Donika Marku | Northeastern University (original) (raw)

Papers by Donika Marku

Research paper thumbnail of CHALLENGES OF PUBLIC SAFETY IN KOSOVO

Security is a key fundamental human right. Feeling safe or unsafe strongly affects the physical a... more Security is a key fundamental human right. Feeling safe
or unsafe strongly affects the physical and mental health and well-being of citizens and may lead to greater trust/ distrust, which affects citizens’ socialization and sense of community.
This paper consists of four chapters. The first chapter unfolds citizens’ perceptions on national security concerns. The second chapter elaborates citizens’ perceptions on public safety. Consequently, the third chapter interrelates citizens’ perceptions toward public safety concerns with reality, while examining the reasons that may have influenced these perceptions. Meanwhile, the last chapter offers a range of recommendations, measures to be taken into consideration, in order to improve public safety in Kosovo.

Various elements affect citizens’ perceptions regarding public safety. Indisputably, such attitudes are shaped by personal experiences. However, the importance of media and social networks in shaping citizens’ opinions cannot be ignored. Perceptions might be correlated with personal characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, education and economic status. Therefore, beyond general data analyses, this edition also includes cross-analyses of various public security threats with personal characteristics.

Research paper thumbnail of Kosovo Security Barometer - Ninth Edition

Kosovo Security Barometer - Ninth Edition, 2019

Published by: Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) Title: Kosovo Security Barometer - Ni... more Published by:

Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS)

Title:

Kosovo Security Barometer - Ninth Edition

Author:

Donika Marku

Date:

December 2019

The Kosovo Security Barometer (KSB) is a distinctive tool through which the Kosovo Center for Security Studies (KCSS) measures public perceptions in Kosovo. The ninth edition of the Kosovo Security Barometer consists of two chapters. While the first chapter measures citizens’ perceptions of trust in security, justice, central and local institutions, 1 the second chapter presents citizens’ perceptions of corruption in these institutions.

Perceptions of trust in state institutions and corruption may vary by ethnicity2, gender, area and district. In addition, the report also contains a combined analysis of the data beyond the general interpretation, which enables the public to have a clearer and more meaningful view of citizens’ trust in institutions. In this regard, analyzing the trust results by rural/urban areas, geographical regions, ethnicity and gender, as well as other supplementary data related to the respondents, will enable the audience to assess and analyze the opinions of Kosovo citizens on issues related to security and justice in Kosovo during 2019.

In addition to the results of the 2019 Kosovo Security Barometer, the key findings regarding institutional sectors follow:

●● Security institutions continue to be more trusted than the justice and central one also in this edition of the Kosovo Security Barometer;

●● Justice institutions (courts and prosecution) continue to enjoy lower trust than security ones. Furthermore, the 2019 results show that compared to the previous year, there is a decrease in public trust in the rule of law institutions;

●● The Assembly and Government continue to remain the least trusted institutions in the eyes of citizens;

●● The Government of Kosovo is the least trusted of all the institutions measured in this edition of the Barometer. In addition, the Barometer has recorded that respondents with lower monthly income have higher trust in the Government than those with higher income;

●● Municipal institutions continue to enjoy higher credibility than central ones.

In addition to the general findings on trust in sectors, the results provide an interesting insight into specific institutions, where:

●● The Kosovo Security Force continues to be the most trusted of all the institutions measured in this edition of the Barometer;

●● Similar to previous year, men reported higher trust towards the Kosovo Security Force than women;

●● Although with a two percent decrease, 59 percent of respondents expressed their trust in Kosovo Police;

●● Women respondents trust the Kosovo Police and justice institutions more than men, thus potentially mirroring a women’s sense of insecurity in the society;

●● The novelty of this edition of the KSB is the measuring of citizens’ trust in the Kosovo Correctional Service and Customs of Kosovo. The results show low trust in the Correctional Service (30 percent), while trust in the Customs was not satisfactory either (35 percent).

