Please find attached the October newsletter of the Office for ...

“ALI IBRA”IS A
HUMANITARIAN PROJECT
SOLVING THE PROBLEMS
OF THE ROMA, ASHKALI
AND EGYPTIAN
COMMUNITIES............1
No. 6│ October │ 2010
USE OF OFFICIAL LANGUAGES
IN KOSOVO-FROM
THEORY TO
PRACTICE………………….1
Republika e Kosovës – Republika Kosovo – Republic of Kosovo
Qeveria – Vlada – Government
Zyra e Kryeministrit – Kancelarija premijera –Office of the Prime Minister
Zyra për Çështje te Komuniteteve / Kancelarija za pitanje zajednica / Office for Community Affairs
THE KOSOVO GOVERNMENT
CONTINUES TO SUPPORT
PROJECTS FOR NEW
MUNICIPALITIES
…………....................2
PROMOTING THE IDENTITY AND
CULTURE OF THE
MONTENEGRIN
COMMUNITY IN KOSOVO
……………………………..2
Strength
in diversity
THE NEW DISTRICT OF “ALI IBRA” IS A HUMANITARIAN PROJECT SOLVING
THE PROBLEMS OF THE ROMA, ASHKALI AND EGYPTIAN COMMUNITIES
This
significant
humanitarian project will
resolve the residential
problem of citizens of the
former district of ‘Kolonia’
in Gjakova. It will also
solve many social problems
preoccupying not just the
residents of this district,
but also the Kosovo
Government
The investment of about two million Euros for the building of
modern infrastructure including the building of 125 houses for
families in need, in a project expected to be completed within two
years, is an investment by the Kosovo Government, and respectively
the Office of Community Affairs in the Prime Minister’s Office, the
Ministry for Community and Return, the municipality of
Gjakovë/Đakovica and international partners, Swiss CARITAS and the
Austrian Government, which will guarantee shelter and full
integration of communities which live in the district ‘Ali Ibra’ of
Gjakovë/Đakovica.
The first phase of this project foresees the building of 29 houses and
started in October this year. The Office of Community Affairs has
allocated 100 thousand Euros for this first phase of works.
The laying of the foundation stone for this project in the district of
‘Ali Ibra’ is the latest investment demonstrating the commitment of
the Kosovo Government to the full integration of the Roma, Ashkali
and Egyptian community, as an equal part of multi-ethnic Kosovar
society. This capital investment reflects the partnership between
central and local government and international institutions. The
challenge remains implementing this project according to required
standards, so that people enjoy an infrastructure of European
standards.
Present at the ceremony to mark the laying of the foundation stone
was the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi,
accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuçi, the Deputy
Minister for Community and Return, Ismet Hashani and the leader of
the Municipality of Gjakova, Pal Lekaj.
During the ceremony, Prime Minister Thaçi promised the
commitment of the Kosovo Government to the successful completion
of the project.
The Ali Ibra district in Gjakova is an informal district of about 780
residents mostly from the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities,
but also Albanian and Serb families who live in difficult economic and
social conditions. According to the urban plan, this district should be
transformed into a modern urban zone in which, apart from houses,
there will also be a health centre, a children’s kindergarten, a sports
field and area for recreation.
Address: Government Building; Street: Mother Teresa n.n.
Tel: +381 /0/ 38 200 14 444
Email: zck-kpz@ks-gov.net
www.kryeministri-ks.net/zck/

USE OF OFFICIAL LANGUAGES IN KOSOVO –
FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE
OCA organized a workshop to raise awareness amongst non-majority
communities about their language rights
With the goal of raising community awareness about their language rights,
and legal means at their disposition, the Office for Community Affairs in
cooperation with the European Centre for Minority Rights (ECMI) organized
three regional workshops. Over fifty participants from local government and
non-majority community representatives participated in these workshops
developed in the region of Prishtina/Pristina, Gjilan/Gnjilane and Prizren.
The workshops were divided into two parts. The first part of the seminar
included information about the legal and institutional context for the
protection of language rights. The second part was organized in the form of
a round-table including basic exercises regarding the practices of central and
local bodies in implementing language use rights in Kosovo. The presenters
were experts from OCA, the Commission on Languages and ECMI.
Information and data gathered through discussions with participants and
questionnaires also contributed to the development of recommendations
about how to improve the efficiency of language policies, which will be
included in the study on the use of languages in Kosovo, currently being
drafted by OCA and ECMI.
THE KOSOVO GOVERNMENT
CONTINUES TO SUPPORT PROJECTS
FOR NEW MUNICIPALITIES
The reconstruction of road
lighting linking nine villages in
the municipality of Graçanica is
finished
VIZAT – KRIJIMI I ËT
The road linking nine villages in
the municipality of Graçanica not
only looks more beautiful now
with lighting, but is more secure
for public travel. Starting with
the village of Livaxhe and up to
Preoce, lampposts have been put
on both sides of the road, so that residents of this zone
have better living conditions, enabling them to engage in
different social activities in the evenings under neon
lights. In addition, the lighted road greatly increases
public security.
Lighting this stretch of road
is the most recent
investment by the OCA
contributing to the
development
and
modernization of new
municipalities. The works
are being completed
according to contemporary
parameters with the
intention of raising the
quality of life for all
residents of this area.
PROMOTING THE IDENTITY AND CULTURE OF THE MONTENEGRIN COMMUNITY
IN KOSOVO
The Kosovo Government offers equal conditions to all communities by supporting various projects to promote their culture, tradition
and ethnicity in general
The ceremony initiating this project was organized in October by
the Montenegrin Society of Kosovo, including a press
conference in Gorazhdevc, in which the leader of this society
raised some concerns relating to political issues preoccupying
Kosovo’s Montenegrin community.
The project, “Supporting the Montenegrin and Serb
community in the Peja region” intends to raise awareness
about the existence, return and employment of members of
the Montenegrin community of Kosovo, and began
implementation in October this year.
OCA will continue to finance projects which aim to support the
integration of non-majority communities, including the
Montenegrin community.