Kosovo Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

We live in a world of opportunities. The globalization offers opportunities to develop sustainable businesses and trade with products which cannot be marketed on one market but yet can enjoy good demand on another - sometimes remote... more

We live in a world of opportunities. The globalization offers opportunities
to develop sustainable businesses and trade with products which cannot
be marketed on one market but yet can enjoy good demand on another -
sometimes remote market.
The opportunities come after analysing various factors which are needed for
a product to reach the desired international market (the right place) at the
right time, at the right quality, at the right price, and if moved through the
value chain in a sustainable way, when consumers at the market place are
ready and willing to purchase goods.
Many entrepreneurs in emerging countries are looking for export
developments in an effort to raise incomes for their families and improve
the quality of life. The general thinking is that China is the world factory,
but does China cover the whole world market with all types of goods? The
answer is certainly ”no”. China does not satisfy the complete needs and
wants of the markets. Many other countriesi are active and successful in
the international trade due to the specifics of the retail market at various
levels and for different products.

The book focuses on the breakup of the Yugoslav Federation and wars that followed viewed through the comic art in the local and international press. War propaganda and political discourse are examined and placed in the larger historical... more

The book focuses on the breakup of the Yugoslav Federation and wars that followed viewed through the comic art in the local and international press. War propaganda and political discourse are examined and placed in the larger historical context of this conflict. The study reveals that Yugoslav cartoonists anticipated, as early as 1984, the disintegration of the country and were forecasting armed conflict in 1989. Using print media and comic art as a primary source of investigation, the author has presented the mental representation of the war as seen in press cartoons, both chronologically and thematically. A representative sampling of some 400 cartoons (out of a database of almost 7’500) and dozens of interviews undertaken with political cartoonists in the 1990s are quoted in the book as a primary source.

This article problematizes the concept of ‘mission’ in international interventions, who is entitled to missionize and how the missionized subject is conceptualized. By looking at the international missions in Kosovo (those of the UN and... more

This article problematizes the concept of ‘mission’ in international interventions, who is entitled to missionize and how the missionized subject is conceptualized. By looking at the international missions in Kosovo (those of the UN and particularly the EU), we problematize how the EU mission in Kosovo is entrenched in a trajectory of ‘missionizing’ that makes it bear the stigma of a structure non-responsive and non-sensitive to the local. Employing Derrida’s deconstruction, we explain that the criticism (academic, dogmatic, ideological and empirical) of international missions relates not so much to how they operate in their host countries, or to the policy choices they make. Rather, looking at the path dependency of missions in the Western historical and civilizational trajectory, we maintain that the problem derives from the idea and very concept of ‘mission’ as intervention in itself.

Before the former Yugoslavia was divided by wars, its inhabitants successfully lived side by side in peace. This collection seeks to explain how former neighbors became enemies, with the hope that understanding what drove these peoples... more

Before the former Yugoslavia was divided by wars, its inhabitants successfully lived side by side in peace. This collection seeks to explain how former neighbors became enemies, with the hope that understanding what drove these peoples apart will help us discover ways for them to coexist in peace again.Contributors analyze political cartoons, psychiatry, the arts, visual media, and law to present a diversity of views on the conflicts in Yugoslavia. While the chapters in this book deal with regional developments, they are not so much focused on politics as they are concerned with how values and attitudes are altered and new identities formed. Thus, this volume goes beyond recent journalistic accounts and should remain relevant for years to come.This book began as a special issue of the journal Anthropology of East Europe Review. Most of the contributors to that issue have revised their chapters for this collection, and new chapters have been added, including one on the recent war in Kosovo. Essays range across all of former Yugoslavia, emphasizing the variability and diversity of ethnic relations throughout its history: Joel M. Halpern & David A. Kideckel (eds.)