MAIN FINDINGS RELATED TO CORRUPTION:

●● More than half of the respondents stated they see Courts and Prosecutors as corrupt. For respondents, Courts amount to the most corrupt institution in Kosovo;

●● There is an increase in percentage of respondents who deem Kosovo local municipalities as corrupt;

●● The Kosovo Security Force is perceived as the least corrupt institution;

●● Kosovo Security Barometer 2019 results show that the level of perception of police corruption has decreased by four percentage points compared to 2018;

This report is published in the framework of the Kosovo Security Barometer Programe. Perceptions presented in this report are a summary of information gathered from respondents and it solely demonstrates how people perceive institutions. It is no way a conclusive assessment on the quality of the work of institutions subject to this study. It shall serve as an instrument to them toward addressing potential shortcomings, but also an indicator of the effectiveness of their communication with the people.

The views presented in this report are perceptions of the respondents and do not necessarily represent the views of Kosovar Centre for Security Studies. Opinions expressed in this report do not represent the views of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

Research paper thumbnail of KOSOVO SECURITY BAROMETER: NINTH EDITION

KOSOVO SECURITY BAROMETER: NINTH EDITION, 2019

The Kosovo Security Barometer (KSB) is a distinctive tool through which the Kosovo Center for Sec... more The Kosovo Security Barometer (KSB) is a distinctive tool
through which the Kosovo Center for Security Studies
(KCSS) measures public perceptions in Kosovo. The ninth
edition of the Kosovo Security Barometer consists of two
chapters. While the first chapter measures citizens’ perceptions of trust in security, justice, central and local institutions,1
the second chapter presents citizens’ perceptions of
corruption in these institutions.

Research paper thumbnail of REPORT BY KCSS TRENDS OF CITIZENS' PERCEPTIONS ON PUBLIC SAFETY IN KOSOVO

Kosovar Centre for Security Studies, 2019

Security is a key fundamental human right. Feeling safe or unsafe strongly affects the physical a... more Security is a key fundamental human right. Feeling safe or unsafe strongly affects the physical and mental health and wellbeing of citizens1
, and may lead to greater trust/distrust, which affects citizens’ socialization and sense of community.2
As a result, KCSS has paid particular attention to citizens’ perceptions
regarding public safety and personal security since 2012 when the Kosovo Security Barometer was first
launched.
This special edition of the KSB provides a summary of citizens’ perceptions of public safety in Kosovo
over the past three years. More concretely, it highlights the perception trends on public safety focusing
on the Kosovo Security Barometer (KSB) data collected during the period from 2016 to 2018. Data collected during this period focused on the main public safety concerns and issues of respondents as well
as measured steps to be taken to improve public safety in Kosovo.
Various elements affect citizens’ perceptions regarding public safety. Indisputably, such attitudes are
shaped by personal experiences. However, the importance of media and social networks in shaping citizens’ opinions cannot be ignored. Perceptions might be correlated with personal characteristics such
as age, gender, ethnicity, education and economic status. Therefore, beyond general data analyses, this
edition also includes cross-analyses of various public security threats with personal characteristics.

Research paper thumbnail of Rethinking security: Western Balkans as a security provider

Engagement on Security and Migration (European Commission 2018), the London Summit provides a sol... more Engagement on Security and Migration (European Commission 2018), the London Summit provides a solid basis to pose the question: where does the Western Balkans fit into the overall EU security architecture? Within this context, the paper aims at analyzing and exploring ways of cooperation between Western Balkan (WB) countries and the EU in the security sector.
Moreover, it aims at analyzing the capacities of Western Balkan countries to work conjointly with the EU in successfully tackling security challenges in the region and seeks ways to transform the region from a security consumer to a security provider.

Research paper thumbnail of Kosovo Security Barometer - Eighth Edition

Kosovo Security Barometer - Eighth Edition , 2018

Published by: Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) Title: Kosovo Security Barometer: Eig... more Published by:

Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS)

Title:

Kosovo Security Barometer: Eighth Edition

Author:

Donika Marku

Date:

November 2018

Kosovo Security Barometer (KSB) is a distinctive tool through which Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) measures public perceptions. The eighth edition of the KSB report consists of two main chapters. The first chapter measures citizens trust toward Kosovo’s security, justice and central state institutions and the second chapter recordsc itizens perceptions regarding Kosovo’s main internal risks and threats.

Perceptions of trust in state institutions and perceptions of national threats vary with respondents’ ethnicity, gender, zone and district. Therefore, the report provides cross-tabulated data analyses in addition to general interpretation of the data which enables the audience to have a vivid picture and better understanding regarding the citizens’ trust in institutions and their perceived threats. Correspondingly, analysing the trust results based on specific areas, districts, ethnicity, gender, as well as other complementary data related to respondents, allows the audience to explore further the rationale of Kosovar citizens regarding various security and justice related issues.

