Projects

General information

 

Project title: The Barabar Initiative: Enhancing community and trust-building dialogue in Kosovo – Phase 3

Duration: 8 months

Implementation period: August 15, 2025 – April 15, 2026

Implementation partner: NGO Integra

Supported by: UNMIK (United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo)

Status: Ongoing

 

Project objectives:

The project aims to support the operations of the Barabar Centre, scaling up its engagement and bringing in a wider range of societal actors, including grassroots groups, youth and women’s initiatives, artists, and community leaders from all parts of Kosovo. Established in 2023 by NGO CASA and NGO Integra as a UNMIK initiative, the Barabar Centre has emerged as a vital platform for civic dialogue and intercultural exchange, hosting over 220 events with more than 17,000 participants.

The overall objective is to enhance direct contact and exchange between communities in Kosovo and at the regional level – involving civil society, academia, media, as well as youth and women’s groups – thus contributing to the prospects of genuine and durable peace. The project addresses key recommendations from the Trust-Building Forum held in Thessaloniki in November 2023, including strengthening the participation group and calls for inclusive cross-community initiatives to enhance social cohesion and trust-building.

Activities:

• Supporting the operational capacity of the Barabar Centre to function as a versatile, inclusive venue for civic, cultural, and community-driven initiatives (rent, utilities, maintenance, facility management)
• Barabar Language Hub – identifying and translating literary or artistic works by emerging writers and intellectuals from diverse communities in Kosovo
• Barabar-She Club – organizing working groups focused on institutional responses to domestic violence and femicide, drafting a joint policy initiative aimed at advancing gender equality
• Barabar Voices – organizing four public debates bringing together academics, community leaders, civic activists, and other prominent individuals to discuss key societal challenges and interethnic relations
• Annual research “Trust Index” – producing the annual edition of the Trust Index report on the state of interethnic relations in Kosovo, measuring trust-building indicators across communities

Informative Brochure

The BIG Project – Barabar Initiative (going) Grassroot – brings together local civic organizations, women
artists, local cultural practitioners, and institutions to promote inclusion and inter-community
cooperation through the powerful tools of art and culture. Led by Integra, in partnership with CASA, and
supported by the EU, the project aims to enhance the role of grassroots civic actors in shaping a more
cohesive and inclusive society in Kosovo. It introduces a fresh model of cooperation that connects
community-level initiatives with national policy frameworks, placing art and culture at the heart of
positive transformation. By establishing the Barabar Grassroot Network (BGN), the project will provide a
sustainable platform that enables grassroots organizations, women artists, local cultural practitioners,
and artists to collaborate, exchange ideas, and amplify their impact. Through training, creative
programming, and policy dialogue, the BIG Project is designed to strengthen civic engagement, enhance
the participation of women, support gender equality, and build bridges between divided communities.
This booklet presents an overview of the project’s purpose, key beneficiaries, and the results it aims to
achieve.
The entire brochure can be found HERE.

Confirmed CSO and Women Activist/Artist Members of the Barabar Grassroot Network (BGN) can be found HERE

General information

 

Project title: The Barabar Initiative: Enhancing Community and Trust-building Dialogue in Kosovo – Phase 2
Duration: 11 months
Implementation period: From July 15, 2024 to June 15, 2025
Supported by: UNMIK
Status: Completed

Project objectives:

The Barabar Centre was established in 2023 by NGO CASA and NGO Integra. It is an inter-ethnic hub for trust-building activities and an open space for professional, social, and cultural interactions between peer groups from all communities in Kosovo. In a short period of time, the Barabar Centre has hosted over 80 events with the participation from all communities. It has become a central landmark of trust-building efforts in Kosovo, facilitating constructive interactions and fostering understanding among diverse communities.

Building on the success of the Phase 1 of the UNMIK-supported project, the Barabar Centre will engage a wide variety of beneficiaries and continue to provide a safe space for the meaningful exchange of views and debate between members of different communities, while continuing to ensure effective participation of women and youth.

The project aims to address the key challenges of the trust-building process in Kosovo. The overall objective is to enhance direct contact and exchange between communities at Kosovo and at the regional level (civil society, academia, media, as well as youth and women’s groups) thus contributing to the prospects of a genuine and durable peace.

Expected results:

The Barabar Centre has already established itself as a unique space where all communities meet to promote inter-ethnic dialogue, tolerance, equality and cultural collaboration. The Barabar Centre continues to serve as a hub for many initiatives that share and promote these values. By promoting and facilitating these interactions, the project seeks to contribute to the prospect of a genuine and peaceful coexistence of all communities in Kosovo.