This article, which introduces a Special Issue of the JCES on the challenges of EU enlargement policy towards the Western Balkans, critically examines the geopolitical turn of the EU’s institutional thinking on enlargement since 2017.... more

This article, which introduces a Special Issue of the JCES on the challenges of EU enlargement policy towards the Western Balkans, critically examines the geopolitical turn of the EU’s institutional thinking on enlargement since 2017. After several high-ranked EU officials and leaders of member states more or less explicitly voiced their concerns about the declining influence of the EU in the Western Balkans, the European Commission – which has traditionally been responsible for carrying out administrative-technical aspects of the accession process – adopted a more geopolitical approach to enlargement policy in February 2018, and has since sought to advance Western Balkan accession more decisively. However, this geopolitical turn to the EU’s institutional thinking on enlargement has so far failed to translate discourse into concrete results. The article argues that the main reasons for this failure can be found in a lack of support by EU members, which either do not share the Commission’s sense of urgency, or are eager to use enlargement policy and the accession process to advance their national interests. The article concludes with a brief presentation of the structure of the special issue and introduces the contributing articles.

This paper examines the effectiveness of the EU’s performance in mediation and dialogue by studying the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue from external and internal perspectives. Based on the academic literature on mediation and local-level... more

This paper examines the effectiveness of the EU’s performance in mediation and dialogue by studying the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue from external and internal perspectives. Based on the academic literature on mediation and local-level dialogue, we suggest an analytical framework for assessing mediation success. Separating the concepts of success into internal and external perspectives allows for a more nuanced and elaborate analysis of the mediation process and its implications at the local level. This analytical framework is applied to both the high-level dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade representing Track I mediation and local-level dialogue in line with Track II mediation.
I have authored case study, which focuses on local-level dialogue in the context of the Belgrade-Pristina talks. An analysis of Track II initiatives demonstrates a lack of EU interest in supporting local-level dialogue – dialogue that is crucial to the successful implementation and durability of peace in the region. The other main finding is that there is a lack of coordination of Track I and Track II dialogue efforts by the EEAS.

In the Western Balkans, as elsewhere around the world, governments took extraordinary measures to effectively contain the spread of COVID-19, measures that entailed serious restrictions to individual freedoms. They also introduced extra... more

In the Western Balkans, as elsewhere around the world, governments took extraordinary measures to effectively contain the spread of COVID-19, measures that entailed serious restrictions to individual freedoms. They also introduced extra powers that upset the ordinary division and balance of governmental power. In this context, several analysts have expressed concern that the authoritarian trend observed in the region during the last decade will become further entrenched. The worst fear, that some of the Western Balkan leaderships may retain extraordinary powers indefinitely, has not been confirmed. However, constitutionally prescribed procedures were disregarded and the operation of formal and informal mechanisms of checks and balances ignored. The article argues that the ease with which the Western Balkan leaders removed any checks and controls over their rule raises the valid question of how they may deal with future circumstances which may endanger their power.

Der globale Aufschwung von rechten Parteien hat negative Auswirkungen auf den Kosovo. Rechtsextreme greifen die Existenz des Staates an. Im deutschsprachigen Raum sind es unter anderem Thilo Sarrazin und Peter Handke. (Publikationsdatum:... more

Der globale Aufschwung von rechten Parteien hat negative Auswirkungen auf den Kosovo. Rechtsextreme greifen die Existenz des Staates an. Im deutschsprachigen Raum sind es unter anderem Thilo Sarrazin und Peter Handke. (Publikationsdatum: 23. August 2020)

The goal of this paper is to explore the perception of Kosovo's citizens of the severity of tax evasion relative to other crimes and abuses. Perception of tax evasion may somewhat clarify the degree of rebelliousness with the tax laws.... more

The goal of this paper is to explore the perception of Kosovo's citizens of the severity of tax evasion relative to other crimes and abuses. Perception of tax evasion may somewhat clarify the degree of rebelliousness with the tax laws. Using data from a self-administered survey and a personnel structured interview, the results of mean and comparative analysis will be examined to show where the tax evasion is ranked in Kosovo in the list of fifty listed crimes. Studies, conducted about the perceptions of tax evasion as a crime, have suggested that the tax non-compliance environment has been created from the perception of the taxpayers towards tax evasion as a non-serious crime. Consequently, the degree of non-compliance with the tax laws could be explained somewhat by the perception towards the tax evasion. And, it is obvious that the public's perception of the severity of a crime has important implications for society. [1] However, those studies are inconclusive in explaining the variability of the perceptions towards tax evasion as a crime. Despite that fact that these researches conducted on this area in US, Australia, and Malaysia are a few, a study about the perception of tax evasion in Kosovo does not exist. Evidence on tax evasion perception found in the developing countries may not be generalized to the context of Kosovo because of the differences in the environmental factors such as economy, business, culture, and regulations. Consequently, differences in the environmental factors are expected to cause differences in the perception. The results of this study should be useful to business and government representatives in Kosovo and elsewhere in the Balkans or wider.

