Official version published in the Paris Globalist: http://www.parisglobalist.org/reintegrating-albanian-serbian-youth.

The New Bridge in Mitrovica symbolizes the split of the city into two adversarial sides. On the Albanian side, I stand with uncertainty looking over the river – those on the southern part warn of the dangers of crossing over to the Serbian side, shootings events continued even recently, prompting international organizations and embassies to issue travel and security warnings for the area. Previously used as a military checkpoint, the bridge today is patrolled by KFOR forces. A few people cross back and forth.

As we walk along the bridge, my guide recounts how his aunt and cousin were shot by “the enemy”– stories like this are by the hundreds, for people of both nationalities. A colleague recounted to me the trauma she felt after being forced to flee her home. Another remembered her days as a refugee in neighboring countries. Wherever I travel in Kosovo, upon learning that I am from Albania, Kosovars share the welcome and assistance that they received at refugee camps in Albania – to this day their fondness for Albania is exuberant.

Upon reaching the north side, Serbian flags flap in the wind, I find myself unable to move forward in what seems like intriguing, but forbidden streets. Suddenly the weight of the past conflict feels heavy, and this marks one of my saddest experiences in Kosovo.

Before the war, Serbs and Albanians used to lived as neighbors, certainly speaking one another’s language, and even intermarrying. The generations of those 35  years old and over remember this period. My colleagues at work are impressively fluent in both Serbian and Albanian.

However, the younger generation grew up either during the time of the war, or were born after. The conflict brought seemingly irreparable fissures between Serbs and Albanians. The youth have grown up with this image of seeing one another as the enemy, deeply harboring a negative image of “the other” in their head.

Though some intermixing still occurs, communities are now more segregated than before. Within Kosovo, pockets of areas are virtually Serb-speaking only. The city exemplifying this segregation is Mitrovica, the south of which is inhabited by ethnic Albanian, the north by Serbians – both are separated by the Ibar RIver and linked by three bridges. The New Bridge had been closed indefinitely, preventing contact between both sides of the city due to fear of danger, and was only recently reopened. My memory goes back to a peace and conflict conference that I attended in a similarly-divided city (London)Derry which is split between the Catholic Irish and the Protestant British.

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While in Kosovo, I was fortunate to attend a conference on Youth Regional Integration in the Balkans hosted the Youth Initiative for Human Rights organization. The aim was to bring together young people from the Western Balkans of different nationalities, in order to discuss moving forward from the conflict towards a more prosperous future.

The NGO shared its experiences with conducting youth cultural exchange programs by bringing Serbian students to Pristina for a study visit. Speaker Jasmina Lazovic recalls the fear and apprehension that the students first felt towards the idea of arriving in Kosovo and in Prishtina. These brave travelers, who chose to cross these seeming “forbidden” fronteirs to the other side, were vehemently discouraged from doing so by their families. After such a groundbreaking and personal journey, the students return to Serbia, having broken through negative stereotypes and apprehensions of Albanians, and challenging the prevalent negative views of “the other” in their communities, albeit encountering resistance.

It is a fact that cultural exchange and personal contact foster the best understanding between people – this is especially so with young people who may be more flexible and open with new experiences, and who certainly have the greatest role to play in breaking the harmful cycle of conflict.

Yet, my critique is that while the cultural exchange efforts of such an NGO are admirable and certainly create a ripple effect, in order to have a wider effect, the education systems of Serbia and Kosovo must become involved in these efforts as well – this is obvious.

I met Kosovar Albanians and Serbians travelling in other countries in Europe, who speak several foreign languages – English, German, Italian and more. But young Albanians scarcely speak Serbian and vice versa. Meanwhile, school exchange programs like study abroad between Serbia and Kosovo are virtually nonexistent – even though they are key to making a breakthrough and creating understanding between the two sides. This seems logical, yet political will to including such integration in the educational system is lacking in the governments of both countries.

The way forward to breaking the perpetuation of distrust and animosity is through youth, especially via personal contact – reintegration entails a culture of remembrance as well. It takes initiative on the part of individuals, and of governments. There is a lot of room for young trailblazers willing to be open, cross the boundaries, and set the path towards a  safer, more peaceful future onward.