Newsroom
OSCE Mission and Kosovo Police Service sponsor summer retreat for youth
STRPCE/SHTERPCE 24 August 2004
STRPCE/SHTERPCE, 24 August 2004 - A four-day summer retreat bringing together some 60 local youths from different ethnic backgrounds is to be hosted by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo in co-operation with three Kosovo Police Service (KPS) Community Police Teams from 23 to 26 August.
"In terms of institutional co-operation and creating something that can make a lasting contribution, it is a very positive step for the local municipalities to support this sort of initiative," said Daria Paprocka, OSCE Democratization Officer.
Participants in the summer retreat will travel each day to various locations throughout Kosovo such as the Rugova Valley in Peja/Pey and Prevalac in Prizren. Activities will be combined with educational workshops on traffic safety, drug and environmental awareness.
Ten KPS Officers representing both Kosovo Albanian and Kosovo Serb communities in the municipalities of Ferizaj/Urosevac, Kacanik/Kayanik, and Strpce/Shterpce have been involved in all stages of project development. This is seen as extending their efforts to further build confidence between young people and the KPS, as well as diminishing security concerns which still exist among both communities after the March events.
The KPS summer retreat is another effort by the OSCE and the Polish-Ukrainian and American KFOR contingents to re-establish trust and help to promote reconciliation between the regional KPS Community Police Teams and local youths. Similar community-based initiatives will be led exclusively by KPS in 2005.
"In terms of institutional co-operation and creating something that can make a lasting contribution, it is a very positive step for the local municipalities to support this sort of initiative," said Daria Paprocka, OSCE Democratization Officer.
Participants in the summer retreat will travel each day to various locations throughout Kosovo such as the Rugova Valley in Peja/Pey and Prevalac in Prizren. Activities will be combined with educational workshops on traffic safety, drug and environmental awareness.
Ten KPS Officers representing both Kosovo Albanian and Kosovo Serb communities in the municipalities of Ferizaj/Urosevac, Kacanik/Kayanik, and Strpce/Shterpce have been involved in all stages of project development. This is seen as extending their efforts to further build confidence between young people and the KPS, as well as diminishing security concerns which still exist among both communities after the March events.
The KPS summer retreat is another effort by the OSCE and the Polish-Ukrainian and American KFOR contingents to re-establish trust and help to promote reconciliation between the regional KPS Community Police Teams and local youths. Similar community-based initiatives will be led exclusively by KPS in 2005.