Promotion of Pro-Western and Modern Values

How great is the need for civil society, in particular for Bosniacs?

Sahit Kandic

Sahit Kandic: Generally speaking, the civil society has the same importance in society as the power structures, though it lacks the competencies to make decisions. Civil society is the primary mechanism of democracy sustenance and regularity of institutions, charged with the task to follow development of actual processes, identification of community needs, public informing on the potential legal or other norms violations, in short, moves initiatives and contributes to better quality of life. Bosniac community in Kosovo has a permanent need for a strong and efficient civil society in order not to remain further element of political manipulations. This community is loyal, but not neatly integrated in the new Kosovo reality, although their legitimate representatives think they are two cultural and artistic associations; football club and music radio � the entire Bosniac culture. Unfortunately, the nongovernmental organizations coming from Bosniac community are only �means� or satellites of these parties, and not their appropriate opponents. Many of them have registered NGO�s on their names, without any members, and it is not a rarity that they give donations to themselves.

How much can these organizations provide relief to the community?
Sahit Kandic: Our association has constantly worked on presenting interests, attitudes, possible solutions, hardily warned on existing and potential occurrences to the wide public opinion, and practically worked on implementation of projects contributing on the affirmation of modern and pro-western values. If these organizations have a clear vision of what they really want to achieve, and if their primary goal isn�t to aspirate donations, they evidently can assist the community. Many Bosniac organizations that include youth, women, environment protection, humanitarian, educational, advocacy ... didn�t contribute to the importance it�s observed. They never came out and announced their stand in public on any existing phenomenon, apart from serving to particular political powers or leaders, which is a clear indicator that they do not understand their role in society. Due to this, �Oaza� most often finds its project partners in majority and other communities in Kosovo. Necessarily, I wand to mention that we are the only NGO in the surroundings which managed to maintain its operations away of party implications and remained objective and reputable factor in this society sphere.

Which are the main obstacles you face with?
Sahit Kandic: Though �Oaza� has many volunteer projects and actions for the general society beneficiation for which the donors are well aware of, it�s a practice that we need to get the support/recommendation of respective power structures, out of which we are often blackmailed because of our political indifference. For this matter, we have often asked that such recommendations are asked and given only from the administrator or that donors constitute their teams for verifying the reasonability and justifiability of such needs. It happens also that on the application with the project proposals, due to the abovementioned recommendations we are often rejected, than these bodies use that project among their priorities, which they implement themselves.

What would you change in the civil society sector and why?
Sahit Kandic: I�d primarily change the mentioned matters, because they are against the law and immoral, and that would improve the approach to donors and encourage even the NGO�s which are before their breakdown and as such would empower the civil society sector.

How are the minority organizations treated by the majority�s part?
Sahit Kandic: Naturally, the one and the other think that the �other part� is more privileged in some way. Minority NGO�s are less successful because they don�t have the courage to get into the designing of bigger and longer term projects due to the lack of cadres as one of the objective reasons. The other problem is that the donations have to be waited to undergo all the phases of approvals and some do not have enough patience.

What is the level of cooperation among NGO�s in Kosovo and how much do they impact with their activities?
Sahit Kandic: Surely, networking is desirable in particular because it eliminates the problems such as lack of cadre, and in the cases of partnership it promotes coexistence, mutual understanding, socializing and similar, while together we could do more and better.