LocationsThe European Union (EU) Office in Kosovo and implementing partner United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kosovo, launched the EU funded “Cultural Heritage as a Driver for Intercommunity Dialogue and Social Cohesion” project that aims to build trust between the communities in Kosovo, through cultural heritage interventions which promote dialogue, build understanding and foster a shared sense of ownership of cultural heritage among all Kosovo communities.
Mr. Tomáš Szunyog, EU Special Representative, Ms. Vjollca Aliu, Director of the Department for Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Ms. Maria Suokko, UNDP Resident Representative, and other guests and representatives of international community and Kosovo institutions were present at this virtual event to symbolically mark the beginning of the two-year long project.
By actively engaging youth and women in protecting and preserving tangible and intangible cultural heritage, the project will i) restore, rehabilitate and beautify cultural and religious sites; ii) promote intangible cultural heritage as a bond for social cohesion; and iii) strengthen capacities to protect and preserve cultural heritage through institutional mechanisms.
At the ceremony, Ambassador Tomáš Szunyog said: “Europe is rich in culture heritage and it is certanily a priority for the EU to protect and reinforce cooperation on cultural heritage worldwide. The European Union in Kosovo will continue to assist the protection and rehabilitation of cultural heritage in Kosovo and to increase awareness among citizens about the importance of protecting cultural heritage.”
Emphasizing the importance of the new project, Maria Suokko, UNDP Resident Representative remarked: “We use cultural heritage as a way to bring together communities - in particular women and young people - to engage in a dialogue to deepen mutual awareness, promotion, and protection of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage in Kosovo.”
“Cultural heritage is fundamental to self-knowledge and for initiating the cultural and inter-cultural dialogue. As an essential element, it brings people together, enriches cultural knowledge, and quenches the curiosity about the unknown, which in turn allow us to understand and know each-other, to increase wellbeing and to sustain peace,” said Vjollca Aliu, Director of the Department for Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports on this occasion.
Cultural Heritage as a Driver for Intercommunity Dialogue and Social Cohesion project aims to build upon the achievements from the earlier interventions and is funded by European Commission’s Instrument Contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP). It will be implemented across select Kosovo municipalities partnering with local and central institutions, Regional Centres for Cultural Heritage, civil society organisations, and religious communities.
For more information, please contact:
Burbuqe Dobranja, UNDP Communications Associate
Phone: (038) 249 066 ext. 410; mobile: 049 720 800 e-mail: burbuqe.dobranja@undp.org
Danijela Mitić, Communication Associate UNDP
Phone: (038) 249 066 ext. 412; mobile: 049 720 824 e-mail: danijela.mitic@undp.org
Fjolla Çeku Sylejmani, Information and Communication Officer, European Union Office in Kosovo
Phone: +383 (0) 38 5131 327 Mob: +383 (0) 43 973 275 email: fjolla.ceku@eeas.europa.eu
