kosovo

Earlier in November, my Armed Conflict class took a trip to Kosovo just east of Serbia to learn about the recent conflict in Kosovo. My journey through Kosovo left me with numerous stories. My class and I had the opportunity to hear stories from all different perspectives, thickening our knowledge of a conflict so recent in our past. We found a relationship with a nation that is now treasured.

Background: Kosovo is a part of what is known as the former Yugoslavia. During this period, Kosovo had a significant amount of autonomy. After the fall of Yugoslavia, Kosovo became an autonomous province of Socialist Serbia. As time progressed, the province lost its autonomy. Being majority ethnic Albanian, the Kosovars did not approve of the lack of freedom, thus creating tension between the ethnic Albanian majority and the Serbian Government. NATO forces intervened, taking Kosovo under its administration. In 2008, Kosovo officially gained independence however it is important to note that, to this day, only a little over a hundred states recognize Kosovo as a sovereign state separate from Serbia.

The tension has yet to be terminated between the ethnic Albanians and ethnic Serbs in Kosovo. Recently, the Kosovar government proposed that Serbs must hold specific documentation and a Kosovar license plate if they want to come into the nation. This has created outrage, leading to the appraisal of Serbian troops onto the border of northern Kosovo. After speaking with people who identify as ethnic Serbian and others who identify as ethnic Albanian, it is clear that social separation continues to persist as there is no common language. Those ethnic Serbs who used to work alongside their ethnic Albanians no longer share a kind of association.

Pristina

As we made our descent, we were presented with miles and miles (kilometers if you will) of Sharri mountains, placing us center of former Yugoslavia. My 18-student class immediately marked ourselves as the out of place tourists with our sneakers and neck pillows. The airport was small and easy to navigate. We arrived at our hotel in the middle of the city center, located approximately 30 minutes from the airport. Beginning with our risotto lunch, we quickly came to find out this is a cash only nation. Twelve of us girls, tallied 7o euro, just enough for 12 perfectly seasoned risotto lunches.

We put on our walking shoes and made our way across the city. This hidden country is filled with significant historical representation. We were presented with many demonstrations of prominent figures for Kosovo, including a Bill Clinton statue, and a mural of Dua Lipa. The effects of the war are still highly prevalent in the aesthetic of the city.

Pristina Grand Hotel, a hotel once marked with grandeur and luxury, now abandoned and seeking revival. According to our guide, the falling stars presented on the top of the hotel signals a cry for help for the reconciliation of prosper in the nation.

We had the opportunity to speak with local Pristina University students who provided us with insight on life in Kosovo. Currently, Kosovars are required a visa to travel within Europe as they are not a part of the EU. As of January 1st, 2024, Kosovars will be liberated from the visa laws, making travel an exciting endeavor for many of the young people. The enthusiasm was more than clear as the girls planned a trip to Germany. This conversation put into perspective how fortunate I am as a US passport holder to be able to easily pack up my bags and journey across any corner of the world without hesitation.

Kosovo is a secular country; however, Islam is the primary religion practiced including over 96% of the population. There are beautiful mosques in every neighborhood and calls to prayer occurred multiple times per day. Islam was brought to Kosovo during the fall of the Ottoman empire and most of those who practice Islam in Kosovo are ethnic Albanian.

You may be familiar with the Kosovar flag: a blue flag with the six stars, each representing an ethnic group present in Kosovo, marked with a large outline of the country. As we made our way around the country, I came to notice quickly that the United States flag and the Albanian flag was much more prominent than the Kosovar flag. Our new friends at dinner expressed the challenge for citizens to attach themselves to Kosovar identity because of the recency of independence.

UNHCR:

As part of the educational experience, we were advised to go and interview various different NGOs around the city. My group was assigned the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. We discussed various different ways that the Kosovar commission assists refugees and kind of what that looks like as a developing country.

The convention was founded in 1992 (Yes! Before Kosovo became a recognized state) and aims to provide those experiencing statelessness. Many people use the UNHCR in Kosovo more as a transportation spot and rather settle in Germany or Italy. If a person decides to stay in Kosovo after the 15-day period allotted after arrival, they can then stay for up to 5 years then seek citizenship if they choose. The commission provides legal aid, Albanian language courses, housing, and mental health support.

There are approximately 150 refugees that go through Kosovo annually and approximately 20% are women and kids which I found particularly surprising. The reason for seeking asylum varies greatly from economic crisis to natural disaster. The UNHCR works with the UNDP and the IUM.

This experience was more than fulfilling and offered me a new perspective on global NGOs!

Mitrovica

We traveled to northern Kosovo where a majority ethnic Serbian lives. As soon as we arrived, the difference between the north and south was more than apparent. In Mitrovica, you will not find a single Albanian, Kosovar, or American flag but rather rows and rows of Serbian Flags. The small city is located right in the Balkan Mountain range making it a hilly spot. The feeling of distrust in the Kosovar government was painted throughout the city, marked with a variety of Serbian and Russian propaganda. Something I found particularly interesting was that the Serbian language is written in Crylic while the Albanian language is written in Latin. This just goes to show the challenge that is posed by the nation to reintegrate both ethnic groups back into a non-discriminatory state.

Prizren

For our final excursion, we hiked up the Sharri mountains. The trek was nothing short of a challenge and definitely not “a little walk” as our tour guide characterized it as. The hike offered spectacular views and our socks were soaked. Nevertheless, the clouds lying over the mountains were astronomical. Our hike was about a mile, so I can’t complain about the distance!

Afterwards, we made our way to Prizren, a city I would truly consider a hidden gem in Europe. The town located just fifteen minutes from Albania resembles what you would think of a European town to look like with the ankle breaking cobblestone and old historical buildings. Throughout the town, there were a multitude of beautiful mosques and delicious food. We didn’t get much time to explore this area and I hope to go back to explore Prizren in the future.

Food

While in Kosovo, we had the opportunity to try a variety of Albanian cuisines. We ate lots and LOTS of different kinds of bread. One of the most common types of bread was Kulak (soda bread). Made with Greek yogurt, it was delicious to eat with jam and a Greek yogurt dipping sauce. We also ate a lot of potatoes and various kinds of meat.

One of my favorite experiences was FastaPasta which is a fast-food pasta restaurant. You choose your sauce and toppings, choose the size, and choose the kind of pasta. It is basically a fast-food, Chipotle like, three-euro restaurant. Awesome!