Under the motto “Strength in Diversity: A Society Without Racial Discrimination”, the Western Balkans Summit Against Racial Discrimination was held in Pristina. The event brought together experts, leaders, and activists from across the country and the region to discuss and develop strategies as part of ongoing efforts to combat racial discrimination against the Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities.
The summit was opened by Mr. Albin Kurti, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo; Mr. Habit Hajredini, Director of the Office for Good Governance, Human Rights, Equal Opportunities, and Non-Discrimination; Mr. Jürg Sprecher, Ambassador of Switzerland to Kosovo; and Mr. Pajtim Zeqiri, Head of Office, Terre des hommes, Kosovo.
In his address, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Mr. Albin Kurti, reiterated the Government's commitment to combating racial discrimination.
"As you can see, our "Strength" is also in embracing "Diversity", for an open and inclusive society, which does not leave anyone behind because first and foremost we have embraced diversity. Where not only with words and summits, but also with work and promoting the very strength of diversity, we dedicate ourselves every day to be as close as possible to each other, for each and every one, all together. I am convinced that the summit and today's discussions will bring out other valuable recommendations, which, as we have proven earlier, we will consider and treat with special care and complete seriousness", said Kurti.
He also highlighted the anti-discrimination platform, raptodiskriminim.org, a Government of the Republic of Kosovo initiative supported by Terre des hommes - Kosovo. This platform enables citizens to report cases of discrimination against the Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities.
Mr. Habit Hajredini, during his speech, said that today we are together to strengthen the prevention and fight against racial discrimination.
"Strength in diversity. A society without discrimination" is the motto of the summit and aims to exchange the best experiences from the Western Balkans, progress, and difficulties as well as the steps to be taken to prevent and fight racial discrimination. Today we are together with representatives of institutions and civil society from the Western Balkans to strengthen the prevention and fight against racial discrimination", said Hajredini.
Mr. Jürg Sprecher, Ambassador of Switzerland in Kosovo, expressed the determined commitment of the Swiss Government to the fight against racial discrimination, especially against marginalized communities such as the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities in the Western Balkans.
"Today's summit under the motto "Strength in diversity - A society without racial discrimination" is a vital step in addressing the systemic challenges faced by marginalized communities in this region. By bringing together governments, civil society organizations and community leaders, we have the unique opportunity to build stronger political will, share knowledge and foster greater accountability in the fight against racial discrimination," said Sprecher.
Meanwhile, Mr. Pajtim Zeqiri, Head of Office, Terre des Hommes Kosovo, said that the Summit has already turned into an important event for our country and is a clear proof of the will and determination of Kosovo's institutions and civil society organizations to prevent and eliminate any form of discrimination against marginalized ethnic communities, such as Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians.
"At the heart of our efforts is the fundamental principle - that of Social Justice for Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians. Because we believe that a good society is when everyone, regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, economic status - has the same access to opportunities, rights and resources. Social justice is not just a concept or principle; it is a call to action and change. When we work for social justice, our goal is not only to change policies and systems, but to transform lives and improve the way communities live," said Zeqiri.
This year, under the motto "Strength in Diversity - A Society without Racial Discrimination", the Summit focused, among others, on evaluating past summits and their impact on policies and practices to combat racial discrimination, including reflection on previous challenges and lessons learned over the years.
The summit aims to bring together the countries of the Western Balkans, governments, civil societies, independent experts and individuals from the communities, to collectively address discrimination against the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities. Its main focus is to identify the necessary steps and actions that governments should take, also emphasizing the role of civil society.
The Western Balkans Summit Against Racial Discrimination is organized under the leadership of the Office of the Prime Minister - Republic of Kosovo with the support of Terre des hommes in Kosovo, the Voice of the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians and the HEKS Foundation, within the project - Social Justice for Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
