Local Communities Meeting Held in South Mitrovica: Dialogue as a Path to Strengthening Trust
On January 29, 2025, a meeting of local community representatives from South and North Mitrovica, Zvečan, Zubin Potok, and Leposavić was held at the Diakonie Youth Center in South Mitrovica. Representatives of the Albanian and Serbian communities discussed common challenges and proposed concrete ideas for cooperation.
The gathering was organized as part of the project “Cohesive futures – Building Resilient Communities through Social Cohesion and Inter-ethnic/Inter-religious Exchange” implemented by Syri i Vizionit, the Edutask Institute, and NGO Aktiv, with financial support from the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF).
During the meeting, participants discussed identifying and addressing local challenges, improving joint action through concrete initiatives, and the implications of upcoming elections and their potential impact on the local community.
The focus was on recognizing and resolving key issues faced by different communities. The process included village, neighborhood, and municipal leaders, as well as representatives of institutions and civil society, with the aim of taking concrete steps toward strengthening cooperation. The proposals covered areas such as culture, sports, economy, and everyday life, with further development of these ideas to be facilitated by the project in collaboration with the communities.
Participants emphasized that direct social dialogue is crucial for building trust and mutual cooperation. The discussion was open and constructive, and attendees agreed on the need to strengthen the network of cooperation between different actors to ensure long-term solutions to shared problems.
This meeting represents the second dialogue between communities, continuing a series of seven initial dialogues within the municipalities included in the project, as well as conducted training and guidelines for strengthening the influence of key community actors in preventing extremism and promoting coexistence and cooperation.
This process is based on the principle of open dialogue, providing space for all participants to express their concerns and expectations. In this way, the project contributes to strengthening mutual trust and respect, offering concrete proposals and practical solutions to the challenges communities face.