The main objective of this study was to determine the microbiological water quality, the number of total coliform (TC) bacteria, fecal coliform (FC) bacteria, the total number of live bacteria (LB) and fecal streptococci (FS) analyzed... more

The main objective of this study was to determine the microbiological water quality, the number of total coliform (TC) bacteria, fecal coliform (FC) bacteria, the total number of live bacteria (LB) and fecal streptococci (FS) analyzed from different Kosovo rivers. Water samples were collected during March-October 2013-2014 according to ISO 5667-5:2000 methods. The samples were taken alongside Sitnica, Lepenci and Lumbardhi i Prizrenit rivers, located in three different parts of Kosovo. Our analysis revealed that the total coliform bacteria (TC) in 100 ml of water was 44 (CFU/44 colonies/100 ml of water sample) in Sitnica river, 34 (CFU/30 colonies/100 ml of water sample) in Lumbardhi i Prizrenit river, and 21 (CFU/20 colonies/100 ml of water sample) in Lepenci river.
The number of FC, in 100 ml of water was zero 0 (CFU/0 colonies/100 ml of water sample) in Sitnica, Lumbardhi i Prizrenit and Lepenci rivers. The number of FS in 100 ml of water was 33 (CFU 33 colonies / 100 ml of water sample) in Sitnica river, 25 (CFU 25 colonies/100 ml of water sample) in Lumbardhi i Prizrenit river and 18 (CFU 18 colonies/100 ml of water sample) in Lepenci river. The total number of LB in 100 ml of water was > 300 (CFU > 300 colonies/100 ml of water sample) in Sitnica river, 260 (CFU 260 colonies/100 ml of water sample) in Lumbardhi i Prizrenit river and 230 (CFU 230 colonies /100 ml of water sample) in Lepenci river. The lower number of total coliform (TC) and fecal streptococci (FS) bacteria and lack fecal coliform (FC) bacteria shows water purity of these rivers according to microbiological aspect, even though the total number of live bacteria (LB) are higher than the international level (CFU 300 colonies / 100 ml of water sample) this may be due to waste collector, especially in the Sitnica river.

This study aims to compare EuroFit test results of 11-17-year-old males and females in Kosovo. 742 students were included in the study. 347 females and 395 males were determined by random selection from the schools in urban and rural... more

This study aims to compare EuroFit test results of 11-17-year-old males and females in Kosovo. 742 students were included in the study. 347 females and 395 males were determined by random selection from the schools in urban and rural areas of all regions. Kosovo's general population rate (52% male 48% female) was considered when determining the proportion of male and female students. Anthropometric characteristics including height, weight, and Body Mass Index (BMI) of students and the motoric characteristics including the values obtained from the tests such as flamingo balance, plate tapping, sit and reach, standing broad jump, handgrip strength, sit-ups (30 sec), bent arm hang, 10x5m shuttle run and 20 m endurance were compared. As a result, there was no statistically significant difference between the anthropometric characteristics of male and female students in adolescence; however, it was observed that as the age increased, males became heavier and taller than females (p<0.05). In general, while there was no statistically significant difference between males and females in flamingo balance, plate tapping and sit and reach tests (p> 0.05), males were determined to be more successful than females in standing broad jump test, handgrip strength test, sit-ups (30 sec) and 20 m endurance tests (p<0.05). It is observed that students in Kosovo are more successful than the other countries regarding motoric tests such as the anthropometric characteristics, which are thought to be more related to genetics, and speed/agility of arms and legs. On the other hand, they are unsuccessful in comparison with other countries with regard to flexibility and endurance in tests which are thought to be influenced by factors such as lifestyle, nutrition, and training.

