Tag: Kosovo

As of today, the fate of 1,617 individuals of all ethnic backgrounds remains unknown, a haunting fact that fuels a perpetual sense of loss, fear, and uncertainty among affected families and communities.

This also often includes bias or ethnic-centric reporting from the mainstream media. Therefore, the independent media must shed light on the profound impact this unresolved matter has, particularly on the families of the missing persons, and more broadly, on regional reconciliation.

To address these challenges and contribute to  more credible and professional future generations of journalists in Kosovo, BIRN will organize a one-day training module with journalists on April 4, 2024 in Prishtina, Kosovo as part of the project “Uncovering the Truth: Combatting Monoethnic Journalism and Advocating for the Missing Persons in Kosovo” supported by the EU.

These trained professionals will develop a sensitivity to understanding the issues surrounding missing persons from multiple perspectives (such as humanitarian, forensic, right to truth, etc.,) and will spearhead the creation of compelling content based on factual reporting.

The one-day training module will bring together 20 young and mid-career journalists from different communities, who will have the opportunity to acquire knowledge and hands-on skills on the matter.

More specifically, the training focuses on the critical issue of reporting on missing persons, encompassing aspects from individual cases to court proceedings, social, political and legal contexts, forensics and medical expert analysis and the challenges faced by affected families. The technical expertise of journalists lies in their ability to research, document, and communicate stories effectively.

The training module will be delivered by BIRN’s regional and local team of award-winning journalists and editors, who have extensive experience in investigating, reporting on, and advocating for such issues.

Who can apply?

Young and mid-career journalists across different regions in Kosovo, who are interested in learning more about reporting on the topic of the missing persons, are eligible to apply for this call. Applicants from marginalized communities in Kosovo, including members of minority ethnic communities and women, that fulfill the above-mentioned criteria are encouraged to apply for this call.

To apply for the one-day training on fact-checking reporting click here.

Language: Simultaneous translation in Albanian, Serbian, and English will be provided.

Location: The training will take place in Prishtina, Kosovo. Details regarding the specific location and agenda will only be provided to selected participants.

Deadline for application: April 1, 2024

Date of the training course: April 4, 2024

The training addressed Preventing Violent Extremism, P/VE, Rehabilitation and Reintegration, R&R, forms of extremism, and the strategic vision of the strategy on the local level, with an emphasis on the role of the Municipal Assembly and Municipal Staff in countering violent extremism and terrorism.

A total of 13 participants, five of them women, gathered for the training which started with an introduction to the objectives of the National Strategy for Preventing and Countering Terrorism 2023-2028.

The session focusing on countering religious and far-right extremism was presented by Kreshnik Gashi, member of the working group on drafting the National Strategy. Gashi presented his experience in contributing to the finalization of these documents and explained the objectives of the strategy.

During his presentation, the guest speaker, Mensur Hoti, Director of the Department for Public Safety in the Ministry of Interior, emphasized the crucial role of local authorities in meeting the objectives of the strategy. He highlighted the significance of preventing radicalism and violent extremism that may lead to terrorism and led a discussion on the current situation.

During the training session, participants expressed their interest and engagement when it came to discussing the involvement of minor municipalities like Kaçanik in issues related to P/VE, R&R, and other forms of extremism from the central level.

The presentation and subsequent discussions served to enhance their knowledge and awareness on this topic, resulting in a more informed group of individuals by the end of the session.

This training was held as part of the ‘Resilient Community Programme’ founded by GCERF.

The training session was specifically tailored to social media, and the participants of the referral mechanism were provided with comprehensive knowledge on the significance of social media. They were given a detailed rundown on how to create and manage profiles on different platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and other relevant social media channels.

To ensure the safety and security of all participants, it was crucial to clarify their details such as passwords, public profiles, content sharing and posting, Facebook groups and friends, and social media security. This information, the group heard, will help to prevent any potential risks and ensure their privacy is protected.

A total of 12 participants, three of them women, gathered for this training which started with an introduction to the basics of social media and their usage worldwide and in the Kosovo context. The training was held by Granit Mavriqi, Editor of SocialMedia and Graphic Designer – Internews Kosova. Mavriqi presented his experience as an editor of social media, including many good lessons drawn from his experience of working with different groups of interest.

