From NAACDC at aol.com  Mon Jan 11 18:14:32 1999
From: NAACDC at aol.com (NAACDC at aol.com)
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1999 18:14:32 EST
Subject: [kan-l] News:NAAC CALLS ON NATO TO STOP SERB MILITARY ATTACKS
Message-ID: <ebd44ec0.369a85d8@aol.com>

**** Kosova Action Network Discussion List ****
National Albanian American Council
1899 L Street, NW  Suite 1130  Washington, DC  20036
(202) 955-1428    Fax: (202) 955-1429
Email: NAACDC at aol.com
________________________________________________________________________

PRESS RELEASE 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE					CONTACT: Aferdita Rakipi
January 11, 1999							       (202) 955-1428


NAAC CALLS ON NATO TO STOP SERB MILITARY ATTACKS IN KOSOVA BY STANDING UP TO
MILOSEVIC


WASHINGTON ? Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic today set a deadline for the
release of Serb soldiers by the Kosova Liberation Army ("KLA").  Milosevic
promised a major crackdown on Albanians if the deadline is not met.  Knut
Vollebaek, Norwegian foreign minister and chairman of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe, also called on the KLA to release the
hostages, but did not criticize Serbia for repeatedly violating the Holbrooke
cease-fire agreement.  In response, Ilir Zherka, Executive Director of the
National Albanian American Council, issued the following statement:

"As Serb tanks and soldiers are positioning themselves for a major offensive
against Albanian civilians in Kosova, NATO countries are blaming the victims -
the Albanians - for the resumption of the war.  But the position of the west
is untenable given the facts on the ground.  The present crisis has erupted
because of Serb violations of the Holbrooke-Milosevic agreement, not because
of actions by the KLA.

"Both President Clinton and Secretary Albright promised that NATO would bomb
Serb targets if Milosevic violated the terms of his agreement with U.S.
Ambassador Holbrooke in October.  Instead, NATO has sat on the sidelines as
Serbs have executed Albanians in cold blood, arrested civilians without cause,
and repeatedly bombed Albanian villages ? all in flagrant violation of the
Holbrooke-Milosevic agreement.

"Unfortunately, the current crisis fits perfectly with NATO?s Kosova policy:
NATO secures an agreement from the Serbs, and the Serbs violate that
agreement, while NATO looks the other way.  The Serbs then use some event to
justify launching military strikes against innocent Albanians.  NATO responds
by tacitly agreeing with the Serbs and by
holding its collective nose until the military assault becomes unbearable, at
which point we start the cycle all over again.  But the Albanians cannot be
expected to sit by silently as Milosevic and his henchmen continue their
campaign of murder and repression.

"If the United States and its western allies are serious about preventing
another round of fighting in Kosova, it must deal with the source of the
conflict ? Milosevic and the Serbian regime.  NATO should strictly enforce the
Holbrooke agreement and take military action, as it has threatened to do, if
the Serbs do not comply.  Otherwise, the war in Kosova will continue in the
foreseeable future, threatening all of the Balkans and Europe as well." 
###



The Advocacy Project
<http://www.advocacynet.org>

contact information:
teresa at advocacynet.org
(315) 471-7790 voice mail
510 Greenwood Place
Syracuse, NY 13210


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Submitted by: NAACDC at aol.com


From tmcrawfo at mailbox.syr.edu  Thu Jan 14 19:29:01 1999
From: tmcrawfo at mailbox.syr.edu (Teresa Crawford)
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 16:29:01 -0800
Subject: [kan-l] Tufts panel
Message-ID: <3.0.3.32.19990114162901.016bd44c@mailbox.syr.edu>

**** Kosova Action Network Discussion List ****
If anyone is interested in having a table on Kosova at this meeting please contact Dan Perez, who will be speaking on Kosova <danpbi at uclink4.berkeley.edu>.  He is great and it would be a good way to get more people involved.  

I will be out of town from the 15th to the 26th of Jan but you can email me of you have questions.  Otherwise Alice Mead is back soon from Kosova and can be reached at alooscnon at aol.com or get in touch with Mentor Cana at cana at alb-net.com.

Teresa

**************

"Face to Face in Conflict: Peace Teams in Kosovo, Hebron, and Guatemala."

When: Thursday night, Jan. 28th, 7 p.m., 
Where: Cabot Auditorium, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University.  >

A brief description of the program from the convenor:

