03.06.2023. » 15:11 | ACDC
APPEAL FOR PEACE
InTER, New Social Initiative, Aktiv and ACDC have drafted a letter that reflects the feelings and needs of the Kosovo Serb community at the moment.
This letter, endorsed by over 150 Kosovo Serbs, expresses concerns about repressive measures by the Kosovo government and special police forces. It condemns violence, calls for dialogue, and demands the withdrawal of special police units, the departure of illegitimate representatives, and the deployment of peacekeeping forces.
Deeply concerned about the repressive and aggressive measures taken by the Government of Kosovo and the behavior of special police forces in the north of Kosovo that has the potential to escalate to unfathomable consequences for citizens’ peace and security, and to destroy long-term prospects for reconciliation and co-existence between Albanians and Serbs in this area;
Condemning all forms of violence committed against citizens, journalists and members of security forces over the course of recent events, and underlining that political problems cannot and must not be solved through police actions but rather through constructive means and at the dialogue table;
Having in mind lessons learned from history that an institutional apparatus under the control of a single ethnic community cannot and must not govern the lives of other ethnic groups, because democracy in post-conflict and multi-ethnic societies demands a just division of power and competencies, as well as the respect of human rights and freedoms. It certainly does not entail aggressive behavior by security structures and public bodies controlled by the majority community towards ethnic minorities;
Underlining that co-existence between Albanians and Serbs can be built solely upon a foundation of trust and mutual respect, and not by repression, violence and dehumanization, to which the Serb community is subjected to on a daily basis, starting from statements made by high-ranking officials down to media reporting and negative social media campaigns;
Calling attention to the fact that Serbs in Kosovo, both as a community as well as its members, are daily exposed to attempts at delegitimization, dehumanization, finger-pointing, and criminalization. This occurs both during government officials’ public appearances as well during meetings with international representatives, where the legitimate stances of the Kosovo Serb community are presented as being instrumentalized by the Government of Serbia, thereby attempting to discredit them in the eyes of international partners and the public;
Stressing that democracy is not built with elections held in mobile containers, or with those who hold public office yet have no popular legitimacy, but nevertheless intend to govern citizens belonging to other ethnic communities, with the power of the gun and police repression;
Underscoring that good governance and rule of law are not one in the same; while rule of law can be addressed by artificial intelligence, good governance is far more complex and delicate process that requires a talent for leadership;
Having in mind that the Government of Kosovo and its institutions violate the constitutionally guaranteed rights of the Serb community on a daily basis, fail to implement decisions handed down by the Constitutional Court, or fulfill its obligations undertaken during the dialogue process with Serbia;
Reaffirming not only our commitment to lead a dignified life in this area, to co-existence and mutual respect with Albanians and other ethnic communities, but also in our pride in ourselves, our history, our church, and cultural and religious heritage;
Wanting to believe in the sincerity of the statements made by representatives of the international community, especially those from the European Union and the Quint when they emphasize their support for multi-ethnicity and peaceful co-existence between ethnic communities in Kosovo;
We, the undersigned, members of the Serb community from all regions of Kosovo, are united in the demands that we are delivering to representatives of the European Union, United States of America, Germany, France, Italy, and Great Britain. We are directing our demands to them because we believe that they are the only actors that are capable of maintaining peace in Kosovo, and in applying pressure to the Government of Albin Kurti to carry out the measures outlined below, which are necessary for ensuring peace and creating the conditions for the implementation of the recently reached Agreement on Normalization:
- The withdrawal of all special police units from the north of Kosovo since their presence is in violation of Articles 128 and 61 of the Constitution of Kosovo and Article 9 of the Brussels Agreement signed in 2013. The behavior of the police generates fear and disturbance among the local population. The absence of an adequate reaction to their deployment in the north at violently and unjustifiably confiscated land, conveyed a negative message that the militarization of this area is allowed.
- For the political representatives of Kosovo Albanians, who have no democratic legitimacy to represent local communities here, to leave municipal and other public buildings in administrative centers in the north of Kosovo. Furthermore, we demand that current employees of local administrations be allowed unhindered access to their offices until the holding of new elections.