During the training session, the participants showed significant interest in discussing their experiences with social media platforms, particularly Facebook. They were particularly interested in learning more about social media security, such as how to protect their passwords and how to manage their connections on these platforms.

The informative presentation and subsequent discussions proved a valuable learning experience, enhancing the knowledge and awareness of participants in the topic. As a result, the group emerged from the session better informed and more knowledgeable about the subject.

This training was held as part of the “Resilient Community Programme” founded by GCERF – Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund.

Additionally,  this project’s purpose is to provide the youth with the opportunity to gain knowledge in matters such as transitional justice and dealing with the past, through its activities. Another important aspect of the project relates to analyzing the education curriculum and preparing an evaluation for the needs of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology –  MEST on addressing the current situation of pre-university education and the includement of transitional justice topics in schools and curriculum in Kosovo.

Details about the small grants scheme for research for students:

All students of the public University of Prishtina, also citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, interested in this topic are invited to apply in the open call for a small grant of 700 EUR, to increase the research among students in topics such as transitional justice. As a part of this activity, 5 grants will be given to students.

Students beneficiaries of the grants will be participating in the workshop led by experts in the field, which will cover topics such as treating frameworks and methodologies of the research process on the topic of transitional justice. The overall objective of this activity is not only to provide students with knowledge in this matter but also to create future contributors in the field of transitional justice and dealing with the past. Moreover, the students will be mentored by experienced researchers of Kallxo.com throughout the whole process of the research until the finalization of it. Each of the beneficiaries must finalize their research project within the frame (that can be found on the last page of this call), and must not extend the budget of 700 EUR per individual.

Topics of research activities

Research topics, on Kosovo context,  that are encouraged but not limited to:

• Pillars of transitional justice – In the Kosovo context
• Justice in the post-conflictual states
• Documentation
• Collective memory
• Missing persons
• Initiatives for dealing with the past in Kosovo
• Inter-ethnic relations
• Peace and conflict
• Cultural interventions
• Institutional reforms and vetting

How to apply?

To apply in this call, along with the listed documents below, you need to submit a project proposal with 500-800 words, written according to the standards of academic writing, explaining the reason and the purpose for the chosen topic. The final research paper must contain between 7,500 – 1,000 words and must not differ in content from the initial submitted project proposal.

Documents required for the application:

• Prove that you are a student of the University of Prishtina
• Copy of ID and student card
• Prove of possession of bank account
• CV
• Motivational letter that should explain why your research must be chosen
• Declaration for the original work

Applicants should submit their applications with the subject “DWCL – Aplikim për SGH/ Emri dhe mbiemri i studentit/es” via [email protected]. The deadline for submission is on April 8, 2024.

Note: Only the applications that meet the criteria of this call, will be reviewed by the Evaluation Commission, the commission will be composed of members of BIRN Kosovo and members of the University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”. Only the applications with a clear research framework will be chosen.

The Commission will evaluate the applications according to the following criteria:

• Relevance of the project proposal 50%
• Well-chosen topic 50%

This activity is implemented as a part of the project “Dealing with the conflict legacy in Kosovo”, funded by the British Embassy and UNDP, implemented by BIRN Kosovo.

The workshop addressed the principles of strategic communication, including media functioning and other platforms of strategic communication thus ensuring that the members of the referral mechanism have a better understanding of the importance of different platforms on the P/VE, R&R, and other forms of extremism.

A total of 11 participants, 5 of them women, gathered at this workshop which started with a presentation of each member of the referral mechanism including an overview of the work of this mechanism.

The trainer for this workshop Kreshnik Gashi – Managing Editor of Kallxo.com, presented and thoroughly explained means of strategic communication regarding their work on P/VE, R&R, and other forms of extremism. With an emphasis on fake news and disinformation, Gashi mentioned that the members must pay attention to the usage of social media, considering the fact of the widespread usage of all social media platforms in Kosovo. Other elements such as direct and indirect forms of propaganda were illustrated with examples, while the members of the mechanism were instructed to be assured of the audience that they address and find correct ways of defining and addressing a specific group.

During the workshop, the attendees were very engaged and expressed an interest in sharing their firsthand experiences as members of the referral mechanism of the Municipality of Hani i Elezit. They were quite forthcoming in sharing their sources of information and providing tangible examples of times when they had fallen prey to fake news and disinformation.

This workshop was part of the ‘Resilient Community Programme’ founded by GCERF.

