Standing on the main bridge in Mitrovica, overlooking the Ibër/Ibar River, a senior citizen from South Mitrovica remarks, “These photographs we are looking at here—this is my life. I lived these photographs; they bring back countless memories from the past.” The photographs, some of them dating from more than a century ago, are part of an exhibition organized by USAID’s Reconciliation and Conflict Transformation activity. More than 100 photographs send a message of peace and cohabitation from a location that has been mostly synonymous with division and conflict.
The exhibition visually highlights what Mitrovica once was—a multiethnic, prosperous, and vibrant city. While senior citizens reflected on memories from the past, the younger generations listened to stories of peaceful cohabitation in Mitrovica. More than 300 people attended the exhibition opening, which took place on July 7; and another exhibition is planned for North Mitrovica. The exhibitions are a prelude to the upcoming Coffee Festival in September, another community-organized event highlighting the shared values of citizens on both sides of the river.
Through events such as these, USAID’s activity provides a space for citizens from Kosovo-Albanian, Kosovo-Serbian, and other communities within Kosovo to establish communication and foster reconciliation at the grassroots level. This grassroots, community-tailored approach for identifying reconciliation activities is bringing together communities and empowering them to be a force for change in Kosovo.
CBM for USAIDKosovo