- For the deployment of KFOR and EULEX units in the north of Kosovo in the goal of maintaining peace until the unconditional return of local Serbs to the police, which must also include strong guarantees forthe respect of the Regional Police Directorate’s -North unique competencies which are defined by the Brussels Agreement, and which have been eroded by decisions issued by the Government of Kosovo starting from the end of 2021;
- The implementation of Article 7 of the Agreement on Normalization that guarantees the right to self-management of Serb communities in Kosovo and that formalizes the status of the Serbian Orthodox Church;
- The formation of the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities in accordance with the Brussels Agreement signed in 2013 and the Basic Principles for the formation of Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities in 2015;
- • After adapting the legal framework for the formation of the Association, the holding of democratic elections in municipalities in northern Kosovo and the establishment of conditions for the unhindered and unconditional return of Serbs to institutions;
- The implementation of the decision reached by the Constitutional Court in May of 2016 confirming the Visoki Dečani Monastery’s ownership of 24 hectares of land;
- The resolution of all cases of attacks against Serbs and their property, including the illegal expropriation of land and recent incidents during which firearms were used by members of Kosovo’s security forces, as well as the strengthening of security measures in Serb-inhabited areas in Kosovo;
- A stop to the demonization of the Serb community during public appearances by the President of Kosovo, Prime minister of Kosovo, and other high-ranking government officials from the Albanian community.
Those countries that have recognized Kosovo on the promise that they would work to build a multi-ethnic and democratic society and have spent years fostering the affirmation of its independence, have a historical and moral obligation towards the Serbs who live there. Our future depends on your resolve, and keeping peace in Kosovo depends on the swiftness of your actions. History will remember the course that you will now follow. We ask that you be accountable and faithful to democratic values in the diverse, multi-ethnic societies on which western civilization rests.
Name and Surname/ Institution, organization, or profession/ Location
1. Dragiša Mijačić / InTER / Zubin Potok
2. Jovana Radosavljević / New Social Initiative / Leposavić
3. Milica Andrić Rakić / New Social Initiative / Zubin Potok
4. Miodrag Milićević / Aktiv / North Mitrovica
5. Dušan Radaković / ACDC / North Mitrovica
6. Miroslav Ivanović / retired judge / North Mitrovica
7. Nenad Todorović/ theatre director / North Mitrovica
8. Ljubomir Pantović / lawyer / North Mitrovica
9. Professor Nebojša R. Mitić PhD / professor at the Medical Faculty of UP / North
Mitrovica
10. Professor Biljana Jaredić PhD / Zvečan
11. Momčilo Trajković / president of the Serbian National Forum / Gračanica
12. Prim. dr Zvonko Radosavljević /head of surgery University hospital of North Mitrovica/
Leposavić
13. Professor Igor Damjanović PhD / drama professor, Faculty of Arts of UP / Beograd,
displaced
14. Aleksandar Arsenijević / president of Civc Initiative Serbian survival / Zvečan
15. Radmila Kapetanovic / Kolo srpskih sestara / Zubin Potok
16. Jasmina Živković Jovanović / Association of the families of missing persons – Štrpce/
Štrpce
17. Goran Avramović / editor RTV Kim / Gračanica
18. Predrag Miljković / lawyer / North Mitrovica
19. Zorica Vorgučić / editor RTV Kim / Gračanica
20. Darko Dimitrijević / editor Radija Goraždevac / Goraždevac
21. Anđelka Ćup / journalist / Gračanica
22. Ivan Nikolić / CSD / Gračanica
23. Ružica Simić / Womens’ Right / North Mitrovica
24. Marko Jakšić / Bachelor of Law and political activist / North Mitrovica
25. Saša Lazarević Kudra / vocal soloist / Zubin Potok
26. Ana Marija Ivković / journalist Alternativna / Zvečan
27. Miloš Subotić / Bachelor of Law / North Mitrovica
28. Stefan Veljković / social and political activist / North Mitrovica
