[KAN-Info] KAN newsletter - January/February, 2004

[Alice Mead]

KOSOVA ACTION NETWORK (KAN)
January/February, 2004 NEWSLETTER
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		http://www.kan-ks.org

* THE PETITION ON MISSING finally closed with 236,311 SIGNATORIES .
"This is the biggest petition ever recorded in Kosova" ­ Gjeneza Budima, KAN

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****URGENT ACTION ­ To send a letter, you can find a sample text on the KAN
website demanding the return to Kosova of the approximately 800 exhumed
bodies in Belgrade - before 24th March 2004, which is the 5th anniversary of
the deadline set for Milosevic by NATO in 1999.
 
** TWO PUBLIC MEETINGS IN GJAKOVA AND PEJA ­ KAN activists with the families
of missing organize two public meetings within the third fase of the "We are
all missing them" campaign.

** KAN and the ARTS ­ KAN in association with Urban FM youth radio station
organised a unique Arts event "WE HAVE 12  HOURS" - a journey through the
past, present and future of Kosova through art, play, music, performance and
video. 

**INTERNATIONAL KAN
English KAN activists finished preparations for a humanitarian convoy to
Kosova. KAN in Prishtina gets ready to help.
KAN activists in Ireland highlight Missing issue with Minister for European
Affairs, Dick Roche. They also raised the issue of the deportation of
Kosovar asylum seekers.

--------------------------------------------
 PETITION ON MISSING PEOPLE:
--------------------------------------------

"The number of signatures shows that the campaign for the Missing has been
extended from just the being of concern of the families involved but also to
reaching out beyond to the citizens of Kosova, one of the aims of the KAN
campaign. We must always bear in mind that those missing are not missing
because they were members of certain families but because they were citizens
of Kosova." ­ Ilir  Hoxha, KAN.
 
The KAN Petition on Missing people has been completed. Altogether, 236,311
signatures were collected. 11 CD's , containing the photographs of each page
of the Petition were sent to all the political figures and institutions to
whom the Petition was addressed: Secretary General of the UN, Mr.Kofi Anan;
U.S. Secretary of State, Mr.Colin Powell; EU Commissioner for External
Relations, Mr.Chris Patten; EU High Representative for the Common Foreign
and Security Policy, Mr. Javier Solana; Special Representative of the
Secretary General of the UN, Mr. Harri Holkeri; The Assembly, The Government
and The President of Kosova.
 
Amnesty International in their recent report on Serbia and Montenegro, 3rd
March 2004, especially noted "the scandal of Batajnica, where over 700
murdered Kosovo Albanian civilians were buried in secret graves in an
interior Ministry compound, and that after over four and half years still no
domestic indictments have been served for this crime against humanity."
Furthermore, General Djordjevic has not been transferred to Hague. General
Djordjevic is "Believed to have been in charge of removing the bodies of
Albanians killed in Kosova" (Institute of War and Peace Report, December
2002).Yet he is among four indicted war criminals whom the Serbian
authorities refuse to transfer to the Hague.
 
Since 10th December 2003, KAN activists and the Coordinating Council of the
Association of the Families of Missing (KKAF) have been travelling
throughout Kosova gathering signatures. As one can see on the photos on our
KAN web site (www.kan-ks.org), there was a tremendous response from the
public in Rahovec, Vushtrri, Malishevë, Peja, Skenderaj, Burim (Istog),
Ferizaj, Drenas (Gllogovc), Prizren, Mitrovica, Gjilan, and other
municipatities in Kosovo. Many  young activists joined along the way to
promote the campaign. Motorists stopped their cars to sign the Petition at
designated points. Local tv and radio interviewed KAN activists, Albin
Kurti, Gjeneza Budima, Milot Kelmendi, Agon Hamza, Ilir Hoxha, Jeta Deva.
The activists were joined by famous local basketball players Muhamet Thaqi,
Peja, Artan Mehmeti and Besim Braha, Mitrovica. In Prishtina, on December
30, 2003 were collected 24,805 signatures during 8 hours. There were totally
184 activists involved including here many famous public personalities like
musicians Memli Krasniqi and Vullnet Sefaja, actors Luan Jaha and Vlora
Merovci, the wellknown editor in chief of the magazine "Zëri" Halil Matoshi,
the painter Zake Prelvukaj, model Djellëza Kolgeci etc.
 
KAN would like to thank everyone involved in organizing this petition, for
taking time out to collect signatures, and for all the support, hospitality
and kindness shown to activists in the various places where the petition was
signed. The huge response to this campaign and the expression of solidarity
by so many Kosovar citizens with the families of those missing has been
heartening. Hopefully the international community will now respect the
wishes of the families to return the bodies of their loved ones to Kosova by
the KAN deadline of 24th of March 2004.