Research paper thumbnail of Kosovo's participation in peacekeeping missions: An effective tool in foreign policy

Published by: Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) Title: Kosovo's participation in peac... more Published by:

Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS)

Title:

Kosovo's participation in peacekeeping missions: An effective tool in foreign policy

Author:

Donika Marku

Date:

September 2018

Kosovo’s current isolation and the lack of country’s clear path to membership in key regional and international security organizations and mechanisms such as the United Nations (UN), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union (EU) has not only frustrated the country’s ability to become part of the global security infrastructure, but it has also held back its chances to participate and contribute to the various peacekeeping missions worldwide. Even in instances when such prospects are plausible, Kosovo’s potential to participate in EU security mechanisms as foreseen by the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) through EU’s Common Security Defense Policy (CSDP) are further stunt by the rejection of Kosovo’s independence of the five EU member states.

This paper explores the opportunities offered by the SAA as a potential pathway to Kosovo’s participation in EU’s peacekeeping operations and missions.

Research paper thumbnail of Kosovo’s Foreign Policy and Dialogue with Serbia

Published by: Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) Title: Kosovo Security Barometer - Sp... more Published by:

Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS)

Title:

Kosovo Security Barometer - Special Edition

Kosovo’s Foreign Policy and Dialogue with Serbia

Author:

Donika Emini and Donika Marku

Date:

9th of February 2018

The Kosovo Security Barometer (KSB) is a specific programme of Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) designed to serve as an annual publication. The primary focus of the KSB is to measure the public opinion perceptions towards security and justice institutions. It also measures the public perception on the internal and external security threats to Kosovo, perceptions on Kosovo’s foreign policy and dialogue with Serbia.

In general, the KSB targets a wide variety of actors interested in the public opinion trends in Kosovo in the field of security and justice. It targets the following stakeholders: policymakers in Kosovo as well as the western Balkans; the international organizations in Kosovo and their headquarters; local and international civil society organizations; academia and the media.

Research paper thumbnail of CHALLENGES OF PUBLIC SAFETY IN KOSOVO

Security is a key fundamental human right. Feeling safe or unsafe strongly affects the physical a... more Security is a key fundamental human right. Feeling safe
or unsafe strongly affects the physical and mental health and well-being of citizens and may lead to greater trust/ distrust, which affects citizens’ socialization and sense of community.
This paper consists of four chapters. The first chapter unfolds citizens’ perceptions on national security concerns. The second chapter elaborates citizens’ perceptions on public safety. Consequently, the third chapter interrelates citizens’ perceptions toward public safety concerns with reality, while examining the reasons that may have influenced these perceptions. Meanwhile, the last chapter offers a range of recommendations, measures to be taken into consideration, in order to improve public safety in Kosovo.

Various elements affect citizens’ perceptions regarding public safety. Indisputably, such attitudes are shaped by personal experiences. However, the importance of media and social networks in shaping citizens’ opinions cannot be ignored. Perceptions might be correlated with personal characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, education and economic status. Therefore, beyond general data analyses, this edition also includes cross-analyses of various public security threats with personal characteristics.

Research paper thumbnail of Kosovo Security Barometer - Ninth Edition

Kosovo Security Barometer - Ninth Edition, 2019

Published by: Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) Title: Kosovo Security Barometer - Ni... more Published by:

Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS)

Title:

Kosovo Security Barometer - Ninth Edition

Author:

Donika Marku

Date:

December 2019

The Kosovo Security Barometer (KSB) is a distinctive tool through which the Kosovo Center for Security Studies (KCSS) measures public perceptions in Kosovo. The ninth edition of the Kosovo Security Barometer consists of two chapters. While the first chapter measures citizens’ perceptions of trust in security, justice, central and local institutions, 1 the second chapter presents citizens’ perceptions of corruption in these institutions.

