Regional Weekly Update - ORC nedeljnik
11 -17 September - Gjilan/Gnjilane Region
• Multi-ethnic projects are progressing in the region. |
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Ferizaj/Urosevac Municipal Working Group (MWG) met on 17 September. UMCOR reported on Bablak/Babljak developments. The second batch of (14) houses and the health house are scheduled for completion next week. The sewage system is in the design stage, while tests for the water system are in process. The tender for the road project will be published next week. The Education Group met on 15 September. 'Caritas Italiana', in co-ordination with UMCOR, will start dialogue next week with both communities aimed at shared use of the multi-ethnic school. Planning for the second group of returnees is ongoing. The Concept Paper for Balaj/Balic is still under development by ARC, while ARC is currently engaging both Albanian residents and Serb IDPs from Zaskok, with the first multi-ethnic dialogue planned this month. UMCOR is planning a 'Go and See Visit' (GSV) for Talinoc/Talinovac , while 3 IDPs from Babus/h will participate in the next Bablak/Babljak Task Force in conjunction with a visit to their properties. The Municipal Communities Officer (MCO) reported on two families who had returned from Western Europe . DRC plans to hold a Community/Property Visit (CPV) for Vidovdanska Street in Ferizaj/Urosevac Town on 23-24 September.
Work is progressing on two Municipal Community Fund (MCF) projects in the region. Gjilan/Gnjilane Municipality announced the tender for the Muzgovë/Mozgovo road reconstruction project, while the Dubrava (Ferizaj/Urosevac) sewage project is nearing completion.
The regular Gjilan/Gnjilane monthly Communities Committee meeting discussed, amongst other items, the establishment of a Municipal Coordination Committee aimed at monitoring the action plan on standards. The members also recommended the change into both Albanian and Serbian languages of the street signs, street names, offices and public buildings, and vacancies for minorities-reserved positions should be advertised up until the end of October. Ferizaj/Urosevac Communities Committee met on 15 September and discussed a scholarship project for minority students. The €37,830 project intends to assist some 812 students from the minority communities.
UNMIK Viti/na compiled a profile of the current security situation in response to a general characterisation in the media of worsening conditions for minority residents. The data examined the swift response in reconstruction for homes damaged during the March riots and the high number of post-March returns. Other positive indicators include: the inter-ethnic summer camps and sport activities; resumption of integrated education in mixed villages; safe access to farmland and cultivation by Zhiti/Žitinje IDPs living in Partes/h for the first time since 1999; and the strong support for and inter-ethnic agreement on undertaking return projects in the villages of Gërmovë/Grmovo and Zhiti/Žitinje.
On 13 September, local NGO 'Lansdowne Group' organised a workshop in Gjilan/Gnjilane entitled "Inter- ethnic reconciliation". 13 Serbs, 9 Roma, 6 Turks and a number of others took part. The conclusion of the workshop was that implementing multi-ethnic projects would foster interaction between communities.
0n 10 September, the Kamenicë /a Vice-President together with UNHCR visited Roma refugees displaced from Kamenicë /a and presently sheltered in Skopje . The Vice-President encouraged the IDPs to return to their homes and indicated that the Municipality, central government structures, and donors are available to assist.
Contact: Jo O'Connel, (038)504604/ext.:7624,-mail: oconnel1@un.org (English language enquires)