19. May. 2020. | 02:18

COVID19 Crisis - Active Citizens Response

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and the introduction of protective measures in Kosovo, the NGO "Aktiv", adapting to the situation, and in addition to its regular activities, has paid special attention to the position of minority communities and vulnerable groups in the new circumstances.

You can find more about the activities of the Civic Rapid Response Group in the following infographic.

This intensive work in exceptional conditions very quickly resulted in a series of activities:

• Already at the beginning of the pandemic, an appeal was sent, through the advocacy platform "Empirika", of which the NGO "Aktiv" is a member, to the Government of Kosovo, as well as the competent institutions, to urgently improve communication with the non-majority population and institutions functioning within the system of the Republic of Serbia: http://ngoaktiv.org/srb/news/public-statement-saopstenje-za-javnost-njoftim

• Through the announcement and the OP-ED in the bulletin of the Working Group of the National Convention on the European Union for Chapter 35, we called for better cooperation between Belgrade and Pristina in the fight against the COVID - 19 infectious disease: https://bit.ly/2UNGevs

• We pointed out the problem of non-compliance with the Law on the Use of Languages when the measures on the restriction of movement in Kosovo came into force without an official translation into Serbian: http://ngoaktiv.org/srb/news/new-restrictions-of-movement-in-kosovo-entered-into-force-without-official-translation-into-the-serbian-language

• We sent a letter to the Ministry of Health and the Ombudsperson Institution regarding the problems faced by citizens in accessing institutions due to measures restricting the movement of citizens in Kosovo, which are based on the decision of the Ministry of Health from April 15, 2020: http://ngoaktiv.org/uploads/files/NVO%20AKTIV_Dopis%20povodom%20radnog%20vremena%20institucija.pdf

• We have produced a concise publication, "Towards a more appropriate response to the Covid-19 pandemic in Kosovo", pointing out specific problems and recommending ways to solve them: http://www.ngoaktiv.org/srb/publication/towards-a-more-equal-reponse-to-the-covid-19-pandemic-in-kosovo

• Through the "Empirika" representation platform, we reacted with a statement, asking to enable the broadcasting of RTV MIR, because timely informing of the general public as well as the exchange of information is crucial in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic: http://ngoaktiv.org/srb/news/empirika-returning-rtv-mir-to-the-air-omoguciti-emitovanje-rtv-mir-te-mundesohet-transmetimi-i-rtv-mir

• In cases of endangering the private property of Serb citizens in Kosovo during which coronavirus protection measures have been abused, we appealed through the "Empirika" platform to the competent institutions for urgent response, emphasizing that in extraordinary circumstances additional efforts and significant engagement of institutions are necessary to protect the non-majority population: http://ngoaktiv.org/srb/news/empirica-appeal-in-regards-to-recent-incidents

Since it was found necessary during the previous work to find ways to respond as soon as possible to all these challenges that non-majority communities face, the NGO "Aktiv" formed the Civic Rapid Response Group. This group brings together coordinators from all over Kosovo who, in cooperation with the HUB, located in Mitrovica, provide daily information on problems in their communities.

Carefully monitoring the information received from this group, the NGO "Aktiv" issued a statement on the problems of non-majority communities arising from the implementation of Kosovo's package of measures to overcome the economic consequences of the coronavirus: http://ngoaktiv.org/srb/news/issues-of-non-majority-communities-with-the-implementation-of-a-package-of-measures-to-counter-the-economic-impact-of-the-coronavirus