4-7 November, 2021

“Young women building peace” is the motto under which took place the second part of the Feminist Spring School 2021, gathering 18 girls from Kosovo and Serbia from 4-7 November, 2021.

Given the stagnant situation of the dialogue process between Kosovo and Serbia, the recently created tensions between the two countries and the great impact that the situation plays on the daily life of the population of both countries, as well as the effect it all has in their interethnic relations, initiatives like Feminist Spring School undoubtedly play a key role in constructing a narrative without political distortions within the bigger picture of peace building among the citizens of Kosovo and Serbia.

The program of Feminist Spring School is created in such a way that it includes activist and feminist trainers and guests, from Kosovo and Serbia, who present their work to the participating girls. And this year’s program was no exception.

During the four days of our (informal) school / seminar that brought together young women from Kosovo and Serbia we tackled different topics, engaging participants in practical learning processes and exploring more about themselves, their feminist future and the peace building process.

From ‘law and feminism’ to ‘peace and activisms’ to ‘transitional justice and reconciliation’ to ‘women’s contribution in peace and security’ to ‘women’s movement since the 1990s’ to ‘women climbers breaking taboos’ to ‘women at the negotiating table in Kosovo’ were the topics that enriched the program of the second part of the Feminist Spring School 2021.

Well-known names of activists and institutions’ representatives including Nasrin Pourghazian, Ariana Qosaj Mustafa, Valdete Idrizi, Kaltrina Shala, Donika Emini, Igballe Rogova, Mrika Nikçi and Jovana Radosavljevic lectured on the aforementioned topics.

Creating a safe environment for participants to express themselves and enabling them to do it in their own respective language are among the core principles of the Feminist Spring School that of course came to the fore this year as well.

Below we will enumerate some short sentences of evaluation answers to the question “What’s the feeling you are concluding the Feminist Spring School with?”

“Inspired, empowered and loved.” – Valëza

“I am leaving this training highly motivated to work even harder for women and girls.” – Drenueta

“I am leaving with more knowledge about the importance of women’s history and I cannot wait to share this knowledge I have.”- Jelena C.

“If we ever forget how strong and knowledgeable, we are, or because of the circumstances in which we live we are sometimes discouraged, I think that trainings like these remind us of many things and give us courage to continue.”- Saranda

The project “Young Women Build Peace in Kosovo and Serbia” is implemented in cooperation with Artpolis – Art and Community Center and the “Alternativni centar za devojke” while supported by the European Union in Kosovo and Kvinna till Kvinna foundation.

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„Mlade žene grade mir“ je naziv  pod kojim je održan drugi deo Feminističke prolećne škole 2021, koja je okupila 18 devojaka sa Kosova i iz Srbije od 4. do 7. novembra 2021. godine.

S obzirom na stagnirajuću situaciju u procesu dijaloga između Kosova i Srbije, nedavno stvorene tenzije i veliki uticaj koji situacija ima na svakodnevni život stanovništva, kao i efekat koji sve to ima na međuetničke odnose, inicijative poput Feminističke prolećne škole nesumnjivo igraju ključnu ulogu u izgradnji narativa bez političkih distorzija u okviru šire slike izgradnje mira među građanima Kosova i Srbije.

Program Feminističke prolećne škole kreiran je tako da uključuje aktivistkinje i feministkinje, sa Kosova i iz Srbije, koje učesnicama predstavljaju svoj rad.

Tokom četiri dana ove neformalne škole bavile smo se različitim temama, koje su učesnicama pružile različite perspektive i mogućnosti  angažovanja u feminističkom pokretu i procesu izgradnje mira.

Od “zakona i rodne ravnopravnosti”, “mira i aktivizma”,  “tranzicione pravde i pomirenja”, “doprinosa žena miru i sigurnosti’” preko  “ženskog pokreta od 1990-ih” do “žena planinarki  koje krše tabue” i ‘žena za pregovaračkim stolom na Kosovu“ bile su teme koje su obogatile program drugog dela Feminističke prolećne škole 2021.

Poznata imena aktivistkinja i predstavnica institucija među kojima su Nasrin Pourghazian, Ariana Kosaj Mustafa, Valdete Idrizi, Kaltrina Shala, Donika Emini, Igballe Rogova, Mrika Nikci i Jovana Radosavljević bila su deo Feminisitčke prolećne škole i održale su predavanja o pomenutim temama.

Stvaranje bezbednog okruženja za učesnice da se izraze i mogućnost da to urade na svom jeziku su među osnovnim principima Feminističke prolećne škole.

U nastavku ćemo nabrojati nekoliko kratkih rečenica evaluacionih odgovora na pitanje „Kakav utisak nosite sa Feminističke prolećne škole”:

„Inspirisana, osnažena i voljena.“ – Valeza

„Odlazim sa  obuke veoma motivisana da radim još više za žene i devojke.“ – Drenueta

„Odlazim sa više znanja o važnosti istorije žena i jedva čekam da podelim ovo znanje koje imam.“ – Jelena C.

„Ako ikada zaboravimo koliko smo jake i obrazovane, ili zbog okolnosti u kojima živimo ponekad ostanemo obeshrabrene, mislim da nas ovakvi treninzi podsećaju na mnogo stvari i daju nam hrabrosti da nastavimo.“- Branka

Projekat „Mlade žene grade mir na Kosovu i u Srbiji“ realizuje se u saradnji sa Artpolis-Art i Community Centrom i „Alternativnim centrom za devojke“ uz podršku Evropske Unije na Kosovu i Švedske fondacije Kvinna till Kvinna.

#artpolis #feministspringschool #kcr #azd

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