NEWS ARCHIVE
14 September 2007CSSP Panel Diskussion:
Die Rolle der NRO in Post-Konflikt-Regionen
Am Freitag, den 14. September 2007 fand in der Berlin-Brandenburgischen Akademie der Wissenschaften eine Panel Diskussion über „Die Rolle der NRO in Post-Konflikt-Regionen“ auf Einladung von CSSP statt.
Die Diskussionsteilnehmer waren:
Herr Holger Haibach
MdB, stellvertretender Vorsitzender des Ausschusses für Menschenrechte und humanitäre Hilfe des Deutschen Bundestages
Herr Dr. Leo Kreuz
Referatsleiter im Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung
Frau Prof. Dr. Angela Mickley
Fachhochschule Potsdam, Institut für Sozialwissenschaften, Konfliktforschung
Frau Claudia Nolte
Bundesministerin a.D., Leiterin Auslandsbüro Serbien und Montenegro der Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
Frau Doris Pack
MdEP, Vorsitzende der Südosteuropa-Delegation des Europäischen Parlaments
Zu Beginn der Veranstaltung sprach der österreichische Botschafter in Berlin, Herr Dr. Christian Prosl ein Grußwort an das zahlreich erschienene Fachpublikum, bestehend aus verschiedenen Botschaftern der Projektregionen, internationalen Experten des Konfliktlösungsbereichs, Mitgliedern der Bundestags-Ausschüsse für Auswärtige Angelegenheiten, Wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung sowie Menschenrechte und humanitäre Hilfe.
Unser Mitbegründer und Ehrenpräsident, Herr Dr. Christian Schwarz-Schilling regte durch ein Impulsreferat zur Diskussion über die Rolle der NRO in Post-Konflikt-Regionen an, die zum Teil kontrovers geführt wurde.
Auch wenn im Rahmen der Diskussion deutlich wurde, wie komplex das Thema von NROs in Post Konflikt Regionen ist, so waren sich die Diskussionsteilnehmer in den folgenden Punkten weitgehend einig:
Allgemein spielen NROs eine erhebliche Rolle für einen aktiven Friedensprozess ehemaliger Konfliktregionen.
Die meisten NROs arbeiten eng mit den Betroffenen zusammen und haben einen anderen Zugang zu den Konfliktparteien als staatliche Akteure. Sie tragen daher wesentlich zur Information und Kommunikation bei.
Die Messbarkeit des Erfolgs der Arbeit von NROs stellt eine Herausforderung dar.
Es stellt sich die Frage, ob die Gewichtung zwischen den Militärausgaben einerseits und der Förderung von NROs zum Friedensaufbau und zur Konfliktprävention andererseits noch zeitgemäß ist. Deutschland könnte in diesem Feld eine Vorreiterrolle einnehmen.
Zum Abschluss der Veranstaltung zog Botschafter, Herr Friedrich Däuble in seiner Funktion als Beauftragter für Zivile Krisenprävention, Konfliktlösung und Friedenskonsolidierung im Auswärtigen Amt eine positive Schlussbilanz zur Beteiligung nichtstaatlicher Akteure als wichtiges Instrument zur nachhaltigen Konfliktbeilegung.
Die Diskussion unserer hochrangigen Gäste hat im Ergebnis die Arbeit von CSSP in seiner Zielsetzung bestärkt. Mit unserer Methodik der Integrativen Mediation bringen wir lokale Entscheidungsträger zusammen, hören ihnen zu, um Ihre Interessen zu erkennen und machen sie so zu den hauptverantwortlichen Akteuren unserer Projekte. Dadurch tragen wir als ziviles Konfliktlösungsteam entscheidend zur eigenverantwortlichen Konfliktlösung in unseren Zielregionen bei.
Die Veranstaltung wurde durch Herrn Alfred Eichhorn des rbb Inforadios moderiert und kann in voller Länge auf der Internetseite des rbb angehört werden:
inforadio9 - 13 July 2007
Professional Training Level 3 for Key Leaders from Rahovec/Orahovac, Kosovo in Struga, Macedonia
CSSP has been working closely with the municipality of Rahovec / Orahovac in Kosovo since 2005. It is the first municipality to complete all three training levels as part of an Integrative Mediation process. Building on the previous training levels focusing on basic communication and problem-solving skills, Level 3 aimed to further apply and expand the skills. The focus of the Level 3 training was on leadership, trust-building, and intra-community relations. A total of 30 participants from the Albanian and Serbian communities took part in the training, including the Deputy Municipal President, the Additional Deputy Municipal President, the CEO, a number of members of the Board of Directors, as well as other municipal and civil society representatives.
The training was conducted by CSSP together with its partner organisation Coaching Spirale from Berlin. The training was funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA). CSSP’s local partner organisation, Partners Kosova attended the training and supported the activities. Similar to the previous levels of training, Level 3 combines lectures and role plays, exercises and case work put forward by the participants themselves. Working in groups, participants developed problems statements, as well as issues and options for economic development, trust and transparency, and integration. In the final session of the training participants themselves wrote down the commitments that resulted for them personally from the trainings. The participants thereby took over responsibility for implementing the commitments upon return to the municipality.
