Urban fm, Prishtina

“LEVIZ”, (MOVE FREELY).

Aiming at creating a positive ground for multi-ethnicity, co-habitation and the right to free movement for all citizens of Kosova, “Urban fm” intends to launch a Kosova-wide project for the promotion of the human rights and a better understanding of the need for a communal life and harmony for all.

The current political and social situation of Kosova has encouraged the staff of “Urban fm” to launch a campaign under the slogan “MOVE FREELY”.

It is in the view of many citizens of Kosova that the current situation of lack of trust between ethnic groups has been created as a result of much interference of politics in the daily lives of people. On one side Belgrade authorities and on the other side the Kosovar politicians led by the pressure which in many cases has been unfounded and too traumatizing for all ethnic groups in Kosova, have created a difficult situation between players (Albanian Kosovars and Serb Kosovars), lack of understanding, lack of trust, insinuation of wrong doings and lack of complete collaboration which has all resulted at the development of an unstable political and social environment in Kosova as well as the portraying of a picture of a grey and inhumane Kosovar society.

On the contrary, as it will be shown also during the campaign, the Kosovars of both ethnicities regardless of politics have always shown signs of a desire to get back to the harmony that existed between the non incriminated parts of the society.

Taking into account the promotion of the “standards before status” as promoted by the international community, it became than certain that the main challenge for the Kosovar society and its political class in particular, remains the integration of the minorities and the preparation of the right environment where by all the citizen despite their ethnic affiliation would feel themselves equal in Kosova.

Taking into account the bitter past, it is more than obvious that this move would also be a challenge for the Serb community as the relations between Albanians and Serbs have been based on a total lack of trust.

It is already a common fact that the right of free movement is still limited in certain municipalities in Kosovo.

This project will aim at regaining the trust and confidence for co-existence and co-habitation between ethnic groups in Kosovo and in particular the Serbs and Albanians.

The focus of this campaign will be the importance given by Kosovars to one of the main elements of human rights in the world and Kosovo, free movement of all its citizens.

The project contains four main elements:

Radio programs and broadcast

A public debate between groups of civil society of Prishtina and Belgrade under the motto “Kosova, the challenges and opportunities”

Prishtina an open and free town – cultural activity

Media campaign (free movement)

Media campaign: Radio programs

This project was financed from the Prime-Minister’s Office in September last year. The project was implemented only one month after the latest elections with the excuse of there being many other previous projects piled up and due to lack of funds.

The PM’s latest initiative for concrete talks with representatives of communities represents a concrete and active step in improving the situation in this respect, and especially after the disorders in March last year.

Radio Urban FM is ready, as a media with an impact on the youth and wider population, to assist in this strategy of the government, by becoming some sort of a "media sponsor" i.e. to advertise it, to promote this strategy which is more than necessary for raising the awareness that a tolerant and multiethnic Kosova is the only way for their prospective future.

As previously noted, one of the main characteristics underlining the interethnic relations in Kosova is a degree of mutual distrust and disrespect, which comes form the mutual ignorance about the common values which communities of this country posses.

Urban FM aims to achieve this in the 6-month period in cooperation with the media which broadcast in several languages or those which are aimed primarily at the Serbian community of Kosova. Here we are in particular thinking of Radio K in Fushë Kosova, broadcasting programs in 4 languages, of Radio Kamenica with broadcasts in Albanian and Serbian and of Radio KIM in Graçanica.

The project aims, through contact programs, reports and other media tools, in cooperation with multiethnic media or those belonging to minority communities, to promote the interethnic tolerance, through weakening the existing mutual distrust and also aims, through promoting cultural values, traditions or even daily problems of different communities, to enable the formation of a more positive mutual approach.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Urban FM is listened to and respected also by non-Albanian communities, and especially among members of the Serb community. This has resulted in good relations with other multiethnic media and the NGO-s which assemble youngsters from minority communities of Kosova, such as Serbs, Ashkalias, Turks etc.

This monthly project will be carried out with the following media: Radio K in Fushë Kosova with broadcasts in 4 languages; Radio Kamenica with broadcasts in Albanian and Serbian; and with Radio KIM in Graçanica.

The Project is planned to last 6 months and it would have the following order of activities:

1. In the first to weeks, two audio promotion ads in two languages (Albanian, Serbian) will be broadcast by the above-mentioned media six times per day.

2. In the second part (weeks 3 and 4) apart from the promotion ads there will be two (one in each language) reports in a 7-15 minute duration broadcast. In the Serbian media the material of the reports would be discussing Albanian citizens (the reports would be in Serbian) and vice-versa: the Albanian reports would portray the daily life of some Serbian citizen or family, but produced in Albanian language. These reports would be produced and broadcast jointly with the above-mentioned media.

3. During one month there will be 4 interactive live radio shows produced, with different guests and with representatives from Kosovar institutions. These shows would be broadcast in Urban FM and other above-mentioned media. They would be live radio shows enabling the listeners to join the conversation. The guests invited in these 4 interactive shows would include the PM, the Ministers and different experts who would communicate with the Serbian citizens of Kosova. Within the studio, they would be interviewed by two journalists (representatives of Radio KIM and Radio Urban FM), and the show would be produced in the Serbian media in Graçanica.

4. All of the promotional audio ads, reports and interactive live shows will be recorded. The material collected could be used in future from the local and international institutions in order to analyze the real problems of different communities and find a solution for them.

5. During the campaign a mobile van would be in constant circulation around Kosova, carrying the campaign logo.

6 Fliers would be dispersed Kosova-wide.

It must be emphasized that during the first month of carrying out this project, Urban FM has seen it fit to activate the formerly functioning bus–line Kishnica – Graçanica – Prishtina – for the needs of Serbian citizens of this region.

The project as such aims to resolve different issues depending on the needs of citizens, and the concrete possibilities.