Partners-Kosova- Center for Conflict Management funded in 2001 by Shukrije Gashi, a founder and Executive Director, responsible for fulfilling Partners’ basic mission, which is to build sustainable local capacity to advance civil society and a culture of change and conflict management. Partners Kosova is a local NGO committed to building sustainable indigenous capacity to advance civil society a
nd a culture of change and conflict management. Partners-Kosova is one of the twenty Centers of Partners Global/PG (former Partners for Democratic Change (PDC)), an international NGO, founded in 1989. PG, through its Centers, has provided vital communication, negotiation, and cooperative planning skills to thousands of civic, NGO, municipal and national government leaders in over 55 countries. Partners-Kosova as local NGO since 2001, is working within communities to foster a culture of peaceful conflict resolution and build consensus on neighborhood, business, majority-minority, and citizen-government issues. Since its inception, the Center provides services ranging from mediation to training courses in Conflict Resolution, Negotiation, Mediation, Gender Equality-Anti-Discrimination, Ethnic Integration and Transitional Justice. The chief programs of Partners-Kosova include a mediation service; training of local government officials and elected municipal representatives in leadership and citizen participation processes; and training, mentoring and reconciliation programs. Over the years Partners Kosova has managed to build on Partners experience in to managing difficult situation and creating a open space for dialogue among different communities into solving different disputes. Today Partners Kosova is considered leader organization in Kosovo in regards to Mediation activities and cooperates closely with local and international institutions working in Kosovo and outside Kosovo. Partners Kosova is member of Partners Global (former Partners for Democratic Change Network of 20 independent Centers of Partners Global geographical spread. ORGANIZATIONAL PROGRAMS
MEDIATION PROGRAM
As the only active professional mediation center in Kosova, Partners-Kosova’s services include: mediation of family, property, business, blood feud and other disputes; training in basic and advanced mediation skills; and expert consultation in setting up mediation programs for schools, municipalities, and local courts, national & international NGOs, government agencies and diverse community groups. The Center has developed a highly effective Kosovar mediation methodology that blends modern mediation concepts such as voluntary participation and mediator neutrality with Kosova’s centuries-old traditions of mediation by a trusted third party. The Center charges a small fee for professional mediation of disputes, which helps to ensure the sustainability of the Center. Since its inception in 2001, P-K has trained more than 400 participants of diverse ethnicity in ADR methodologies (Communication, Conflict Management, Negotiation, Facilitation, Mediation, and Collaborative Processes). P-K mediators and a network of 45 external active mediators have helped settle over 300 cases involving more than 12,000 people. In 2002, Partners-Kosova drafted Kosova’s first law on mediation. After several working group sessions comprised of local and international experts, the Mediation Draft Law has been approved by the Parliament of the Republic of Kosova in April, 2008. Partners-Kosova trained 108 local court staff from all municipalities in Kosova in basic mediation skills and conflict resolution. The aim of these trainings was to introduce the advantages of ADR to court personnel and to raise their ability to refer cases that could be resolved through mediation. P-K is committed to playing a positive role in improving the rule of law and access to justice in Kosova. LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAM
Partners-Kosova has been working with municipal leaders to provide them with skills to manage social change and conflict in their municipalities. The Center has trained hundreds of municipal leaders in conflict management and citizen participation, transparency, cooperative planning, facilitation, and conflict management. As municipal officials in Kosova take on greater responsibilities to deliver basic public services, many of them have successfully applied the citizen outreach and transparency skills learned during Partners’ training sessions. P-K conducted training for over 300 municipal and public administration officials in leadership skills and conflict management. P-K implemented a one-year project funded by OSI-Budapest on “Improving Cooperation between Citizens and Local Government”. As a result of the project, P-K increased the participation of citizens in decision-making processes by training and supporting a cadre of trainers who train municipal officials in Conflict Management and Participatory Planning. One of the most significant results of the Local Government Program is the creation of a Code of Ethics for Municipal Inspectors, which has increased transparency and accountability among civil servants. From the success of the original program, Code of Ethics workshops have sprung up across Kosova – in Peja, Prizren, and Prishtina. P-K, together with inspectors from the above mentioned municipalities, drafted the Code of Ethics, which were approved as municipal regulations in. Rahovec, Peja, and Prizren. Since September 2006 these regulations have been fully implemented by municipal inspectors. ETHNIC INTEGRATION & RECONCILATION PROGRAM
With the Ethnic Integration and Conflict Resolution program, Partners-Kosova supports the reestablishment of Kosova as a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society. The Center implements programs that build lasting relationships, curb xenophobia, integrate returnees, and revitalize the social, economic and political life of communities across Kosova. YOUTH AND WOMEN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
Throughout this program P-K works with different youth in municipalities of Kosova needing constant support to build their skills to participate in local decision-making. Partners-Kosova provides trainings in leadership skills for women who have demonstrated interest in leadership and advocacy. Their involvement in the citizen participation initiative has made a positive contribution to addressing their communities’ interests and issues. As a result of the training process this group of 25 young women leaders became more assertive, more powerful, creating clear visions for themselves and for their organizations. They became a very strong voice for other women’s needs in their communities. Partners-Kosova has trained Women Municipal Leaders in Gender Equality Skills and Anti-Discrimination. P-K also conducted trainings on mediation, organized by Ministry of Educations and GTZ for over 45 youth and secondary school teachers. TRAINING PROGRAM
PK training program offers training on following fields:
PARTNERS COLLABORATIVE MODEL
FACILITATION OF PARTICIPATORY PLANNING
COMMUNICATION
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
NEGOTIATION
MEDIATION
ETHNIC CONFLICTS
CODE OF ETHICS
ROLE OF ELECTED LEADER
PROJECT PROPOSAL WRITING
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
GENDER EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
ADDRESS:
"Partners-Kosova" Center for Conflict Management
Address: SU ½ III floor no. 11,
Dardania, Prishtinë 10000
Republic of Kosova
Telephone/Fax: + 381 38 543 350
[email protected]
www.partnerskosova.org