This dissertation will examine the military intervention conducted by NATO in Kosovo in 1999. By examining the pre-existing situation, the justifications given, the methods used, and the results of the intervention, it will be determined... more

This dissertation will examine the military intervention conducted by NATO in Kosovo in 1999. By examining the pre-existing situation, the justifications given, the methods used, and the results of the intervention, it will be determined whether the characterization of this event as a “humanitarian intervention” is accurate. In the first chapter, the literature on Kosovo, human rights, and humanitarian intervention is examined to assess the current state of the debate on the Kosovo intervention. Following this introduction is a chapter on the idea of human rights. This begins with a brief history of human rights, then assesses the standing of human rights in international law and international relations and the ways in which they apply to the Kosovo intervention. The concept of humanitarian intervention is examined in the next chapter, including a short survey of its history in the post-World War II period, an examination of different definitions of the term, and a determination of what criteria were (or should be) applied in order to evaluate whether or not an intervention qualifies as “humanitarian”. The fourth chapter is a case study of the intervention in Kosovo in the spring and summer of 1999, applying the ideas of human rights and humanitarian intervention to the course of events before, during, and after the NATO bombing campaign. This chapter includes a brief historical background to the conflict, then moves on to an analysis of the motives, behaviour, and interests of the intervening parties, and an assessment of the outcome of the intervention. The final section of this chapter is the conclusion, which summarizes the findings of this thesis and evaluates their significance in both academic and practical terms.

In Western hegemonic discourses, cross-border marriages in which ethnic minority members, especially Muslims, take a partner from a ‘country of origin’ are framed as patriarchal and backward and women are portrayed as victims within such... more

In Western hegemonic discourses, cross-border marriages in which ethnic minority members, especially Muslims, take a partner from a ‘country of origin’ are framed as patriarchal and backward and women are portrayed as victims within such marriages. Based on long-term ethnographic fieldwork, the article focuses on the marriages of men from rural Kosovo, who have moved to Austria or Germany because they married a woman from a ‘Kosovan’ background, and on the gender roles that are negotiated here.

Accounts are increasing of non-voluntary deportations of Kosovar adolescents from European countries to Kosovo, and human rights organizations have condemned deportation practices endorsed by European governments for being violent and... more

Accounts are increasing of non-voluntary deportations of Kosovar adolescents from European countries to Kosovo, and human rights organizations have condemned deportation practices endorsed by European governments for being violent and detrimental to adolescents' physical and psychosocial health and well-being. However, research remains scarce on the connections among migration, repatriation and reintegration realities, and adolescents' experiences of psychosocial health and well-being. This article describes how adolescent returnees living in Kosovo express their emotional distress, their struggle with negative living conditions, and their exposure to violence. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 adolescents with very high-level post-traumatic stress and depression symptomatology and a General Health Questionnaire score of 40 or higher. This empirical data provided in-depth information about the adolescents' narratives of symptoms and illness, explanations ...

The contribution provides for a discussion of published sources and Albanian, Serbian, and international research on Kosovo demographic history - with the ethnographic structure of the population being at the core of interest - from the... more

The contribution provides for a discussion of published sources and Albanian, Serbian, and international research on Kosovo demographic history - with the ethnographic structure of the population being at the core of interest - from the Middle Ages till around the year 2000. Albanian and Serbian historiographical myths and 20th century discourses are mirrored with each other. After such de-mystification, some basic result deserve to be pointed out: Contrary to Albanian convictions, Kosovo must once have had a Slav majority population, but in contrast to Serbian beliefs, Albanians there have been strongly present long before the so called turning point of 1690, and an Albanian majority population must have been present in the region at least by the mid 19th century (as the actual starting point of a period with more or less reliable statistical data on that question).