29. Marko Milenković / New Social Initiative / Leposavić
30. Ivan Vučković / journalist / Leposavić
31. Stefan Kalaba / forestry engeneer / Zvečan
32. Nenad Maksimović / Center for Peace and Tolerance / Gračanica
33. Aleksandar Rapajić / Nansen Dialogue / Severna Mitrovica
34. Rajko Jovanović / Center for Social Dialogue / Gračanica
35. Aleksandar Velić / Center for Social Dialogue / Gračanica
36. Vladimir Radosavljević / professor / Leposavić
37. Milan Dobrić / graphic designer / North Mitrovica
38. Danilo Đurić / climbing instructor / Osojane
39. Jelena Jevremović / professor / Leposavić
40. Bojana Manitašević / Center for Social Dialogue / Gračanica
41. Nevena Radosavljević / peace activist and researcher / Leposavić
42. Suzana Vukašinović / financial manager / Laplje Selo
43. Mladena Vukašinović / Laplje Selo
44. Veljko Samardžić / Center for Social Initiatives / Peć
45. Biljana Stanković / Laplje Selo
46. Aleksandar Tanasković / Eco Lepo / Leposavić
47. Vladan Pavić / master of tone National Theatre of Priština in Gračanica/ North
Mitrovica
48. Vladislav Đerković / administration of National Theatre of Priština in Gračanica/
Leposavić
49. Isidora Todorović / student of world literature / North Mitrovica
50. Nebojša Đorđević / actor at National Theatre of Priština in Gračanica / Valjevo,
displaced
51. Ivana Simić /organizer National Theatre of Priština in Gračanica/ Beograd, displaced
52. Verica Nešović / Bachelor of Economics / Leposavić
53. Verka Jovanović / private sector / Leposavić
54. Slobodan Pejanović / Master of History / Leposavić
55. Gordana Đorić / Association of women entrepreneurs Avenija / Gračanica
56. Anđela Milosavljević / Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science / Leposavić
57. Ivan Milosavljević / Bachelor of Information Sciences / Leposavić
58. Nenad Jovanović / entrepreneur/ Leposavić
59. Srđan Simonović / Humani Centar Mitrovica / North Mitrovica
60. Veroljub Petronić / Humani Centar Mitrovica / North Mitrovica
61. Dejan Nedeljković / NGO Green heart / North Mitrovica
62. Miodrag Andrić / retired organizational engineer / Zubin Potok
63. Vesna Jovanović / professor of Serbian language and literature/ Parteš
64. Ružica Lukić / retired teacher / Parteš
65. Dobrivoje Jovanović / retired teacher / Parteš
66. Oliver Vujović / Forum for cooperation and multiethnic society / Gračanica
67. Milivoje Raičević / Master of Public Administation / North Mitrovica
68. Nikola Todić / New Social Initiative/ Leposavić
69. Slobodan Stošić / ACDC / North Mitrovica
70. Vladan Trifić / Institute for public research / Gračanica
71. Ivana Milosavljević / Association of the families of missing persons – Štrpce/ Štrpce
72. Jovana Cvetnić / graduated journalist / Zubin Potok
73. Saša ilić / Center for Peace and Tolerance / Gračanica
74. Nemanja Nestorović / professor of English Language and literature / North Mitrovica
75. Ivan Stojkovic / organizer National Theatre of Priština in Gračanica / Gračanica
76. Slađana Kostić / Bachelor of Economics / Zubin Potok
77. Uroš Branović / entrepreneur / Leposavić
78. Igor Dašić / social worker / Zvečan
79. Olivera Manojlović / professor of the Serbian language / Zubin Potok
80. Marko Radojević / Biology professor / Zubin Potok
81. Časlav Tomović / technology engineer / Velji Breg, Zubin Potok
82. Boban Petrović / professor / Gračanica
83. Milena Kasalović / professor of the Serbian language / Zubin Potok
84. Oliver Vezmar / Electrical Engineer / Zubin Potok
85. Ljubiša Mijačić / architect engineer / Zubin Potok
86. Bojana Vukadinovic / Master of Psychology / North Mitrovica
87. Nemanja Jovanović / IT professor / Zubin Potok
88. Nataša Trifunović / architect engineer / Zubin Potok
89. Dragana Dobrosavljević / Association of the families of missing persons – Štrpce/
Štrpce
90. Martin Aleksić / professor of mathematics / Zubin Potok
91. Dušan Bazović / student of medicine / North Mitrovica
92. Zoran Milić / professor of mathematics / Zubin Potok
93. Nikola Spasojević / professor of mathematics / Zubin Potok
94. Sanja Krtinić / civic activist, pegagoue / North Mitrovica
95. Bojana Miletić / professor of biology / Zubin Potok
