Barabar Principles

Used in both official languages in Kosovo, Albanian and Serbian, the word Barabar means equality and fairness. Inspired by this, and informed by a cross-section of stakeholders across Kosovo, the BARABAR PRINCIPLES aim to strengthen ties based on what unites rather than what separates different communities, with the objective of enhancing dialogue, promoting tolerance and cooperation, building trust, and seeking justice. The principles recognise that improving inter-community relations is key to achieving reconciliation, sustainable peace and development in Kosovo. They also recognise that every individual, regardless ofmethnicity, age, gender, religion, ability, sexual orientation, social or economic status, or any other distinctiveness should be able to freely exercise their rights, express their views by means of choice, participate actively in social activities, and uphold their values.

Principle 01

01. Building trust and reconciliation is a slow process. We must first learn about each other if we are to engage sincerely.

We must ensure pre-existing individual connections evolve into group interactions – to better appreciate each other’s community, develop respect, and enjoy the allegiances of the different culture and traditions, accommodating diversity. Trust is not a quick-fix result that could be visible tomorrow, but over the long-term has the potential to save future generations from conflict and from lives that continue to be separated along ethnic lines.

Principle 02

02. We must establish interpersonal communication between members of different ethnic communities.

We must create an environment where trust can be achieved through open communication. We must facilitate social networks of trust not only through policies but also through practices within civil society, free and independently of political events. In this case, the availability of a permanent space for trust-building, a space to freely sit and talk without restriction or self-censoring, should assist overcoming prejudices. We must put in place mechanisms to facilitate continued peaceful inter-community relations and develop a safe environment for cooperation and integration. Interaction leads to understanding others, which eventually can facilitate subsequent phases of the normalisation/peace process, when people learn to live together, accepting and respecting differences

Principle 03

03. We must recognise, adapt to, and value the distinctiveness between ethnic communities.

All parties should equally invest in the reconciliation process. Those in the majority have an extra duty to embrace and advocate for minorities, wherever they are or in whichever geographical unit they may be. The Kosovo- Albanian community, particularly majority-community civil society, should increase efforts to reach out to non-majority communities and embrace them without conditions, accepting the differences, refusing stereotypes and aiming at social cohesion in a society where all can feel safe and accepted. Likewise, the Kosovo-Serb community should embrace and work with other communities in the municipalities where they are in the majority, engage and make efforts to understand them and contribute to a common well-being

Principle 04

04. We must identify and foster common interests and values among the different ethnic communities.

We must identify these common issues, be willing to discuss them, and eventually address them, with collaborative inter-community solutions whether that involves coming together behind a shared vision or even constructive disagreement.

Principle 05

05. We must begin with individual efforts – a ground-up approach to reconciliation is possible.

We must, at the individual and group level, be conscious of our responsibility, but also of the significance of our actions. In a bottom-up approach, the process shall move from individual reconciliation (grassroots) through community reconciliation (middle range leaders/ opinion setters) to political reconciliation (leaders). In this, the organised civil society from all the communities must trigger changes and move forward in a sensitive manner at the community level, promoting inter-community cooperative interaction, giving visibility to those on the ground and allowing their voices to reach those in power. Once reconciliation at the local level begins to function, the political level will have to listen

Principle 06

06. We must ensure effective application of the existing system of guarantees on the rights of all communities.

Kosovo enjoys an advanced system of assurances for the protection of the rights of minorities, with institutional mechanisms and safeguards that, among other things, ensures representation and equal status to all groups. Kosovo also has anti-discrimination laws and policies in line with international and European standards. This includes rights such as the right to practice one’s religion, enjoy one’s cultural heritage, fair representation in institutions, the right to property, the right to use your own language, have access to information, an adequate accessibility to all services, including the holding of official documents or the right of one’s civil status to be registered. They are all recognised in the Constitution and laws of Kosovo. Widespread poor implementation develops into discriminatory situations and contributes negatively to inter-community trust, exacerbating distance between communities. Non-implementation can be a barrier to inter-community integration. This should be understood to include all underrepresented groups including Roma, Ashkali, Egyptian, Bosniak, Gorani, and Turkish. In this regard, we must hold central and municipal institution that do not comply accountable.

