UNMIK ON AIR

NAIM BREZNICA INTERVIEW

By Zoran CULAFIC

Hello and welcome ... this is UNMIK ON AIR ...

ATMOS ... Radio K intro ... 106 MHz

Many people would say that today in Kosovo that one of the easiest ways to earn international donor money is to apply with a multiethnic project.

Naim Breznica is director of multiethnic Radio K from Kosovo Polje/Fush Kosove and in an interview with UNMIK ON AIR he confirms that many NGO’s have the idea to get money misusing the multiethnic concept, but there are some positive examples of multiethnic projects that are helping to make a better environment for all Kosovo citizens.

CUT – When we talk about NGO’s we cannot say that all of them are independent and professional. There are NGO’s that work for some political parties, some others hat have in mind only getting the money, and finally, there are some NGO’s that do implement professionally what they wrote in the project.

Naim Breznica believes that older generations in Kosovo had experienced some good times during the past, as well as bad times, but he is sure that what is offered to young people today in Kosovo is not enough. Both Serb and Albanian politician, and all the others, should work harder improving living conditions in Kosovo, he said.

Unfortunately, politicians are often focused more on other priorities and it seems that there are two widely separated worlds – that of political parties and that of the ordinary people.

Music in and under ....

Managing the Radio station is not an easy task, he said, particularly when you have four different sections – Albanian, Serbian, Roma and Ashkali, having in mind that there is less money coming from the donors, and that the Kosovo market is not developed enough to feed the needs of a multiethnic radio station.

Radio K is broadcasting different programs – from news in four languages to cultural and entertainment programs. For the Roma and Ashkali community there is a special weekly educational program, serving children that have no formal education.

CUT – Thank to my colleagues Serbs we found a common language on this issue. After the war there was so many misinformation around here and my idea was to produce a program with true facts and honest approach ... not to lie to the people, but tell them the true.

Radio K was established in 2000 and it is a real multiethnic radio – with 4 Albanians, 3 Serbs 2 Romas and an Ashkali, a Turk and Macedonian journalist.

CUT – For me, the most important thing right now is implementation of standards, but just one side cannot implement the standards. Standards cannot depend on the good will of just one community, no matter is it Albanian or Serb or Roma or Ashkali ... so, all of them should work together on standards.

The main problem for Kosovo Serbs, as he sees it, is that Serbs need a serious political leader from Kosovo to guide them. Unfortunately, as he said, Serbs are confused by non-influential political leaders, and by confused massages from Belgrade.

CUT – For Serbs Kosovo is a new truth now ... their leader should be someone like late Djindjic ... but where we can find another Djindjic ...we need young people, who are not loaded with old times ... and surely not former communists. Such are the main obstacles to Serb community ... and that is my opinion.

Naim describes his relations with Serb political leaders in Kosovo and Belgrade not as good, but rather as honest. Very often he meets with prominent Serb leaders in Belgrade.

He is very critical of Serb politicians, but also on Albanian politicians in Pristina.

CUT – I cannot say what is their key mistake from 99 because there are many mistakes. EDIT TO but the biggest mistake is – why Kosovo waited for five years for the status and did not implement standards ... why we did not start implementing them from the 1999 ... or, why Jessen-Petersen is supposed to get together all political leaders in Kosovo, while they could do it by themselves ... these are some mistakes and if they have overcome them, then today we would not have the agenda of standards but rather improving economic and living standard and employment..

Naim Breznica is visiting all Kosovo villages and talks with many residents. This is a part of his recent experience from Batuse, a Serb village in central Kosovo that was cut off the electric network for a few months

Young people from Batuse are complaining about both the Serbian and Albanian politicians, Naim Breznica said, but they do not have any clear idea of how to overcome the situation and live a normal life. Because, what they need desperately is – a normal life.

CUT – I ask them, how many weddings there was in a village from 99 – no single one, how many children was born – no single one, how many times people went to cinema during that period – no single one ...

Local authorities and NGO’s should focus more on improving the life conditions in such a villages, Naim Breznica said, in order to organize cultural or sport events, to build cinemas and discos. That is the only way to improve the living conditions for young people living in such villages.

CUT – There are some people who were young kids during the war, and they never saw the train and airplane they saw only in the air or on TV ... so, living conditions for young generation are very bad. For my generation is different, we had had a good times, as well as bad times. I had had an opportunity to attend Flamurtari and Pristina football matches, but also Crvena Zvezda and Partizan ... but what about young people today ... what are we offering to them today?

You’ve been listening to our interview with Naim Breznica, the manager of the multiethnic station Radio K, in Fushe kosovoa.

Good bye and thanks for listening.