An official welcome will be extended to you and
>the audience by Fletcher School Assoc. Dean Maria Judge, herself a Witness
>for Peace team member in the late '80s to Nicaraqua.  I will also say more
>about the "Year of Non Violence" and further set the context for your presentations.
>Last, Prof. Eileen Babbitt, Director of the Program on International
>Negotiation and Conflict Resolution will be a respondent to the panel.
>Then Q&A.  Afterwards, we may be having a reception for students and
>faculty to speak with you.  We may have local HR groups tabling, and room
>for book sales.
>
These are the topics and the speakers: Liam Mahony from Peace Brigades International and Dan Perez who traveled to Kosova in March of 1999 with Peaceworkers and Albert Cevallos and Teresa Crawford.
>
>>From Liam:
>
>I strive to link the more formal topic of human rights protection with the
>broader aspects of nonviolent activism, stressing the importance of both
>rigorous academic analysis and civilian activism in the field. My own
>experience as human rights field worker, peace activist and researcher
>help create this linkage.
>
>>From Dan:
>
> My role as a student will, as you and Liam expressed, serve to show
>students the  kind of peacework that is available to us while we are
>still within the university community.  We play a crucial role in 
>peacework: students from around the world share unique experiences that
>serve to establish ties and break through communication and cultural
>barriers.  In my experiences in Kosovo, my close relationships with Serb
>students helped me to rehumanize Serbs despite my imprisonment and develop
>a clearer picture of the situation there today; those relationships took
>me above the dehumanization level that the western media at times adheres
>to.  In Kosovo, Albanian students took the initiative in beginning an
>active nonviolence strategy, going against the wishes of their own
>political representation. As students, we can create deep connections to
>peace movements in the US and around the world with other young
>participants working for global change, such as Serb and Albanian students
>in Kosovo and the rest of Serbia.  With a large networking and knowledge
>base (the university), we have a great advantage in taking on this 
>challenge.
>
>Additionally, I can speak on the various roles that my organization played
>in Kosovo, as well as those of other NGO's.  Our roles included advocacy,
>mediation, violence deterrence, education, and publicity, and giving voice
>to the marginalized.  Questions arise as to how these roles are played out
>in Serbia, an anti-American sovereign state, and the risks involved.  I
>can also  discuss how NGO's can help strengthen the local government
>opposition forces in Serbia, and provide space for them to continue their
>work.
>
>
>I realize this is a rather awkward way to proceed.  Short of my telling
>you what I want from each of you, I thought it best to have a little
>dialogue to see what we think would make for a good panel.  Obviously we
>want to emphasize the potential role of nonviolence in conflict matters.
>And we believe Dan will strike an obvious chord with students.  But it may
>not be that that is the focus of your prepared remarks.  In other
>words, if the roles of NGOs is best to first describe, I can arrange for a
>question to be posed that addresses the student relevancy.
>
>As for Prof. Babbitt's response, my only concern is that her remarks may
>shift the perspective to the IGO and diplomacy levels.  She has been
>involved in the UN in such capacities.  (I can find out more about that if
>we feel it useful info.)  I will ask her to not limit her remarks to these
>institutional responses.  Ideally she will be able to address the
>complementarity and further legitimize the place of nv accompaniment for
>strategic purposes.
>
>Okay, this has gone long enough.  My fingers are tired, as your eyes may
>be.
>
>Please reply to everyone so we can begin.
>
>Thanks.
>
>Peace,
>
>Dale
>




The Advocacy Project
<http://www.advocacynet.org>

contact information:
teresa at advocacynet.org
(315) 471-7790 voice mail
510 Greenwood Place
Syracuse, NY 13210






------------------------------------
Submitted by: Teresa Crawford <tmcrawfo at mailbox.syr.edu>


From NAACDC at aol.com  Mon Jan 25 16:56:17 1999
From: NAACDC at aol.com (NAACDC at aol.com)
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 16:56:17 EST
Subject: [kan-l] NAAC Declaration on Kosova
Message-ID: <b89c1fee.36ace881@aol.com>

**** Kosova Action Network Discussion List ****
National Albanian American Council
1899 L Street, NW  Suite 1130  Washington, DC  20036
(202) 955-1428    Fax: (202) 955-1429
Email: NAACDC at aol.com




DECLARATION ON KOSOVA
January 25, 1999


In the face of Serb atrocities and violations of international agreements,
NATO appears to be wavering on whether to take action in Kosova.  We fear that
if NATO does not act to stop Milosevic, and a diplomatic solution to the
latest crisis is not achieved, the Serbs will launch a brutal attack against
the Albanian people in an effort to ethnically cleanse Kosova once and
forever.

Therefore, we call on the United States and NATO to bomb Serb targets as
punishment for Milosevic?s defiance of the international community and to stop
his war against innocent civilians in Kosova.

We call on the United States and NATO to recognize the legitimate claims of
the two million Albanian people for a free and independent Kosova, and to aid
the Albanians by providing arms and training for the Kosova Liberation Army.

We call on Albanians world wide, and the political leaders of Kosova
specifically, to support the democratic institutions of Kosova and the armed
struggle of the Kosovars in defense of their land, their life, and their
liberty.

We call on all countries and individuals of good will to come to the aid of
the victimized Albanian population of Kosova.

We call on the Republic of Albania to answer the cries of Kosova?s children by
preparing to come to their aid with all means necessary.  We also call on our
brothers and sisters in Montenegro and Macedonia to display their solidarity
in defense of the Albanian people of Kosova.

We cannot allow our people to be slaughtered.  History will judge us by our
actions during this extremely difficult time.  Let us rise to the challenge
and unite to pursue our common goals. 






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Submitted by: NAACDC at aol.com