Forum Prishtina – “A Soul for Europe”

by Labinot Salihu

Intercultural dialogue is a strategic instrument for peace, stability and conflict prevention in all over Europe. But how to develop a local cultural policy in Prishtina after the Balkan wars?

• By facilitating and encouraging the citizens’ participation in policy making and decision-making activities on local level;
• By identifying and developing a system of instruments in the area of culture that would lead to a systematic cultural development of the municipalities;
• By increasing the capacity of artists and cultural operators to influence the cultural policy making at local and national level in Kosovo as well and by nurturing visible critical approach toward society processes;
• By improving the regional cooperation among the municipalities of all the Balkan countries, through exchange of artistic work, knowledge and experience.
• By identifying and developing a system of transparent and publicly accessible instruments in the area of cultural policy (such as: policy papers, debates, workshops, presentations, focus groups with citizens) that would lead to a systematic cultural development of the municipalities.
• By building strong partnerships between cultural operators, the local cultural institutions and local authorities, as well as through building up cultural and artistic networks with a focus on promotion of arts and culture, we hope to ensure systematic interaction and mutual confidence, joint and coordinated activities among the municipalities involved and among the country, in general.
• By strengthening the citizens at local level, their participation and representation in the municipality, we hope to empower them to take more active role and make shared decisions in the common interest of them and the community in which they live in, and therefore also accountability and ownership of new developments in the local communities, transcending ethnic barriers etc.

What kind of role and contribution do central and local government institutions, local and national NGO’s and cultural activists play in this process?

Forum Prishtina – "A Soul for Europe" is aiming to bring together local, national and international experts, artists and representatives from the local/national governments, representatives of the involved municipalities and cultural operators that will discuss and share knowledge and experiences in different subjects on Cultural Policy Issue.

Forum Prishtina – "A Soul for Europe" will have the objective to bring the European experiences in local cultural policy making and the important topics of social inclusion and cohesion in the field of culture closer to the municipalities in Kosovo.

Having in mind that practices of local cultural policies not always have a strict linkage with customs and traditions of one multiethnic and multicultural country (as it is the case with Kosovo) and the fact that practices of multicultural and multiethnic dimensions are fairly addressed in EU policies on developing cultural policies, sharing these good experiences with Kosovo will greatly contribute in lobbying and advocacy process of the project to bring visibility to the process in the municipality. Such activity can be used as successful method for involving other interested municipalities from the countries and the region in addressing participatory cultural policies for local development. A successful local case study is always the best example to debate practices of cultural policies. We believe that by bringing together officials from central and local level of Kosovar institutions as well as groups and communities from areas where we will implement activities in one place with successful organizations and officials from region and EU countries – this will be a very useful instrument, to share and adopt already successful cultural policies from countries abroad.

What is the influence and importance of the international community?

Forum Prishtina - "A Soul for Europe" will have the objective to bring the European experiences in local cultural policy making and the important topics of social inclusion and cohesion in the field of culture closer to the municipalities in region. The regional development in the Balkans – and especially in Kosovo – has an impact for the whole European Project: Therefore Forum Prishtina will invite and work together closely with policy-makers of the European Parliament and the European Commission.

TEATRI ODA and local civil society organizations, "A Soul for Europe" and Felix Meritis Foundation are currently planning the first Forum Prishtina.

Unlike events organised by associations or governmental and administrative offices, Forum Prishtina will be an authentic civil society initiative.

Partners
The Federal Foreign Office (Germany)

More information will follow soon.

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