 10 fellowships to journalists. By encouraging more journalists to participate in this discourse, we hope to promote a greater understanding of the complex issues surrounding violent extremism and ultimately contribute to a more peaceful and secure world.
Donors
Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF)
Main objectives:
Objective 1: Strengthening central and local level institutional operational and knowledge capacities
Objective 2: Strengthening operational and knowledge capacities of Local CSO-s and nonstate actors to work on PVE and R&R
Objective 3: Reducing youth vulnerability towards violent extremism by increasing a sense of purpose and social cohesion
Objective 4: Raising community awareness to accept the reintegration of returnees and marginalized groups, by conducting systematic awareness raising.
Main activities:
Activity 1: Direct monitoring of National Strategy for Preventing and Countering Terrorism 2023-2028 and writing of four (4) bi-annual analysis, two per year
Activity 2: Twenty (20) days of support to local institutions to implement their activities as outlined in the strategy/action plan
Activity 3: Twelve (12) TV debates to ensure media advocacy and accountability
Activity 4: Forty-two (42) TV reports, online reporting, news pieces and PSAs to raise awareness amongst the public on what violent extremism and far-right extremism are, how they manifest themselves public can protect themselves
Activity 5: 2×2 days training for judges and prosecutors (8 days) on the P/VE, R&R, and other forms of extremism which include the prior design of tailored curriculum.
Activity 6: One (1) Follow up workshop for judged and prosecutors after one year of completing trainings on P/VE, R&R, and other forms of extremism
Activity 7: Eleven (11) Trainings for municipal assembly members
Activity 8: Eleven (11) Workshops for municipal staff/multidisciplinary teams and frontline workers
Activity 9: One (1) Intensive 5-day training course for media actors (20 participants) on P/VE, R&R and other forms of extremism
Activity 10: Development of online materials to be embedded in BIRN website
Activity 11: 10 fellowships (at least 5 of which are non-majority) journalists
Target groups:
Government and municipal institutions working on P/VE issues and R&R and other forms of extremism;
Local CSOs and nonstate actors
Majority and non-majority communities and local mechanisms, in particular youth;
General public
Implementer:
BIRN Kosovo