Open letter to Federica Mogherini<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Civil society organizations from Serbia and Kosovo against the division of Kosovo<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Ms Mogherini,<\/p>\n Civil society organizations from Serbia and Kosovo are urging you to make an unambiguous statement against the division of Kosovo or the exchange of territories between Kosovo and Serbia on an ethnic principle. More frequent mentions of the possibility of redrawing the borders send a very dangerous message to the citizens of Serbia and Kosovo, as well as to the entire region, that there is a real possibility of legitimizing a dangerous propaganda of ethnic ownership over the territory – a principle that has pushed the region on several occasions into bloody conflicts.<\/p>\n Such developments would inevitably produce a chain reaction in other Balkan states and lead to numerous requests for changes in the borders in the Balkans, which opens the door to new conflicts. Also, this would send a message to most Serbs in Kosovo living south of the Ibar that they should move to “their” ethnic state, which could lead to another exodus of the population in the Balkans.<\/p>\n Civil society organizations have been trying for decades to improve contacts and cooperation between the two communities, primarily looking at the welfare of people living in Serbia and Kosovo and the future of the entire region. It is necessary to establish a lasting peace in the region and to accept interculturality and multi-ethnicity as a prerequisite for development. The ethnically clean countries, the outdated 19th-century model, must not be the goals of any policy, nor should they be tolerated and supported by representatives of the international community.<\/p>\n Civil society organizations invite all actors, domestic and international, to actively oppose attempts to introduce the ethnic principle as the supreme in the building of states in the Balkans. Any state that is based on discrimination and divides citizens on any ground is pre-sentenced to failure. A society that develops on values opposed to respect for basic human rights is condemned to nationalism, isolation, and hopelessness. More and more young people are already leaving our countries, and the territories for which national and political elites are battling today will struggle without the driving democratic forces.<\/p>\n Civil society organizations invite the international community, but above all the authorities in Serbia and Kosovo to devote themselves to the creation of the best possible living conditions for all inhabitants of Kosovo (including the freedom of movement, business and international cooperation) during the negotiations, ensuring that the crimes from the past never happen again (including finding the missing persons as a primary task for both countries) and creating conditions for the development of legal and democratic government systems in Kosovo and Serbia. Only such negotiations are a guarantee for a safe and dignified life for all people, regardless of national or any other differences.<\/p>\n Policy Center<\/p>\n Civic Initiatives<\/p>\n Helsinki Committee for Human Rights<\/p>\n YUCOM<\/p>\n Belgrade Center for Human Rights<\/p>\n Humanitarian Law Center<\/p>\n Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Serbia<\/p>\n InTer<\/p>\n Sandzak Committee for Human Rights<\/p>\n Cultural Center Damad<\/p>\n Urban In<\/p>\n Academic Initiative Forum 10<\/p>\n Center for New Media Liber<\/p>\n Center for Modern Skills<\/p>\n Generator Vranje<\/p>\n Women Association Pe\u0161\u010danik<\/p>\n Association of\u00a0 Citizens Stara Pazova<\/p>\n Human Rights Center Ni\u0161<\/p>\n Integra Pristina<\/p>\n Syri i Visionit<\/p>\n Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Kosovo<\/p>\n GAIA Kosovo<\/p>\n NVO Aktiv<\/p>\n Let’s Do It Peja<\/p>\n CRDP<\/p>\n STIKK<\/p>\n IKS<\/p>\n Kosovo Association Chopin<\/p>\n Lumbardhi Foundation<\/p>\n Centre for Social Groups Development\u2013 CSGD<\/p>\n CDF<\/p>\n Trentino con il Kossovo<\/p>\n Kosovo Women\u2019s Network<\/p>\n Kosova Democratic Institute<\/p>\n X40-bunarfest<\/p>\n Numismatic association \u201cDemastion\u201d<\/p>\n Disability Development Centre<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Open letter to Federica Mogherini \u00a0 Civil society organizations from Serbia and Kosovo against the division of Kosovo Dear Ms Mogherini, Civil society organizations from Serbia and Kosovo are urging you to make an unambiguous statement against the division of Kosovo or the exchange…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":6942,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n