The Barabar Initiative: Enhancing community and trust-building dialogue in Kosovo – Phase 2 aims to achieve the following results:

1. It seeks to advance reconciliation and integration among all communities in Kosovo.
2. The project anticipates a rise in activities initiated by municipal mechanisms, civil society, and local organizations that foster intercommunity trust and integration across Kosovo’s municipalities.

Related reading:

• Publications
• Articles

General information

Project title: ArtSphere: Diversifying the Social Landscape Through Art
Duration: 8 months
Implementation period: April 1- November 30, 2023
Supported by: The Swiss Cooperation Office in Kosovo
Status: Completed

Project objectives:

The overall objective of the project is to create an environment that promotes the growth and recognition of young artists in Kosovo while fostering intercultural communication and academic exchange to increase the public’s understanding and appreciation of Kosovo’s cultural diversity. The specific objectives that serve as the building blocks to achieve this overarching goal are defined as:

Specific objective 1: Foster the development of young artists in Kosovo by creating a supportive environment for the promotion of work and peer exchanges, and

Specific Objective 2: Stimulate intercultural communication and academic exchange to enhance public understanding and appreciation of Kosovo’s rich cultural diversity.

Expected Results:

The project’s expected results cover both collaborative and practical aspects:

• Heightened support for young artists, which results in greater visibility of their work and
  increased public recognition. The goal is to include at least 15 emerging artists from various communities in Kosovo in this initiative.
• Enhanced social interaction among young people from diverse cultural backgrounds. This is a key component of the project, where interactions are facilitated throughout its activities, leading to the involvement of at least 300 individuals including artists, academics, civic activists, etc.
• Increased number of young academics dedicated to promoting cultural diversity in Kosovo. In addition to directly involving at least 10 young academics from universities in Pristina, Mitrovica, and Belgrade, the dissemination of the dictionary through public libraries and civic initiatives is expected to reach at least 1,000 individuals.
• Increased public appreciation and understanding of Kosovo’s rich artistic and cultural landscape. The standard communication practices of project partners Integra and CASA, which include regular media outreach, social media promotion, and stakeholder involvement, will facilitate substantial community outreach and promote a greater understanding of the country’s vibrant artistic and cultural offerings.

Related reading:

• Publications
• Final report

General information

Project title: The Barabar Centre
Duration: 11 months
Implementation period: July 15, 2023 – June 15, 2024
Supported by: UNMIK
Status: Completed

Project objectives:

The objective of this initiative is to tackle the primary difficulties surrounding reconciliation and the process of building trust in Kosovo. Despite more than twenty years passing since the conflict ended, Kosovo continues to be a society divided in practice, with tensions among its communities persisting due to unresolved political disagreements, contradictory public narratives, and ongoing instabilities on the ground. While the reconciliation process has been ongoing, it has struggled to yield concrete and lasting outcomes, necessitating fresh strategies and approaches.

This proposed project aims to provide a solution by establishing the Barabar Centre in Pristina. This center will serve as a hub for activities focused on building trust among different ethnic groups, offering a welcoming environment for professional, social, and cultural interactions among peer groups from all communities within Kosovo. The primary goal of this initiative is to enhance direct engagement and dialogue among these groups on both a local and regional level. This will involve civil society, academia, media, as well as youth and women’s organizations. By doing so, the project seeks to promote and contribute to the potential for achieving sincere and enduring peace in the region.

Expected results:

The primary actions planned for achievement encompass:

• Establishment and operationalization of an open public Centre (Barabar Centre).
• Elevating the prominence of the Barabar Centre as a central hub for the facilitation of inter-community dialogue (Barabar Talks, Podcast “She, Trust Building Forum).
• Strengthening the involvement of women and underrepresented social groups in endeavors aimed at building trust, as well as fostering a culture of rights awareness. This includes activities such as the Women in Peacebuilding Forum, the Barabar Language Hub, etc.
• Initiation of joint sets of grassroots actions promoting the principles of transitional justice and culture of memory (The Culture of Memory initiative, The Culture of Understanding initiative, victim-sensitive media reporting Code of ethics, etc.).
• Amplifying the momentum of reconciliation in Kosovo by facilitating and advocating for intercultural and artistic exchange. This involves fostering cultural interactions and exchanges among different ethnic groups.

Related reading:

• Publications
• Final report