------------------------------------------------
 PUBLIC MEETINGS
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Two Public Meetings were held in Gjakova and Peja. KAN activists together
with the Families of Missing organized on 17th January 2004 a meeting in
Gjakova and on 31th January 2004 in Peja. First, there was a report of KAN
and KKAF activists to the families and citizens on the progress of the "We
are all missing them" campaign. Afterwards, there was an open debate
concerning the particular activities that were undertaken in the campaign
and also new ideas for the future actions were discussed.  Public meetings
as well visits of KAN activists to the homes of the families of missing
persons represent constant ongoing KAN activity.


------------------------------------------------
 KAN AND THE ARTS
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A highly successful and unique arts event "WE HAVE 12 HOURS",  organized  by
KAN in association with Urban FM youth radio station, took place in
Prishtina on 8th February 2004.
 
"Where have we come from? Where are we now? Where are we going?" - Artists
were invited to interpret, interrogate and play with these three central
questions. The day of art works, play, music, performance and video was a
journey through the past, present and future of Kosova.
 
This was also an "experiential" journey for the audience. Due to the many
interactive artworks and the entire concept, visitors became participants.
 
"WE HAVE 12 HOURS" was a product of the ideas of Kosovar artists at the "Art
in the Social Context" debate, held last October, which examined questions
such as art as a medium for social change in Kosova today. (This project was
supported by the British Council.)
 
One of the social issues raised by some of the artists , as well as KAN
Kollectivo Design, the artistic section of KAN, was the current issue of
Missing Persons.
  
100 artists participated: students from the Fine Arts Department, some
established Kosovar artists and artists from minority communities. Young
artists from the University, were coordinated by Professor Zake Prelvukaj.
Their work included photography, graphic design, paintings and sculpture.
Specific artists were invited to participate in the event, such as Orhan
Kerkesi, documentary film-maker and KAN activist who screened two
documentaries on the issue of missing persons and Atdhe Mulla photographer
and designer. 

The  event was organized by KAN activists Albin Kurti, Siobhan Cleary, and
"Dusi", Director of Urban FM Radio Station.

"We have 12 hours" was broadcast live on KTV and many of the young artists
were interviewed by the TV and press about their work and aspirations for
the future. 

-------------------------------
 KAN INTERNATIONAL:
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England: Bernard Sullivan, Susie Baker, and other aid workers from Hope and
Aid Direct are making final preparations with KAN Prishtina to come to
Kosova over Easter with aid for many families from all ethnic communities.
This aid will be a humanitarian convoy that would aim to help sick people
regardless of their religious or ethnic identity. Bernie and Susie have been
actively campaigning within KAN on behalf of the Missing with Mr. Dennis
McShane, British Minister for Europe and their local MP, Sandra Gidley who
has been very supportive.
 
Ireland: KAN activist Adem Bernica has had a meeting with Irish Minister for
Europe, Dick Roche, regarding the issue of Missing Persons. Adem lives in
Baltinglass, Co Wicklow which is part of the electoral constituency of
Minster Roche. The Taoiseach, (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern, Minister for
Foregin Affairs, Brian Cowen and Irish Ambassador to the OSCE Brendan Moran,
have also been  been contacted by KAN and asked for their support
particularly during the Irish EU Presidency. In the recent letter to
politicians in Ireland compiled by Valerie Hughes and several other
activists of KAN in Ireland the following was also included: "The neglect of
this deeply distressing issue by the international community is symbolic of
the way that the overall problems of the region have been marginalized. In
fact, the people lying in Batajnice ARE NOT MISSING! WE ALL KNOW WHERE THEY
ARE! Yet five years after their deaths,they still have not been identified
or returned to their families in Kosova." A comment about the Missing Serb
and non-Albanian minorities was included and the failure to address this
issue also. 

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The scandal of the thousands of Kosovar asylum seekers who are being
deported from the EU. In view of the very small numbers involved, surely it
is a matter of basic justice for the EU to eliminate visa obligations for
Kosovars and Bosnians (as victims of horrific wars and ethnic cleansing). At
a KAN workshop last July in Prizren, representatives of all ethnic groups
were wholly in agreement that this would be the most effective solution to
their current problems and the best antidote to interethnic violence and
extremist activities. We call on EU leaders to urgently promote the
extension of visas allowing Kosovars to work in the EU (Rights already
enjoyed for a number of years by the Croats and Bosnians who have Croatian
passports - though Croatia is not a memebr of the EU) - as the most
effective means of offering  A MINIMAL ECONOMIC LIFELINE in present
cirumstances. Without final status, even the most basic economic conditons
cannot be met. How are you all supposed to survive in the meantime?  (This
was part of letter sent last week to Taoiseach, Dick Roche, within the
international campaign of KAN activists concerning the visa regime issue.)

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Finally all our love and  best wishes to dearest Alice for a speedy 
recovery!!