2 - 6 July 2007
Field Trip to Struga, Macedonia
Following up on the professional training from April and other visits to the municipality of Struga, CSSP undertook a field trip to Struga, Macedonia, from 2 – 6 July 2007. CSSP met with the Mayor, President of the Council, representatives of the party leadership in the council, the members of the Interethnic Commissions, and all participants of the training, as well as representatives of civil society organisations. The main purpose of the trip was to follow up with participants of the training on the action plans they had developed during the training. Within the three months since the training several participants had made efforts, however, many topics remained largely unimplemented. CSSP worked with the participants to make their commitments more concrete. The meetings with the political leadership of the municipality aimed at improving the situation described during the training, which indicated a struggle with procedures and in particular coordination in the municipal council. Initiated by one of the party coordinators CSSP attended a council coordination meeting and agreed to explore the possibility to conduct a further training.
With the support of funding from the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), CSSP will conduct a professional training with the Mayor, Council President, local party leaders and party coordinators on the council. All of the above have confirmed their participation in the training. It will focus on council coordination and implementation of council procedures.
During the field trip CSSP placed an emphasis on meeting with the Interethnic Commission. This body, despite being perceived as essential in consulting with the council of all interethnic matters, is not functioning on a regular basis. Although the members of the Interethnic Commission and in particular their president make efforts of fulfilling their mandate, they are unclear on process, tasks and mandate. Part of their difficulties stem from a lack of relations and interaction with the council and its members, in addition to problems of receiving requested information from the municipality. CSSP has agreed to continue working closely with the Interethnic Commission in Struga and is exploring options to provide further assistance to the members of the commission.
1 July 2007
End of Mandate of High Representative/EU Special Representative Dr. Christian Schwarz-Schilling, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
On 1 July 2007 the formal mandate of Dr. Schwarz-Schilling as High Representative and EU Special Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina ended. Upon the end of his mandate Dr. Schwarz-Schilling returned to Berlin for debriefings with the foreign relations committee of the German Bundestag and at the Federal Foreign Office. As one of the founders of CSSP, Dr. Schwarz-Schilling returns as honorary president to the association.
With the ending of the mandate, Senior Political Advisor Dr. Dieter Wolkewitz returns to CSSP as an active member of the team. After 15 months of absence Dr. Wolkewitz takes over as head of external relations.
23 - 27 April 2007
Professional Training for Key Leaders from Struga, Macedonia, in Durres, Albania
After having put all of its activities in Macedonia on hold in view of the implementation of decentralisation in summer 2005, CSSP e.V. re-started its active involvement in the country with a professional training (Level 1) with the municipality of Struga. Struga was one of the most affected by decentralisation as the majority in Struga was turned around. Interethnic relations in Struga are difficult, although there are generally good personal relations, political differences between the parties slow down progress in the municipality.
The professional training conducted by CSSP e.V. together with Coaching Spirale and funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) brought together a group of 16 key leaders from the political institutions and civil society of Struga. The participants reflected a gender and ethnic representation and included men and women of ethnic Macedonian, ethnic Albanian, ethnic Turk, and ethnic Serbian origin. It aimed specifically at addressing interethnic relations in the municipality. The participants were familiarised with a problem-solving approach and developed a systematic approach to their own cases. In several working groups focusing on different aspects ranging from the work in the Municipal Assembly, the functioning of the Interethnic Commission, NGO work in the municipality, and public information and transparency. Each of the working groups developed a problem statement, issues and options, as well as a concrete action plan and next steps for dealing with the case. Upon completion of the five day professional training, all participants returned to their municipality with problem-solving skills and a concrete approach to problems in their professional environment.
16 - 19 April and 7 - 11 May 2007
CSSP Kosovo Field Trips
In April and May 2007, CSSP visited Kosovo to follow up on projects and professional trainings and to understand the current political situation. Specific to projects and trainings, the team worked on promoting mediation in property disputes, and followed-up on commitments made during the training in March for Strpce / Shtërpcë and Ferizaj / Uroševac. The team also began preparations for the Level 3 Problem-solving Professional Training for Key Leaders in Rahovec / Orahovac. In addition, CSSP held mediation sessions in the target municipalities to help move the processes forward. In general, one can sense the loss of enthusiasm and energy.
Overall, the unresolved question of the future status of Kosovo keeps up a high level of suspension and insecurity. It appears that in particular at the central level many issues remain on hold, waiting for decisions to be made elsewhere and to provide clarity to the overall situation. In the municipalities people are finding it difficult to take decisions at this moment in time, when consequences remain linked to an undecided answer. Return is just one example of this matter. All over Kosovo concept papers on return are written, reconstructed houses and villages remain empty, while in other places vacated property is occupied illegally. Kosovo finds itself in political and social paralysis.
In Rahovec/Orahovac the CSSP team met with key leaders to discuss the present situation and the upcoming Level 3 training. Although goodwill and cooperation are improving, several issues have remained unresolved and unaddressed over time. In May CSSP conducted a joint meeting which resulted in a document of joint conclusions focusing on further improving cooperation between the Albanian and Serbian communities in the municipality.
