Following 15 years dominated by clientelism and short-term gains for those directly involved in privatization of public and common assets, or simply their abandonment, in Albania, Kosovo, Serbia and other countries of the Western Balkans there is a growing need and demand for active citizens involvement in imagining and influencing their habitat. Still, there are not many examples of this and tracks to follow.
Rooted in a bottom-up approach, the project Which Common Ground for the Balkans aims to create a common ground to trigger and increase the participation of communities in discussions and activities over the shape and use of common spaces.
Which Common Ground for the Balkans is implemented by Temporiuso.net (Italy), Ko Gradi Grad (Serbia), Tulla Cultural Center (Albania), and Kosovo 2.0 (Kosovo). The four partner organizations, all with substantial experience in this domain, also aim to identify, shape and offer models with citizens input that can continue to be applied for future cultural/social centers, co-working places or collectively driven housing.
Project’s target groups involve cultural associations, active and interested citizens, public officers, city planning researchers and students of architecture, urbanism, economy, political science, artists, journalists, local decision and policy makers.
Different activities will be take place throughout the course of the project, between September 1, 2016 and December 31, 2017. Information regarding future activities of the project can be found at this page, which will be updated accordingly.
The project Which Common Ground for the Balkans is funded by Balkan Arts and Culture Fund BAC.
BAC is supported by the Swiss Government through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the European Cultural Foundation (ECF).
-Which Common Ground for the Balkans Publication
Want to learn more about what is happening in our countries? How is the situation with access to public spaces? How are real estate markets changing the way in which we perceive housing, public interest, and communities? Find out much more about the local context of the commons particularly through the eyes of our partners in Albania, Italy, Serbia, and Kosovo. Read “Which Common Ground for the Balkans?” by clicking here.
-Also, check out Ko Gradi Grad’s “Housing Issue” exploring the right to housing in Serbia, by clicking here.
-Articles related to the issue of the commons and the recovery of public spaces, published by K2.0:
Is public property a business?
Lumbardhi: What it means to evolve.
Q&A with Ares Shporta: “No one will just give things to us – we must take them, demand them”
Termokiss philosophy just warming up
Serbia’s poorest are being forcibly evicted by businessmen dressed as public officials
Contemporary culture struggling to survive in Mitrovica
Conjuring the powers of art and culture
Lulzim Hoti: Culture is one of the pillars of sustainable development
Termokiss philosophy just warming up
–Reclaiming common grounds for Prishtina:
In June 2017, K2.0 and Temporiuso organized a large event in Prishtina to provide a platform of discussion around the commons. Read more about it here.