Perceptions of trust in state institutions and corruption may vary by ethnicity2, gender, area and district. In addition, the report also contains a combined analysis of the data beyond the general interpretation, which enables the public to have a clearer and more meaningful view of citizens’ trust in institutions. In this regard, analyzing the trust results by rural/urban areas, geographical regions, ethnicity and gender, as well as other supplementary data related to the respondents, will enable the audience to assess and analyze the opinions of Kosovo citizens on issues related to security and justice in Kosovo during 2019.

In addition to the results of the 2019 Kosovo Security Barometer, the key findings regarding institutional sectors follow:

●● Security institutions continue to be more trusted than the justice and central one also in this edition of the Kosovo Security Barometer;

●● Justice institutions (courts and prosecution) continue to enjoy lower trust than security ones. Furthermore, the 2019 results show that compared to the previous year, there is a decrease in public trust in the rule of law institutions;

●● The Assembly and Government continue to remain the least trusted institutions in the eyes of citizens;

●● The Government of Kosovo is the least trusted of all the institutions measured in this edition of the Barometer. In addition, the Barometer has recorded that respondents with lower monthly income have higher trust in the Government than those with higher income;

●● Municipal institutions continue to enjoy higher credibility than central ones.

In addition to the general findings on trust in sectors, the results provide an interesting insight into specific institutions, where:

●● The Kosovo Security Force continues to be the most trusted of all the institutions measured in this edition of the Barometer;

●● Similar to previous year, men reported higher trust towards the Kosovo Security Force than women;

●● Although with a two percent decrease, 59 percent of respondents expressed their trust in Kosovo Police;

●● Women respondents trust the Kosovo Police and justice institutions more than men, thus potentially mirroring a women’s sense of insecurity in the society;

●● The novelty of this edition of the KSB is the measuring of citizens’ trust in the Kosovo Correctional Service and Customs of Kosovo. The results show low trust in the Correctional Service (30 percent), while trust in the Customs was not satisfactory either (35 percent).

MAIN FINDINGS RELATED TO CORRUPTION:

●● More than half of the respondents stated they see Courts and Prosecutors as corrupt. For respondents, Courts amount to the most corrupt institution in Kosovo;

●● There is an increase in percentage of respondents who deem Kosovo local municipalities as corrupt;

●● The Kosovo Security Force is perceived as the least corrupt institution;

●● Kosovo Security Barometer 2019 results show that the level of perception of police corruption has decreased by four percentage points compared to 2018;

This report is published in the framework of the Kosovo Security Barometer Programe. Perceptions presented in this report are a summary of information gathered from respondents and it solely demonstrates how people perceive institutions. It is no way a conclusive assessment on the quality of the work of institutions subject to this study. It shall serve as an instrument to them toward addressing potential shortcomings, but also an indicator of the effectiveness of their communication with the people.

The views presented in this report are perceptions of the respondents and do not necessarily represent the views of Kosovar Centre for Security Studies. Opinions expressed in this report do not represent the views of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

Research paper thumbnail of KOSOVO SECURITY BAROMETER: NINTH EDITION

KOSOVO SECURITY BAROMETER: NINTH EDITION, 2019

The Kosovo Security Barometer (KSB) is a distinctive tool through which the Kosovo Center for Sec... more The Kosovo Security Barometer (KSB) is a distinctive tool
through which the Kosovo Center for Security Studies
(KCSS) measures public perceptions in Kosovo. The ninth
edition of the Kosovo Security Barometer consists of two
chapters. While the first chapter measures citizens’ perceptions of trust in security, justice, central and local institutions,1
the second chapter presents citizens’ perceptions of
corruption in these institutions.

Research paper thumbnail of REPORT BY KCSS TRENDS OF CITIZENS' PERCEPTIONS ON PUBLIC SAFETY IN KOSOVO

Kosovar Centre for Security Studies, 2019

Security is a key fundamental human right. Feeling safe or unsafe strongly affects the physical a... more Security is a key fundamental human right. Feeling safe or unsafe strongly affects the physical and mental health and wellbeing of citizens1
, and may lead to greater trust/distrust, which affects citizens’ socialization and sense of community.2
As a result, KCSS has paid particular attention to citizens’ perceptions
regarding public safety and personal security since 2012 when the Kosovo Security Barometer was first
launched.
This special edition of the KSB provides a summary of citizens’ perceptions of public safety in Kosovo
over the past three years. More concretely, it highlights the perception trends on public safety focusing
on the Kosovo Security Barometer (KSB) data collected during the period from 2016 to 2018. Data collected during this period focused on the main public safety concerns and issues of respondents as well
as measured steps to be taken to improve public safety in Kosovo.
Various elements affect citizens’ perceptions regarding public safety. Indisputably, such attitudes are
shaped by personal experiences. However, the importance of media and social networks in shaping citizens’ opinions cannot be ignored. Perceptions might be correlated with personal characteristics such
as age, gender, ethnicity, education and economic status. Therefore, beyond general data analyses, this
edition also includes cross-analyses of various public security threats with personal characteristics.

