Aferdita Sylaj Shehu, a Kosovo Albanian, and Nemanja Nestorović, a Kosovo Serb, jointly run Community Building Mitrovica (CBM), a local organization whose mission is to contribute to peacebuilding and reconciliation. They reside in the divided city of Mitrovica.
In an outdoor space, Afërdita and Nemanja shared their stories with 30 young people as part of USAID's Reconciliation and Conflict Transformation (RCT) activity storytelling hub, which aims to amplify interethnic cooperation as key to reconciliation and peace in the northern part of Kosovo.
In communities still largely divided by the city bridge, the unstable political situation can easily be ignited, making their efforts at times both precarious and arduous.
For Aferdita and Nemanja, however, a bridge is also an opportunity. "We share all happy and sad moments. Our morning starts with laughs shared over coffee, talking about hot topics, and the workday is off to a good start,” says Nemanja. Through CBM, they aim to help connect communities and foster inter-community dialogue.
The #RCT storytelling activity is an ongoing initiative that enables space for generating positive reconciliation messages from an individual level to the wider audience in Kosovo.
Community Building Mitrovica (CBM) for USAID Kosovo