“Nonetheless, when i grew up I’d look for more people that were completely free of prejudice – or manage earnestly endeavor them. So it is not something I think on the everyday whenever We walk-on brand new roads out-of Belgrade – I’m slightly comfortable living indeed there – although there is a spin it does jump close to you against about any area. ”
“This really is funny in a way that things similar occurred so you’re able to me within the Prishtina certain months before. I became when you look at the a club and there is actually a guy whom had an issue with me talking Serbian to my friend out-of Belgrade. They didn’t add up discussing one i am indeed Ilir Gashi, as the what might be more if the my label was Slobodan Petrovic? Would it be more appropriate to get discriminated up against?”
Milica Andric Rakic try a reporter and specialist whom already functions to the The fresh new Public Initiative, a keen NGO located in North Mitrovica, this new Serb-most urban area that’s thought the brand new administrative center of your Serb-vast majority northern away from Kosovo.
“I will maybe not point out that I’ve family relations all over Kosovo as many cities are nevertheless unreachable in my experience in this public experience. Away from Serb-vast majority components there are only several locations in Kosovo I-go so you’re able to to have pleasure – Prizren and you can Pristina. I was fortunate first off my earliest work that have USAID within the ethnically most varied office and that always been happening during my latter involvements towards civil community field,” shows you Andric Rakic.
She observes relationships and you may dating together with other cultural teams given that a good probability of fascinating arguments and conversations, as well as understanding a little more about anyone else – and you may herself also – in the process
“So all my relationships with individuals of different cultural background was basically earliest functions dating one to increased stronger. I yet not are an enthusiastic outlier, majority of folks from my personal people work with the new Serbian associations inside Kosovo as well as have rare possibilities to relate with players exterior of its ethnic community.”
“And also as having might work relationship they usually grow into relationships by the common notice getting governmental developments and you can good common curiosity on the perspective of one’s most other. If a person are intellectually reasonable and available to listen to additional ranks into the delicate points without getting offended conversations becomes quite fascinating, laden up with private introspection and you can crucial notice-realizations.”
For Milica, that extremely Kosovo Serbs live in a choice of the northern of the country or perhaps in enclaves southern of your Iber lake – enclaves that are Serb majority and just have scarcely one Albanians, while the contrary relates internationalwomen.net lГ¦se dette to other places for the Kosovo in which Albanians real time so there try scarcely any Serbs.
All the items of your own NSI work at things such due to the fact nationalism, bias and you can governmental effect on the connection anywhere between Kosovo’s ethnic teams
“Segregation is the fundamental barrier so you can combined marriages. Regardless of the preferred mantra Kosovo has stopped being an excellent multiethnic people, indeed Kosovo’s multiethnicity is actually definitely threatened. There are only a couple truly multiethnic towns inside the Kosovo – Prizren and North Mitrovica, others is actually rural section. And you may cities is the place by far the most liberal components of new communities real time, in which countries coexist and you will in which connections regarding public cohesion are designed.”
“This will be taking place on an incredibly low level in the Kosovo’s urban areas. Indeed there was previously 30k Serbs surviving in Pristina, here was once 12k Serbs located in Gjakova and so in all of the significant towns, now there are not and the likelihood of interethnic connectivity and inside all of the personal links – friendships, marriage ceremonies, etc. are diminished by simply as often,” says Andric Rakic.