Research paper thumbnail of Rethinking security: Western Balkans as a security provider

Engagement on Security and Migration (European Commission 2018), the London Summit provides a sol... more Engagement on Security and Migration (European Commission 2018), the London Summit provides a solid basis to pose the question: where does the Western Balkans fit into the overall EU security architecture? Within this context, the paper aims at analyzing and exploring ways of cooperation between Western Balkan (WB) countries and the EU in the security sector.
Moreover, it aims at analyzing the capacities of Western Balkan countries to work conjointly with the EU in successfully tackling security challenges in the region and seeks ways to transform the region from a security consumer to a security provider.

Research paper thumbnail of Kosovo Security Barometer - Eighth Edition

Kosovo Security Barometer - Eighth Edition , 2018

Published by: Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) Title: Kosovo Security Barometer: Eig... more Published by:

Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS)

Title:

Kosovo Security Barometer: Eighth Edition

Author:

Donika Marku

Date:

November 2018

Kosovo Security Barometer (KSB) is a distinctive tool through which Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) measures public perceptions. The eighth edition of the KSB report consists of two main chapters. The first chapter measures citizens trust toward Kosovo’s security, justice and central state institutions and the second chapter recordsc itizens perceptions regarding Kosovo’s main internal risks and threats.

Perceptions of trust in state institutions and perceptions of national threats vary with respondents’ ethnicity, gender, zone and district. Therefore, the report provides cross-tabulated data analyses in addition to general interpretation of the data which enables the audience to have a vivid picture and better understanding regarding the citizens’ trust in institutions and their perceived threats. Correspondingly, analysing the trust results based on specific areas, districts, ethnicity, gender, as well as other complementary data related to respondents, allows the audience to explore further the rationale of Kosovar citizens regarding various security and justice related issues.

Research paper thumbnail of Kosovo's participation in peacekeeping missions: An effective tool in foreign policy

Published by: Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) Title: Kosovo's participation in peac... more Published by:

Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS)

Title:

Kosovo's participation in peacekeeping missions: An effective tool in foreign policy

Author:

Donika Marku

Date:

September 2018

Kosovo’s current isolation and the lack of country’s clear path to membership in key regional and international security organizations and mechanisms such as the United Nations (UN), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union (EU) has not only frustrated the country’s ability to become part of the global security infrastructure, but it has also held back its chances to participate and contribute to the various peacekeeping missions worldwide. Even in instances when such prospects are plausible, Kosovo’s potential to participate in EU security mechanisms as foreseen by the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) through EU’s Common Security Defense Policy (CSDP) are further stunt by the rejection of Kosovo’s independence of the five EU member states.

This paper explores the opportunities offered by the SAA as a potential pathway to Kosovo’s participation in EU’s peacekeeping operations and missions.

Research paper thumbnail of Kosovo’s Foreign Policy and Dialogue with Serbia

Published by: Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) Title: Kosovo Security Barometer - Sp... more Published by:

Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS)

Title:

Kosovo Security Barometer - Special Edition

Kosovo’s Foreign Policy and Dialogue with Serbia

Author:

Donika Emini and Donika Marku

Date:

9th of February 2018

The Kosovo Security Barometer (KSB) is a specific programme of Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) designed to serve as an annual publication. The primary focus of the KSB is to measure the public opinion perceptions towards security and justice institutions. It also measures the public perception on the internal and external security threats to Kosovo, perceptions on Kosovo’s foreign policy and dialogue with Serbia.

In general, the KSB targets a wide variety of actors interested in the public opinion trends in Kosovo in the field of security and justice. It targets the following stakeholders: policymakers in Kosovo as well as the western Balkans; the international organizations in Kosovo and their headquarters; local and international civil society organizations; academia and the media.