Un Radio in Kosovo

Kosovo Home to All

By Andrea Saula

Hello and Welcome. From the studios of UN Radio in Kosovo…

Schoolchildren from approximately 35 schools in Kosovo participated recently in a drawing contest named “Kosovo Home to all”. The best of the 13 drawings will be published in a calendar for 2005.

The “Kosovo Home to all” project is a joint effort by the UN administration and local Government to promote the positive values of the 8 democratic benchmarks – the Standards for Kosovo.

Atmosphere kids in the gallery

The drawings were exhibited for 3 days at the beginning of December in the gallery of the British Council building. Notably – more depressing scenes – some showing wires and distinct separation in the presentation of the characters – did find their way into the content of the drawings. But, pictures expressing joy, depictions of ethnic groups playing – these were also present, and showed a sincere understanding of the possibilities of living with others.

Izabella Karlowitz is one of the United Nations’ project managers:

Karlowitz

“The idea was to organize an exhibition, a competition of what Kosovo children think of what Kosovo should look like in the future and those children are Albanian, Bosniak, Serbian, Gorani, Roma, representing all communities living Kosovo.”

Announcing the names of the best artists, Principal Deputy SRSG Lawrence Rossin emphasized that children are there to remind the adults what is the most important.

Rossin

“There were so many wonderful pictures, there were so many great pictures that reflected what children here in Kosovo think that Kosovo as a home to all should look like. The situation is that the adults, we work on a lot of different things, we are very busy and sometimes we forget what is really important but one thing that you can count on in children is to remind us of what really counts.”

One of the participants Hateme Kurteli is in the fifth grade at Dragas elementary school. She came with her teacher to Pristina to attend the opening of the exhibition in early December.

Kurteli

“With this drawing I wanted to show that Kosovo is our home that we all love. I want to see Kosovo becoming a place where we all live happily.”

Milena Cvetkovic is also in the fifth grade but from another part of Kosovo - the village of Silovo in Gnjilan Municipality. Completely independent from her Albanian peer, Hateme Kurteli, Cvetkovic’s drawing was remarkably similar in theme:

Cvetkovic

“I wanted to show that Kosovo as a home to all. I think that Kosovo one day should be a happy place to live and that Albanians and Serbs should be friends.”

Engaging children to invest their time understanding how to define the 8 Standards for Kosovo is daunting; linking them to the concepts of living with other ethnic groups through a drawing contest is more practical. Gvozden Antic is an arts teacher in Silovo School. He says the UN and the Kosovo Government had the right idea by organizing such a contest.

Antic agrees that the children’s’ drawings are carrying strong and important message.

Antic

“It gives the message for the future life in Kosovo, for the life that UNMIK is putting their efforts behind. I think that now is about the time to make the idea of living together possible, especially through these types of manifestations. Following these ideas as a professor and as a pedagogue I tried to explain the topic to the pupils.”

UN event organizer, Donna Cusamano said the 2005 calendar with the childrens’ drawings should be ready by the end of year.

This concludes today’s segment. Thanks for listening and stay tuned.

Rexhep Osmani

Track 0:17 The topic itself, “Kosovo, Home to All” is strongly symbolic for youngsters today. It takes the message to all the citizens of Kosovo, to all who work or learn in Kosovo. Through figures and drawings this topic that is more then up to date today is handled.

Larry Rossin

Track 0:24 There were so many wonderful pictures, there were so many grate pictures that reflected what children here in Kosovo think that Kosovo as a home to all should look like. + Track 0:25 The situation is that the adults, we work on a lot of different things, we are very busy and sometimes we forgot what is really important but one thing that you can count on children is to is to remind us of what really counts.

Track 0:26 atmosphere in the bus

- Promotes values like as prosperity, tolerance, respect, all those values that us, adults call standards for Kosovo

Izabella Karlowitz

Track 0.29 The idea was to organize an exhibition, a competition of what Kosovo children think of what Kosovo should look like in the future and those children are Albanian, Bosniak, Serbian, Gorani, Roma, representing all communities living Kosovo. These children express their ideas. Some of these ideas were sad. There are a lot of pictures of wires, separation, and sadness. There are a lot of pictures expressing joy, fun, playing together. There are a lot of scenes of communities living together and sharing their meal together, sharing their free time together

Gvozden Antic, Vuk karadzic

Track 0:34 It gives the message for the future life in Kosovo, for the life that UNMIK is putting efforts to be. I think that now is about the time to make the living together possible through manifestation like this. Following these ideas as a professor and as a pedagogue I tried to explain the topic to the pupils.

Hateme Kurteli 5 razred, Dragas

Track 0:35 00: 27 Ja sam ovim crtezom zelela da pokazem da je Kosovo nas dom, koje svi volimo. 00:48 Zelim da vidim srecno I dugovecno Kosovo.

Milena Cvetkovic, VI grade

Track 0:37 I wanted to show that Kosovo as a home to all. (edit to) I think that Kosovo one day should be a happy place to live and that Albanians and Serbs should be friends.