Kosovo Urged to Take ‘Inclusive Approach’ to War Memorialisation

A study published on Tuesday by the Humanitarian Law Centre in Pristina said that the memorialisation process in Kosovo continues to be characterised by inaccurate data, nationalistic language and ethnic hatred.

The HLC also noted in the study that the process of memorialisation in Kosovo is mostly focused on static memorials such as busts, tombstones, memorial complexes, statues, commemorative plaques and cemeteries.

"Memorialisation is a very important step in the process of dealing with the past… When we talk about memorialisation in our context, we can consider it as some kind of symbolic compensation for victims and this idea is supposed to show solidarity of society and the state with victims especially if the victims do not belong to majority," said Jelena Dureinovic from the HLC.

"Regional cooperation in dealing with the past is the only way towards the sustainable peace and this should be elevated to the level of state institutions," she added.

The study also said that memorialisation activities organised and supervised by state bodies are characterised by a lack of inclusive approaches.

It expressed concern that a large number of sites "where serious violations of human rights occurred have faded from the collective memory of our society".

The HLC recommended that survivors and victims' representatives should be consulted directly and continuously about memorialisation efforts and that relevant institutions should establish a war museum using a "holistic approach" and "based on accurate facts".