In the joint meeting between Štrpce/Shtërpcë and Ferizaj/Uroševac all sides tried to identify obstacles to cooperation and steps forward. However, the move was not very promising as both sides have made commitments in the past and have not kept them. Shortly after the mediation it was announced that the government of Ferizaj/Urosevac was restructuring and the promises made at the mediation were put on hold until a new government could be formed. CSSP will return in the near future to follow up on the commitments made.
In Štrpce/Shtërpcë the conflict between Kosovo Serbs and Kosovo Albanians is slowly escalating, as the municipality is on the fault lines of the conflict. In any future status it will have certain considerations due to its Kosovo Serb majority. In recent months Kosovo Albanians have been angered by Kosovo Serbs in the municipal assembly. Specifically the Kosovo Albanians boycotted assembly meetings to show their displeasure. The most responsible municipal leaders are not willing to sit together and work on joint problems. If they do meet it is not very productive. In such a political environment, CSSP will return and design a specific problem-solving professional training for the members of the municipal Board of Directors which is currently unable to resolve their differences. This training is foreseen to take place in November 2007 and will be funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).
CSSP support of the South East European Mediation Forum (SEEMF) in 2007
SEEMF Project: Working Group Meeting on Interethnic Mediation
At the CSSP sponsored SEEMF Conference 2006 in Skopje, it was decided during a plenary session that in 2007 a special emphasis within SEEMF will be placed on inter-ethnic mediation. Furthermore, Ms. Ivana Gajovic of Montenegro was elected as Chairperson and Mr. Florent Hajrizi of Kosovo as Deputy Chairperson for SEEMF for 2007. Ms. Ivana Gajovic with the assistance of Mr Florent Hajrizi were entrusted to prepare a working group meeting to be held prior to the next SEEMF Steering Board scheduled to take place in fall 2007 in Montenegro. The working group meeting will focus on inter-ethnic mediation and take place in October. CSSP is supporting this network and the working group meeting because local mediation efforts and frameworks must be strengthened. CSSP welcomes that through SEEMF, work on interethnic issues across borders is possible.
For further details and the upcoming agenda please have a look on the SEEMF website:
www.seemf.eu 07 - 20 May 2007
CSSP Research Trip - Bosnia and Herzegovina
In May 2007, our team member Brigitta von Messling went on a two week research trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina. This trip is part of the collaboration between CSSP e.V. and Dr. Eileen Babbitt from Tufts University. This project has two primary goals. One is to find a definition of coexistence as defined by the Bosnians themselves and to try to determine the level of peaceful coexistence in different regions of the country. The second goal is to see which of the International Mediator’s suggestions were implemented and how the people who worked with him evaluate his work and impact on the Bosnian post-conflict environment. We also wanted to find out what role mediation plays at the municipal level.
During the research trip, six municipalities - Bratunac, Sanski Most, Prijedor, Mostar, Fojnica, and Kiseljak - were visited. Municipal authorities as well as representatives from civil society organisations were interviewed. A special emphasis was placed on the status of return and the current condition of inter-ethnic relations in the municipality. The findings from this trip will be published in a Situation Report and a follow-up visit is planned for September.
23 - 27 April 2007
CSSP Professional training Workshop for key leaders in Struga, fyro-Macedonia
CSSP will hold its first professional training workshop for key leaders from Struga, fyro-Macedonia from 23 to 27 of April. The municipal leaders will come together to discuss and start to resolve some of the problems faced by their municipality since the new decentralization law was passed. In order to strengthen local peacebuilding initiatives, CSSP is organizing this workshop together with its local partner, FORUM-Center for Strategic Research and Documentation. The emphasis of the training will lie in improving negotiation and problem-solving skills, as well as addressing actual problems faced by the Struga municipality.
12 - 16 March 2007
CSSP Professional training Workshop for key leaders from Kosovo
From March 12 to 16 of March CSSP will hold a professional training workshop for key leaders from the two Kosovo communities of Štrpce / Shtërpcë and Ferizaj / Uroševac. Issues such as inter-ethnic relations, inter-municipal governance and cooperation, as well as inter-municipal return will be discussed. The workshop contains a mixture of hands-on group work as well as informational lectures that directly tie into the daily reality of the participants. Leaders from both municipalities will work together and begin looking jointly for solutions to problems faced by their communities. The workshop will be held in Struga, fyro-Macedonia.
8 February 2007
International Mediation Reception and Networking Event at Tabaq
Thursday, February 8, 2007, 6:30 PM
Tabaq Bistro
1336 U Street NW
Washington, DC
Phone: 202-265-0965
Cost: Free
Have you ever wondered how you can save the world AND enjoy complimentary appetizers? Now is your chance! Please join us for a short lecture and reception at Tabaq bistro on Thursday, February 8, 2007 in honour of the CSSProject for Integrative Mediation. The CSSP is an international non-profit that seeks to empower individuals as well as communities through integrative, grassroots style mediation. Network, eat, and enjoy the engaging style of Dr. Juan Diaz, Director of CSSP, in a short lecture followed by a question and answer period. The reception begins at 6:30. The lecture and Q&A session will run from 7:30-8:00.
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