Principle 07

07. We must ensure that trust building and reconciliation processes are inclusive.

Taking a human rights-based and gender sensitive approach, we must ensure that every individual, regardless of ethnicity, age, gender, religion, ability, sexual orientation, social or economic status, or any other distinctiveness can contribute to the process and have their voices heard. We must create different networks of alliances among cross-community target groups of women, youth, artists, business, farmers, cultural actors, victims etc. to reach out to policy decision makers. In this regard, we must ensure that their views and interests are represented at all levels where the decisions are taken. This human rights-based and gender approach is important not only because of its fairness, but also because it shall contribute to the efficiency and sustainability of the process, as they all can provide different useful perspectives.

Principle 08

08. We must hold to account those in the public eye, to ensure narratives of those with a public voice are truthful and respectful, rather than conflict-driven or divisive.

Reporting does not necessarily need to aim at a shared common view about all, and for all, but we must ensure it is ethical and fact-based. In this regard, while everyone with a voice should make efforts to minimise disparities, political reconciliation must also be differentiated from social reconciliation. Polarised discourses do not heal wounds, rather they exacerbate the divisions and contribute to develop an exclusive sense of community based on the need to keep separate, to only trust your own in order to maintain basic security. Trust-building and reconciliation efforts should not be prone to political decisions, but it is a fact that they are affected by divisive messages and rhetoric. People are vulnerable to messages from those with power that speak on their behalf, so they have the right to access to truthful information and not be manipulated. We must ensure an environment where the media and civil society can exercise their freedom of expression and counter widespread disinformation and hold institutions accountable.

Principle 09

09. We must call for justice for all victims irrespective of their ethnicity.

While recognising the responsibility of public institutions to address the root causes of conflict, provide justice and admit responsibility if guilty, we must ensure that trust building and reconciliation processes do not engage in levelling collective blame or be hindered by divisive narratives. Our work must be sensitive to the victims suffering, while noting that reconciliation is difficult for family members of all victims, regardless of their ethnicity. They have the right to be respected, and their contribution to trust building should be considered and recognised.

Principle 10

10. We must treat trust building and reconciliation processes as a priority.

The moment is now. We must treat trust building and reconciliation processes as a priority. We should establish safeguards to prevent political interference, embrace all minorities, unite on common values, address grievances, and maintain open communication. These are the priority steps needed to build trust and promote reconciliation between different communities to achieve a shared vision of peace, which can lead to security and prosperity for all.

Principle 1

01. Building trust and reconciliation is a slow process. We must first learn about each other if we are to engage sincerely. We must ensure pre-existing individual connections evolve into group interactions – to better appreciate each other’s community, develop respect, and enjoy the allegiances of the different culture and traditions, accommodating diversity. Trust is not a quick-fix result that could be visible tomorrow, but over the long-term has the potential to save future generations from conflict and from lives that continue to be separated along ethnic lines.

Principle 2

02. We must establish interpersonal communication between members of different ethnic communities. We must create an environment where trust can be achieved through open communication. We must facilitate social networks of trust not only through policies but also through practices within civil society, free and independently of political events. In this case, the availability of a permanent space for trust-building, a space to freely sit and talk without restriction or self-censoring, should assist overcoming prejudices. We must put in place mechanisms to facilitate continued peaceful inter-community relations and develop a safe environment for cooperation and integration. Interaction leads to understanding others, which eventually can facilitate subsequent phases of the normalisation/peace process, when people learn to live together, accepting and respecting differences

Principle 3

03. We must recognise, adapt to, and value the distinctiveness between ethnic communities. All parties should equally invest in the reconciliation process. Those in the majority have an extra duty to embrace and advocate for minorities, wherever they are or in whichever geographical unit they may be. The Kosovo- Albanian community, particularly majority-community civil society, should increase efforts to reach out to non-majority communities and embrace them without conditions, accepting the differences, refusing stereotypes and aiming at social cohesion in a society where all can feel safe and accepted. Likewise, the Kosovo-Serb community should embrace and work with other communities in the municipalities where they are in the majority, engage and make efforts to understand them and contribute to a common well-being