This article explores the way in which the European Union (EU) attempted to forge a united position on the question of Kosovo over the course of the latter stages of the status process, which ran from late 2005 until the end of 2007.... more

This article explores the way in which the European Union (EU) attempted to forge a united position on the question of Kosovo over the course of the latter stages of the status process, which ran from late 2005 until the end of 2007. Following an overview of the development of EU foreign policy decision-making processes, the work analyses how these were applied in the case of Kosovo. It shows that while significant efforts were made to reach a united position on the question of recognition, these efforts eventually proved to be unsuccessful. The EU Member States ultimately agreed to the establishment of a law and order mission for Kosovo. To some, this was a success, but it cannot disguise the fact that procedural changes in the EU’s foreign policy decision-making do not cover up for diverging Member State interests and that the EU was unable to take charge of what was essentially a European issue.

Kosova, uluslararası sistemde tanınma problemi olan bir ülke statüsündedir. Bu belirsiz statüsü sebebiyle kendisini uluslararası topluma kabul ettirmeye çalışmaktadır. Bu bağlamda, en kolay ve en hızlı yollardan biri, dijital diplomasinin... more

Llotaritë me kuponat tatimorë zbatohen për të rritur lëshimin e faturave nga bizneset te konsumatorët. Në këtë mënyrë, transaksionet ka më shumë të ngjarë që të jenë pjesë e ekonomisë zyrtare (jo hije) dhe TVSH-ja mund të mblidhet me... more

Llotaritë me kuponat tatimorë zbatohen për të rritur lëshimin e faturave nga bizneset te konsumatorët. Në këtë mënyrë, transaksionet ka më shumë të ngjarë që të jenë pjesë e ekonomisë zyrtare (jo hije) dhe TVSH-ja mund të mblidhet me kosto më të ulët. Ideja e skemave të llotarisë është që të nxitë konsumatorët për të kërkuar faturën. Nxitja mbështetet mbi faktin se marrja e kuponit nuk është vetëm një copë letër që dokumenton transaksionin e bërë, por shërben si një (potencial) biletë llotarie, duke i dhënë konsumatorëve të drejtën për të marrë pjesë në një llotari tatimore. Llotaria nga ana e saj i jep shans për të fituar një çmim për një faturë të tërhequr rastësisht

...The purpose of this study is not to provide a detailed and complete picture of the life of Kosovo Serbs in the first post-war decade, but to point out the main political trends which allowed for systematic discrimination, forced... more

...The purpose of this study is not to provide a detailed and complete picture of the life of Kosovo Serbs in the first post-war decade, but to point out the main political trends which allowed for systematic discrimination, forced expulsions and violation of their basic human rights. All of this is an unacceptable political practice, apparently in sharp contrast with the basic European values and universal human rights. Furthermore, there is a particular empha-sis on the unprecedented destruction of Serb patrimonial sites by the Kosovo Albanian extremists ― churches and monasteries which have been and still are an important component of European and world culture, as verified by UNESCO, which enlisted four Serbian medieval monasteries in the UN-administered Kosovo on the list of World Heritage Sites.
Serbian monasteries in Kosovo, which have been guarded from the hostile Albanian environment for more than a decade by KFOR-troops, are the only European cultural monuments which are still being protected from immediate destruction by strong international military forces.

Women’s Rights have often been a subject of the debate between universal rights versus cultural relativism. In Kosovo women’s rights have gone through drastic changes. After the NATO intervention in 1999, UN established international... more

Women’s Rights have often been a subject of the debate between universal rights versus cultural relativism. In Kosovo women’s rights have gone through drastic changes. After the NATO intervention in 1999, UN established international bodies to temporary govern the territory of Kosovo. UNMIK’s mission contributed massively in establishing frameworks to support, protect and empower women. In this thesis I am going to analyze this process of imposing universal ideas such as women’s rights in a country that has had a long history of patriarchy. Was UNMIK mission successful in terms of framing these sets of ideas and adopting them to the state legislature? Or did that fail because of cultural and religious barriers? This thesis will focus on three main actors including; the international community, women’s rights activism and religious resistance

Korak po korak, Vodič za Kosovske1 izvoznike je pripremljen sa namerom da pomogne u sticanju znanja o svetskom tržištu i kako MSP (mala i srednja preduzeća) na Kosovu mogu da u takvom okruženju posluju. Koncentrisali smo se na... more