96. Sonja Božović / professor of Serbian lanugage / Zubin Potok
97. Danijela Milosavljević / professor of Serbian lanugage / North Mitrovica
98. Radosava Đorđević / chemistry professor / Zubin Potok
99. Dragica Popović / doctor of medicine / North Mitrovica
100. Dragica Tomović / professor of sociology / Zubin Potok
101. Slađana Vulović / professor / Zubin Potok
102. Nataša Bjelica / professor of English language and literature / North Mitrovica
103. Aleksandra Savić / professor of Geography / Zubin Potok
104. Zlatko Stojanović / Laplje Selo
105. Miljan Božović / Bachelor of Economics / Zubin Potok
106. Miloš Mitrović / professor of the French language / Zubin Potok
107. Marija Trikoš / professor of Geography / North Mitrovica
108. Sanja Sovrlić / journalist / Leposavić
109. Nedeljko Mijačić / retired / Zubin Potok
110. Vasilije Marković / retired Electrical Engineer / Zubin Potok
111. Slađana Vukašinović / Laplje Selo
112. Đorđe Jelić / elektrotehničar računara / Zubin Potok
113. Aleksandar Arsić / Electrical Engineer / North Mitrovica
114. Dragiša Kostić / InTER / Zubin Potok
115. Ana Ćup Marković / journalist Gračanica Online and Prva TV / Gračanica
116. Bojan Milosavljević / Action for Social and Economic Development / Leposavić
117. Branislav Vasović / Youth Cultural Center / Leposavić
118. Mirjana Obradović / retired / Zubin Potok
119. Jelena Prica / tax administration worker / North Mitrovica
120. Milica Prica / philologist and designer / North Mitrovica
121. Marija Simunović / Agricultural Engineer / Zubin Potok
122. Anastasija Rakić / Agricultural Engineer / Zubin Potok
123. Vasiljka Voinović / Svet anđela / North Mitrovica
124. Marija Milenković / InTER / Zubin Potok
125. Katarina Milosavljević / student / Veliko Rudare, Zvečan
126. Aleksandra Fićović / student / Veliko Rudare, Zvečan
127. Dobrinka Obradović / Constrruction Technician / Zubin Potok
128. Mišel Koneski / Master of International Management/ Leposavić
129. Milica Milenković / Construction Engineer / Zubin Potok
130. Saša Jovanović / Association of the families of missing persons – Štrpce/
Štrpce
131. Verica Mijačić / professor of civic education / Zubin Potok
132. Milica Marković / Biology professor / Zubin Potok
133. Zorica Stanković / housekeeper / Parteš
134. Dragana Vićentijević / Professor of Chemistry / Zubin Potok
135. Andrijana Vlašković / Bachelor of Economics / Zubin Potok
136. Snežana Perić Bogdanović / Project Coordinator / Gračanica
137. Aleksandar Ratković / Architectural Engineer / North Mitrovica
138. Danilo Radović / specialist professional engineer of informatics and computer
science / North Mitrovica
139. Mirjana Bojović / Bachelor of Law / North Mitrovica
140. Radoljub Jakšić / Plant Electrician / Zubin Potok
141. Milena Dabetić / psycologyst, European Certificate of Psychotherapy / North
Mitrovica
142. Nikolina Klajić / student of Political Sciences / North Mitrovica
143. Marina Milentijević / student of journnalism/ Zvečan
144. Vladislav Ćup /media worker / Grčanica
145. Milena Maksimović / media worker / Radevo
146. Miladin Kostić / retired / Zubin Potok
147. Dimitrije Mirković / media worker / Laplje Selo
148. Zorica Obradović / student / Zubin Potok
149. Nikola Milosavljević / media worker / Gračanica
150. Nenad Cvetnić / Medical Technician / Zubin Potok
151. Božidarka Živković / Association of the families of missing persons – Štrpce/
Štrpce
152. Dragan Pešaković / Construction Engineer / Leposavic
153. Sunčica Andrejević / photo reporter Alternativna / Ugljare – Kosovo Polje
154. Marina Božović / professor of Geography / Zubin Potok
155. Vlado Vukomanović / Econimic Technician / Zubin Potok
156. Nemanja Božović / Bachelor of Pedagogy / North Mitrovica
157. Vesna Kostić / Kindergarten teacher, pedagogue / Zubin Potok
158. Violeta Marinković / Bachelor of Economy / Zubin Potok
159. Nemanja Obradović / Engineer of electrical engineering and computing /
Zubin Potok
160. Andrija Igić / Journalist / Priština
161. Vesna Stajić / Professional manager / Novo Brdo
162. Dragan Božović / Engineer / Zubin Potok
163. Vladimir Živković / electrical engineer and civic activist / Gračanica
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