Principle 5

05. We must begin with individual efforts a ground-up approach to reconciliation is possible.We must, at the individual and group level, be conscious of our responsibility, but also of the significance of our actions. In a bottom-up approach, the process shall move from individual reconciliation (grassroots) through community reconciliation (middle range leaders/ opinion setters) to political reconciliation (leaders). In this, the organised civil society from all the communities must trigger changes and move forward in a sensitive manner at the community level, promoting inter-community cooperative interaction, giving visibility to those on the ground and allowing their voices to reach those in power. Once reconciliation at the local level begins to function, the political level will have to listen

Principle 6

06. We must ensure effective application of the existing system of guarantees on the rights of all communities. Kosovo enjoys an advanced system of assurances for the protection of the rights of minorities, with institutional mechanisms and safeguards that, among other things, ensures representation and equal status to all groups. Kosovo also has anti-discrimination laws and policies in line with international and European standards. This includes rights such as the right to practice one’s religion, enjoy one’s cultural heritage, fair representation in institutions, the right to property, the right to use your own language, have access to information, an adequate accessibility to all services, including the holding of official documents or the right of one’s civil status to be registered. They are all recognised in the Constitution and laws of Kosovo. Widespread poor implementation develops into discriminatory situations and contributes negatively to inter-community trust, exacerbating distance between communities. Non-implementation can be a barrier to inter-community integration. This should be understood to include all underrepresented groups including Roma, Ashkali, Egyptian, Bosniak, Gorani, and Turkish. In this regard, we must hold central and municipal institution that do not comply accountable.

Principle 7

07. We must ensure that trust building and reconciliation processes are inclusive. Taking a human rights-based and gender sensitive approach, we must ensure that every individual, regardless of ethnicity, age, gender, religion, ability, sexual orientation, social or economic status, or any other distinctiveness can contribute to the process and have their voices heard. We must create different networks of alliances among cross-community target groups of women, youth, artists, business, farmers, cultural actors, victims etc. to reach out to policy decision makers. In this regard, we must ensure that their views and interests are represented at all levels where the decisions are taken. This human rights-based and gender approach is important not only because of its fairness, but also because it shall contribute to the efficiency and sustainability of the process, as they all can provide different useful perspectives.

Principle 8

08. We must hold to account those in the public eye, to ensure narratives of those with a public voice are truthful and respectful, rather than conflict-driven or divisive. Reporting does not necessarily need to aim at a shared common view about all, and for all, but we must ensure it is ethical and fact-based. In this regard, while everyone with a voice should make efforts to minimise disparities, political reconciliation must also be differentiated from social reconciliation. Polarised discourses do not heal wounds, rather they exacerbate the divisions and contribute to develop an exclusive sense of community based on the need to keep separate, to only trust your own in order to maintain basic security. Trust-building and reconciliation efforts should not be prone to political decisions, but it is a fact that they are affected by divisive messages and rhetoric. People are vulnerable to messages from those with power that speak on their behalf, so they have the right to access to truthful information and not be manipulated. We must ensure an environment where the media and civil society can exercise their freedom of expression and counter widespread disinformation and hold institutions accountable.

Principle 9

09. We must call for justice for all victims irrespective of their ethnicity. While recognising the responsibility of public institutions to address the root causes of conflict, provide justice and admit responsibility if guilty, we must ensure that trust building and reconciliation processes do not engage in levelling collective blame or be hindered by divisive narratives. Our work must be sensitive to the victims suffering, while noting that reconciliation is difficult for family members of all victims, regardless of their ethnicity. They have the right to be respected, and their contribution to trust building should be considered and recognised.

Principle 10

10. We must treat trust building and reconciliation processes as a priority. The moment is now. We must treat trust building and reconciliation processes as a priority. We should establish safeguards to prevent political interference, embrace all minorities, unite on common values, address grievances, and maintain open communication. These are the priority steps needed to build trust and promote reconciliation between different communities to achieve a shared vision of peace, which can lead to security and prosperity for all.

Barabar Principles