Korak po korak, Vodič za Kosovske1 izvoznike je pripremljen sa namerom da pomogne
u sticanju znanja o svetskom tržištu i kako MSP (mala i srednja preduzeća)
na Kosovu mogu da u takvom okruženju posluju. Koncentrisali smo se na sveobuhvatne
principe izvoza i opisivanju procesa koje kompanije često koriste da razviju
izvozne strategije prilagođene potrebama MSP-a.
Između ostalog, ovaj vodič će vam pomoći u:
♦♦ Proceni pripremljenosti vaše kompanije za izvoz
♦♦ Pripremi plana za izvoz
♦♦ Istraživanju i odabiru vašeg ciljnog tržišta
♦♦ Stvaranju marketing plana za izvoz
♦♦ Određivanju najboljih metoda za dostavu vašeg proizvoda ili usluga ka vašem
ciljnom tržištu
♦♦ Izradi konkretnog finansijskog plana
♦♦ Razumevanju ključnih pravnih aspekata međunarodne trgovine;
Priprema za poslovanje van Kosova predstavlja složeni poduhvat. Ali osnovni principi
izvoza su prilično jednostavni pa je tako hiljade kompanija svih veličina i u svim
sektorima naučilo kako da ih uspešno upotrebljava. Uz pažljivo planiranje i solidnu
posvećenost u sticanju statusa izvoznika, vaša MSP mogu da im se pridruže i na
globalnom tržištu.

English-language summary of a PhD dissertation on asymmetric or "fourth generation" warfare. It identifies the roots of asymmetric warfare and the reasons for its dominance today. Case studies (Rhodesia, Punjab, Kosovo, France) show the... more

English-language summary of a PhD dissertation on asymmetric or "fourth generation" warfare. It identifies the roots of asymmetric warfare and the reasons for its dominance today. Case studies (Rhodesia, Punjab, Kosovo, France) show the nature of asymmetric conflict and identify the reasons for success or failure of the belligerents. The author presents a roadmap for the Hungarian government (and by extension to other European governments) to prepare for an asymmetric challenge within their own borders, by their own citizens. Translation of the dissertation into English is in progress.

In this article, Kurt Bassuener assesses the Biden administration's recent strong advocacy for the "Open Balkan" initiative, championed by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, in the context of the current security crisis in Bosnia and... more

In this article, Kurt Bassuener assesses the Biden administration's recent strong advocacy for the "Open Balkan" initiative, championed by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, in the context of the current security crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Not only has the Biden administration effectively adopted a variant of the Trump administration's transactional policy in the Western Balkans, the policy represents an embrace of the EU's functionalist approach in the region - a failure. What this means is a de facto embrace of a Serbian/Albanian/Croatian co-prosperity sphere in the region.

ABSTRACT Despite their differences in age, professional career and political background, Milošević and Putin share similar views on one of the main consequences of the disintegration of Yugoslavia and the USSR: the involuntary... more

ABSTRACT
Despite their differences in age, professional career and political background, Milošević and Putin share similar views on one of the main consequences of the disintegration of Yugoslavia and the USSR: the involuntary dispersal of Serbs and Russians into different foreign states. This is a study of the segments of Milošević’s and Putin’s speeches referring to Kosovo and to Crimea respectively. The study analyses their rhetorical devices and thematic content, using the analytical framework and instruments for the analysis of nationalist discourses developed by the Vienna School of Critical Discourse Analysis. The speeches, it is argued here, share a topos of sacralisation of the (contested) land based on the ancestors’ holy or glorious deeds which proclaims the land to be sacred to the chosen nation. This creates a ‘national entitlement’ to the land in a depoliticised (‘sacred’) and highly personalised setting.

