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Kosovo youth activity inspires mutual respect for different faiths

28 Nov 2006 08:39:23 GMT
Source: World Vision Middle East/Eastern Europe office (MEERO)

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Youth from Kosovo at the main Mosque in Prizren
World Vision MEERO, http://meero.worldvision.org

In commemoration of Universal Children's Day, some 120 young people from different ethnic groups visited Albanian Mosques and Serbian Orthodox Monasteries, as part of an awareness raising activity promoting respect for religious sites among the youth in Kosovo.

The young people, aged between 12 and 18, visited Mosques and Orthodox Monasteries in both southern and northern Kosovo. Orthodox monks received the groups in the monasteries while the groups visiting the mosques were received by either an Imam or a Myezin, the person who calls the community to prayer.

'Like many others in the group, I had never before visited a Monastery. It was interesting to see their customs, icons and how they practice their faith. Most importantly, we all learned about our different religions and grew in our understanding of different faiths,' said Diridon Seferi, a 14-year-old Kosovo Albanian boy.

'The kids concluded that religious leaders have a positive impact on society. They instruct us to live responsibly by encouraging us to care for the poor or to promote acceptance and respect for people,' said World Vision Kosovo staff member Farhedin Purova, noting that the trip sparked active discussions in the Kids for Peace Clubs about the purpose and value of religious leaders and sites in Kosovo.

Due to Kosovo's ethno-territorial division the young people of Kosovo have little to no understanding of the faiths and religious practices of their neighbours of different ethnic groups. Communities remain deeply divided and little appreciation is given to what is regarded as 'sacred' by other ethnic groups. Many religious sites in Kosovo have been targets of attacks and desecration by conflicting communities both during and after the war; a problem which continues today.

'(The Imam) didn't place one religion above another but instead encouraged unity and togetherness between people. This impressed me,' shared Milan Gergovic, the Director of a local Serbian school.

The resounding message of the day was that a healthy society accepts religious leaders because they hold the population accountable to live responsibly, to respect others and to deal with life's problems peacefully. As religious leaders serve to be the 'moral conscience' of society they and their places of worship should be respected.

While religious sites are a frequent target of ethnically motivated attacks in Kosovo, World Vision Kosovo believes that awareness raising activities such as this are crucial to eliminating false perceptions which often lead to false accusations and misdirected violence.

The day out was funded by Eagle Down Foundation (EDF), and organised by World Vision Kosovo with the children from World Vision Kosovo Kids for Peace Project.

[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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Last updated:Tue Nov 28 09:37:05 2006