The EU’s support to Kosovo continued in August through youth and cultural activities. The EU-backed Dokufest film festival marked its 25th edition in Prizren, in Europe House Pristina, young people gathered to explore creativity, skills and employment, while the Western Balkans Youth Orchestra brought together young musicians from across the region.
Dokufest at 25: Film and Human Rights
Held in Prizren from 7 to 15 August, Dokufest brought 104 films into competition across eight programmes, alongside talks, performances and other activities across the city. The EU in Kosovo continued its long-standing support for Dokufest, this year focusing on the Human Rights Dox competition as one of the festival’s core programmesIt featured films addressing human dignity, freedom, equality, democracy and human rights. This year’s winner award went to The Clearing, a film directed by Sabine Groenewegen, which looks at a suppressed chapter of Dutch colonial history and the exploitation and enslavement of women in Sumatra, Indonesia.
Youth Month: Creativity, Skills and Employment
The EU in Kosovo dedicated the month of August to young people, marking the International Youth Day, with activities in Europe House Pristina and Europe House Mitrovica North focused on creativity, civic participation, digital skills and employment.
At Europe House Pristina, the “Cut, Create, Advocate” artivism workshop invited participants to create collages from old magazines as a way to explore human rights, equality, inclusion and environmental protection.
The YOUTH2YOUTH Skills Lab, organised with Young European Ambassadors, focused on digital media literacy, responding to hate speech online and practical skills for digital activism.
In Mitrovica North, “From Local Needs to Grassroots Initiatives” workshop brought young people together to identify local challenges and develop recommendations for community action.
Another International Youth Day activity in Pristina, organised by the Youth Initiative for Human Rights Kosovo under the EU-funded Participatory EU Enlargement project, focused on EU enlargement, civic participation and the role of young people in democratic life.
The “Career Ready: From School to Employment” masterclass organized in collaboration with Prishtina REA, covered CV preparation, job interviews and the skills employers are looking for.
Youth Month concluded with a screening of Rafiki Fariala’s documentary We, Students! at Europe House Mitrovica North, following the lives and ambitions of university students in the Central African Republic.
Western Balkans Youth Orchestra in Kosovo
The EU-supported Western Balkans Youth Orchestra gave two performances in Mitrovica South and Mitrovica North.
Founded in 2019, the orchestra brings together young professional musicians from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. WBYO is supported by the European Union, with its programme providing professional training, concerts and opportunities for young composers.
The August performances formed part of the orchestra’s wider summer programme, giving its young members further opportunities to perform to audiences across the region.
Solidarity with Ukraine
The EU in Kosovo and the Kosovo Ukrainian Association - Bridges of Friendship, marked Ukraine’s 35th Independence Day at Europe House Pristina. Representatives of Kosovo institutions, the diplomatic corps, media and civil society joined the event, where Acting Head of EU in Kosovo Eva Palatova reaffirmed the EU’s continued support for Ukraine and thanked Kosovo for its solidarity and alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy on sanctions against Russia and Belarus.