This contribution focuses on female representation, regarding either the ways women are represented, as the lines possibly gendered of the narrative discourse. The authors discussed are the writer and Greek-American journalist Demetra... more

This contribution focuses on female representation,
regarding either the ways women are represented, as the
lines possibly gendered of the narrative discourse. The
authors discussed are the writer and Greek-American journalist Demetra Vaka Brown (1877-1946), who travelled
in Albania with his brother, sent on political mission on
behalf of the Turkish government, and the Swiss novelist
Noëlle Roger (1874-1953), who toured the Balkans and
Ottoman Europe because of the anthropological research of
her husband, Eugene Pittard. Travel books written by women
journeying with their husbands, brothers or other
relatives are quite common in the literature of the last
centuries. In a time when it was still rare that women
went abroad on their own initiative, these trips were for
many of them the opportunity to cross the threshold
between « private » writing (namely limited to writing
letters, which women have always been doing) and
publishing books, which – since forever – has always been a male prerogative.
Demetra Vaka Brown, Noëlle Roger, littérature de voyage,
études de genre, littérature de harem; Literature
XIXe siècle, XXe siècle ; Albanie, Turquie ottomane

Building on the post-secularist theory, this paper argues for a need to rethink secularism in the case of contemporary Kosovo in a context of 'return of reli-gion'. Political secularism as an inevitable fact and political norm, in the... more

Building on the post-secularist theory, this paper argues for a need to rethink secularism in the case of contemporary Kosovo in a context of 'return of reli-gion'. Political secularism as an inevitable fact and political norm, in the sense of 'structural differentiation' of the religious institution from other institutions , could be upheld in Kosovo. However, social secularism concerning values , practices, social habits and everyday life, or public sphere in short, poses a problem in a global post-secular context from which Kosovo is not isolated. Moreover, rather than a principle of state's equidistance from the different worldviews competing in the public space, secularism in Kosovo is used as an identity tool or an instrument of identity politics aiming at distancing its society from religion as a way to affirm its 'western orientation' and secular tradition. This rigid stance is particularly directed at Islam and Islamic practices.

Permban Mbreterin Dardane E Cila e kishte qendren ne kosoven e sotme ndersa shtrihen ne tri shete tashme moderne ne ne pjes te Maqedonis Serbis Malit Te Zi. It also includes the Dardan Kingdom, which had its center in today's Kosovo,... more

Permban Mbreterin Dardane E Cila e kishte qendren ne kosoven e sotme ndersa shtrihen ne tri shete tashme moderne ne ne pjes te Maqedonis Serbis Malit Te Zi.
It also includes the Dardan Kingdom, which had its center in today's Kosovo, extending into three modern chapters of the Serb part of Montenegro

Rajoni i synuar përbëhet nga Mitrovica e Veriut (komunat: Leposaviq, Zveçan, Zubin Potok dhe Mitrovica e Veriut), dhe Mitrovica e Jugut (komunat: Mitrovica e Jugut, Vushtrri dhe Skënderaj). Për qëllime të këtij studimi, ekipi e ka ndarë... more

Rajoni i synuar përbëhet nga Mitrovica e Veriut (komunat: Leposaviq, Zveçan, Zubin Potok dhe Mitrovica
e Veriut), dhe Mitrovica e Jugut (komunat: Mitrovica e Jugut, Vushtrri dhe Skënderaj). Për qëllime
të këtij studimi, ekipi e ka ndarë rajonin e synuar në Mitrovicën e Jugut dhe të Veriut. Mitrovica
e Jugut ka popullatë prej rreth 192,000 banorë1, kryesisht shqiptarë, ndërsa Mitrovica e Veriut ka
popullatë prej rreth 40,000 banorë2, kryesisht serbë.
Papunësia është një prej sfidave kryesore të shoqërisë kosovare. Vlerësohet se niveli i papunësisë
është rreth 30%3, që mbetet më e larta në rajon dhe në Evropë4. Edhe pse nuk ka të dhëna për rajonin
e Mitrovicës, nuk ekziston ndonjë arsye për të menduar që kushtet e tregut të punës janë të
ndryshme nga ato në pjesën tjetër të Kosovës5. Derisa ka një fuqi punëtore të bollshme me nivel të
ulët të shkathtësive por me shpenzime të arsyeshme6, ka mungesë të disa profileve dhe njohurive
specifike për nevojat e zinxhirit të synuar të vlerave në Mitrovicën e Jugut. Gjendja në Mitrovicën e
Veriut është pak më ndryshme sa i përket fuqisë punëtore të kualifikuar. Pas mbylljes së dy fabrikave
në këtë rajon, SIMPO dhe HRA ST, janë në dispozicion rreth 250 punëtorë të kualifikuar e me përvojë7.