UNMIK/PR/350
SRSG Bernard Kouchner, in collaboration with the departments of Education and Science and Youth, will launch tomorrow (15 September) a Kosovo-wide school competition on tolerance and reconciliation called "Living Together In Kosovo, In Europe."
A ceremony involving 300 students and various community leaders will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Pristina Palace of Youth and Sport (near the British Council and Department of Sport offices). In addition to Dr. Kouchner, speakers will include Naim Rrustemi, co-head of the Department of Education, Hivzi Muharremi, director of the Faculty of Arts, Agim Hyseni, President of the Teachers Union and Driton Lajci, co-head of the Department of Youth.
The goal of the competition is to instill human rights values such as tolerance and solidarity, and respect for others, for democratic rules and for a system of justice rather than revenge, according to project organizers Catherine Pauchet of the Department of Education and Skender Boshtrakaj, deputy co-head of the department for Youth.
"The peace process is impossible without the involvement of children," Dr. Kouchner said.
Children attending primary and special needs schools will compete in designing a poster, while secondary school students will compose and record a song, or write a scenario for theater, radio or film. Students are asked to include all Kosovo ethnic groups in their submission.
After 2 December, school juries will select their best entry and submit it to a regional commission, which will select five regional winners. Following 13 January, the Department of Education and Science will select overall winners for poster, song and scenario. The SRSG will present prizes in February.
Representatives of civil society, education, the arts and sciences communities, religious community and political parties will be asked to take part in specific activities at the schools to support the initiative.