Hundreds of children in war-torn Kosovo are promoting an end to conflict through World Vision's Kids Clubs for Peace.
Fourteen school-based clubs operate throughout Kosovo, a country of 2.1 million people once annexed to Yugoslavia. The United Nations-administered region has a long history of ethnic and religious conflict between the Albanians, Croatians, Serbians, and Bosnians who live there.
World Vision has supported the clubs since 1999, when Fatmire Feka, an 11-year-old Albanian girl living in a refugee camp, shared her idea with a World Vision worker. The first Kids Club for Peace was created in 2000. Today, 350 children aged 10 to 15, along with 40 teachers, are involved.
Club members meet regularly to discuss ethnic discrimination, advocacy, and problem-solving techniques. Through games, songs, and skits, children are helped to overcome language barriers. Last year, members distributed the second edition of their multi-ethnic newsletter to hundreds of Kosovar schools.
"Kids [Clubs] for Peace helps [us] understand peace, and focus on the future to make it better," says Fatmire, who, despite her mere 17 years has been a long-time activist and was a nominee for 1,000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. She has organized youth exchange visits between Bosnia and Herzegovina, peace rallies, and represented the clubs at many conferences.
World Vision hopes to expand Kids Clubs for Peace into all of the estimated 1,000 elementary and secondary schools in Kosovo. Other World Vision-supported initiatives for youth peace advocacy include:
- the International Day of Peace. Last fall, club members performed original songs, skits, and poetry, and displayed artwork;
- a summer camp with the theme: Building Bridges of Peace. The week-long camp featured workshops and activities for 28 Kosovar youth from various regions and religions;
- mentoring children involved with the Children's Peace Council, an international, non-partisan youth organization
