“One Goal for Peace” marking International Day of Peace in Kosovo
“Equal we are, and for peace we ask, all the children together want to live in peace forever,” said Albert Berisha in his poem during the activity.
“The Peace Day means to me peace and harmony between people here in Kosovo,” added 12–year-old Adrian Tuma, from Suhareka town.
I really hope to be an example of peace and friendship between Serbians and Albanians not only for our peers who are not here, but even for our parents and others in my villageKosovo has experienced extensive violence in the past two decades. The children of Kosovo have suffered deeply from the inter-ethnic clashes that have exacerbated the divide in the country. For many years Albanians and Serbs have been fighting for dominion in Kosovo. Separation between ethnic lines is still obvious today, especially in mixed populated villages, like Mitrovica/Rahovec.
In the days before the International Day of Peace, each Kids for Peace club organised soccer games “One Goal for Peace” which coincided with the FIFA World Cup. In these soccer games Serbian, Albanian and other children from the minority groups who live in Kosovo played together. This competition among 16 clubs ran until the International Day of Peace activity, when the winning clubs raised the peace cup of victory together.
During the event on the International Day of Peace, children shared the poems that they had written about peace and living together, while others danced, sang and played together. It wasn’t important for them if they were Albanian, Serbian or from other ethnic groups in Kosovo; their only concern was who could raise their voice higher and sing better.
Even though they didn’t know each other’s language, a universal language of peace and harmony united and stimulated them to stay in the mixed groups and learn words from other children’s languages.
“This activity was a great opportunity for me to meet new Albanian friends and others who live in ethnic groups that I didn’t have the possibility to meet before I was part of Kids for Peace clubs,” said 12-year-old Anastasia Gruzdanovic, a Serbian girl from Mitrovica. “I really hope to be an example of peace and friendship between Serbians and Albanians not only for our peers who are not here, but even for our parents and others in my village.”
As part of this event, through games, songs and poems, they promoted not only peace and friendship among them, but also children’s rights. Children involved in the event raised their voices about the right for education and freedom of expression, which according to them are in the best interest of children in Kosovo.
“When I grow up, I would like to become a teacher, because I want to teach all children in Kosovo about their rights,” says 14-year-old Ahmet Hasani.
“If people know each others’ rights it will be easier to live in peace and justice,” he adds.
“While on this International Day of Peace around the world people do something to celebrate peace, here in Kosovo these children are the example to be admired and followed,” said Driton Krasniqi, Zonal Manager for World Vision in Kosovo.
As a peace initiative, founded in 2002, involving multi ethnic youth affected by conflict, the key focus of the Kids for Peace project was initially to encourage interaction among children from all ethnic groups, with specific emphasis on stimulating greater communication between Albanian and Serbian children.
...these children are the example to be admired and followedNow, along with Peace Education and Respect for Diversity, ‘Kids for Peace’ promotes responsible living through theory sessions, games and a range of intervention activities and skills such as public speaking and leadership skills, which are developed in children participating in this project.
The project operates in six Kosovo municipalities with 16 Kids for Peace clubs. Around 400 children regularly take part in the activities, which include basic Peace Education with a special emphasis on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, HIV and AIDS, Gender Equality, the Environment, and the inclusion of disabled and other marginalised groups in society.
Kids for Peace members are growing up with a very different idea of citizenship and will themselves hopefully raise a different generation of promoters of peace and harmony among all ethnics groups.
-Ends-
“The Peace Day means to me peace and harmony between people here in Kosovo,” added 12–year-old Adrian Tuma, from Suhareka town.
I really hope to be an example of peace and friendship between Serbians and Albanians not only for our peers who are not here, but even for our parents and others in my villageKosovo has experienced extensive violence in the past two decades. The children of Kosovo have suffered deeply from the inter-ethnic clashes that have exacerbated the divide in the country. For many years Albanians and Serbs have been fighting for dominion in Kosovo. Separation between ethnic lines is still obvious today, especially in mixed populated villages, like Mitrovica/Rahovec.
In the days before the International Day of Peace, each Kids for Peace club organised soccer games “One Goal for Peace” which coincided with the FIFA World Cup. In these soccer games Serbian, Albanian and other children from the minority groups who live in Kosovo played together. This competition among 16 clubs ran until the International Day of Peace activity, when the winning clubs raised the peace cup of victory together.
During the event on the International Day of Peace, children shared the poems that they had written about peace and living together, while others danced, sang and played together. It wasn’t important for them if they were Albanian, Serbian or from other ethnic groups in Kosovo; their only concern was who could raise their voice higher and sing better.
Even though they didn’t know each other’s language, a universal language of peace and harmony united and stimulated them to stay in the mixed groups and learn words from other children’s languages.
“This activity was a great opportunity for me to meet new Albanian friends and others who live in ethnic groups that I didn’t have the possibility to meet before I was part of Kids for Peace clubs,” said 12-year-old Anastasia Gruzdanovic, a Serbian girl from Mitrovica. “I really hope to be an example of peace and friendship between Serbians and Albanians not only for our peers who are not here, but even for our parents and others in my village.”
As part of this event, through games, songs and poems, they promoted not only peace and friendship among them, but also children’s rights. Children involved in the event raised their voices about the right for education and freedom of expression, which according to them are in the best interest of children in Kosovo.
“When I grow up, I would like to become a teacher, because I want to teach all children in Kosovo about their rights,” says 14-year-old Ahmet Hasani.
“If people know each others’ rights it will be easier to live in peace and justice,” he adds.
“While on this International Day of Peace around the world people do something to celebrate peace, here in Kosovo these children are the example to be admired and followed,” said Driton Krasniqi, Zonal Manager for World Vision in Kosovo.
As a peace initiative, founded in 2002, involving multi ethnic youth affected by conflict, the key focus of the Kids for Peace project was initially to encourage interaction among children from all ethnic groups, with specific emphasis on stimulating greater communication between Albanian and Serbian children.
...these children are the example to be admired and followedNow, along with Peace Education and Respect for Diversity, ‘Kids for Peace’ promotes responsible living through theory sessions, games and a range of intervention activities and skills such as public speaking and leadership skills, which are developed in children participating in this project.
The project operates in six Kosovo municipalities with 16 Kids for Peace clubs. Around 400 children regularly take part in the activities, which include basic Peace Education with a special emphasis on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, HIV and AIDS, Gender Equality, the Environment, and the inclusion of disabled and other marginalised groups in society.
Kids for Peace members are growing up with a very different idea of citizenship and will themselves hopefully raise a different generation of promoters of peace and harmony among all ethnics groups.
-Ends-
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