The training addressed the matter of the P/VE, R&R, and other forms of extremism. Also, it addressed the strategic vision of the strategy on the local level with an emphasis on the Municipal Assembly’s role in countering violent extremism and terrorism.

A total of 10 participants, 5 of them women, gathered for this training, which started with introducing the objectives of the National Strategy for Preventing and Countering Terrorism 2023-2028. The focus was on countering religious extremism and far-right extremism on the strategic vision of this strategy presented by Kreshnik Gashi – A member of the Working Group on drafting the National Strategy for Preventing and Countering Terrorism. Gashi presented his experience in contributing to the finalization of these documents and explained the objectives of this strategy.

Mensur Hoti – Director of the Department for Public Safety in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, focused his attention on the role of the local authorities in fulfilling the objectives of the Strategy. An important part of this presentation was oriented on discussing the current situation on preventing radicalism and violent extremism that leads to terrorism.

The participants were very active in sharing their experiences and addressing the current situation in their municipality. Among other issues discussed, they also highlighted the fact that they did not receive the National Strategy for Preventing and Countering Terrorism 2023-2028. As a result of them being more informed during this training session, they mentioned that besides the Strategy they will ask the Mayor to receive the Action Plan and agreed to be more vocal in their municipal assembly regarding P/VE, R&R, and other forms of extremism.

This training was held as part of the ‘Resilient Community Programme’ founded by GCERF.

Journalist Adelina Ahmeti and camera operator Jetmir Hoxha from BIRN Kosovo’s Kallxo website were attacked on Monday by a resident of Kline e Eperme/Gornja Klina, a village in the Skenderaj/Srbica municipality, where a proposal to build a Catholic church has encountered resistance from some locals.

The police said on Thursday that the “suspect was interviewed and after a case was initiated by a decision from the prosecutor, he was released in the usual way”.

The BIRN crew visited the village to report on the proposal to build the church, initiated by a local man called Ndreke Kelmendi. Kelmendi insists that a church had previously existed at the same location, but his proposal has sparked negative reactions from several villagers who claim that the land is privately owned.

Moments after the BIRN crew went to Kelmendi’s house to interview him about the church issue, his brother Mustafe Hasani confronted them for several minutes, using insulting language and making threats.

“I swear to God that you will be in trouble,” Hasani repeatedly threatened.

The BIRN crew reported the incident to the police.

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo, AJK condemned the incident, saying that “any attack against journalists is an attack on free speech and democracy”.

“The AJK is concerned about the threats toward its Kallxo.com colleagues and calls on the police to address the case as a priority,” it said.

“We condemn any form of threats against journalists, camera operators and media workers and call on the relevant institutions to secure justice for all threats and attacks on media,” it added.

The course addressed the importance of fact-checking in daily reporting, reporting on inter-ethnic issues, propaganda, misinformation and the handling of disinformation and fake news on social media.

A total of 13 journalists, 11 of them women, gathered for the training course which started with a keynote speech from BIRN project manager Arita Suhodolli.

The first part of the training was delivered by Kreshnik Gashi, managing editor at KALLXO.com, who used illustrations to explain how information can be altered while spreading across different media.

Gashi also presented the findings from BIRN’s report ‘The Story of Our Lies’, about the influence of China and Russia on disinformation in Kosovo. He discussed with participants the difference between disinformation, fake news, deep fakes and other forms of fake news production.

Gashi closed his part of the course with some practical work on analysing articles by using fact-checking techniques to improve the participants’ critical thinking and taught them various techniques for verifying news.

Dorentina Kastrati, an editor at BIRN, spoke about local initiatives addressing disinformation and misinformation. She started her lecture by presenting BIRN Kosovo’s initiative to create the Coalition Against Disinformation. She also emphasised the importance of inter-ethnic groups of journalists engaging in fact-checking and ended her lecture with a summary of how to write fact-checking activity proposals.

The training concluded with a lecture on handling disinformation and fake news on social media networks by the another guest speaker, Faik Ispahiu, the executive director of Internews Kosova.

Ispahiu talked about how KALLXO.com’s Krypometer (Truth-o-meter) become the first fact-checking tool in Kosovo to be granted a licence by the International Fact-Checking Network. He also explained the mechanisms Facebook and other social media companies use for fact-checking news.

The training course was supported by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, UNMIK.