Monographs
K2.0 at DokuFest: A look back
DokuFest’s 25th edition is underway, and we’re looking back. Over the years, K2.0 has spent many summers in Prizren, asking and talking to the people behind the screens and those in front of them. Explore our curated collection dating back to 2015.
Veton Nurkollari: It would be a shame to compromise
Nurkollari talks about censorship, pessimism and the power of cinema to materialize change.
Dokufest’s children
The behind-the-scenes work that makes one of Kosovo’s leading cultural events possible.
Birgitte Stærmose: We talk about war and peace, but not the aftermath
Danish filmmaker discusses co-creating "Afterwar" with young street sellers of peanuts and cigarettes.
A glimpse into Dokufest’s National Competition
Four Kosovar filmmakers speak about their art.
Kosovo's new generation of filmmakers have their say
Directors from DokuFest's National Competition talk film.
Mladen Kovačević: Even doctors forgot what it looked like
Serbian director talks about his recent film on the 1972 smallpox outbreak in Kosovo.
Srđan Kovačević: The story just developed in front of me
Croatian documentary filmmaker talks about factories, workers and capitalism.
Srđan Keča: The suffering of the Roma isn’t part of the collective consciousness.
Award-winning filmmaker talks about his new documentary and the margins of society.
Veton Nurkollari: We want to alarm, the situation is alarming
This year's Dokufest asked "How to survive?" The answer is difficult.
JOURNALISM HUB FELLOWSHIP – SIXTH CYCLE
K2.0 brings you six articles as part of the six edition of the Journalism Fellowship program.
Sex workers between vulnerability and criminalization
The shift of sex work to online spaces increases exposure to exploitation.
Aiming for parenthood with IVF
Women undergoing IVF face psychological and financial pressures on their own.
Growing up in the shadow of their parents’ trauma
The trauma of wartime sexual violence is passed down to the children of survivors.
The (de)institutionalization of mental health
A mental health system at the crossroads of community and isolation.
Free, but excluded
For many former convicts in Kosovo, a sentence continues even after prison.
Patients are in the hands of a system that does not recognize them
A decade of failure to make HIS functional leaves patients carrying their own physical files.
The ’90s in pieces
K2.0 brings forward five longform articles that delve into the defining moments of Kosovo’s 1990s — a decade of repression, resilience, and resistance. Through personal narratives and historical insights, this series explores the underground economy that kept communities afloat, the foundations of the parallel state, the silent and loud acts of defiance, and the enduring power of solidarity. These stories shed light on the struggles and strategies that shaped Kosovo’s path toward freedom and statehood.
Kosovo in the ‘90s: an economy for the darkest hour
Economic structures from decades past continue to shape Kosovo’s economy.
Foundations of Kosovo’s parallel state
Personal and economic context for Yugoslavia’s collapse.
The silences and noises of a decade
Intricate everyday life between memory and history of the '90s.
Resistance in impossible conditions
Mass firings, apartheid and the struggle for the right moment to achieve independence.
Surviving a massacre
This publication was produced with the support of forumZFD. The contents are the sole responsibility of Kosovo 2.0 and do not necessarily reflect the views of forumZFD.
Can language bring Albanian and Serbian communities together?
Outside of the political framework, steps are being taken to build trust between the communities.
An alternative dictionary of post-war terms in the Albanian language
Basic war and post-war terms and concepts.
The alternative archive
In the absence of state institutions, individuals have preserved evidence of war crimes in Kosovo.
The memory of the train
At first, every train ride felt like a confrontation with the demons of the past.
‘Our emotions are natural, but they're also flexible’
What is film’s role in building collective memory?
JOURNALISM HUB FELLOWSHIP – FIFTH CYCLE
K2.0 brings you four articles as part of the fifth edition of the Journalism Fellowship program.
Forgotten by the system and left in the hands of family
Without palliative care, people with advanced chronic and malignant diseases rely entirely on their family members.
Inclusive education is just words on paper
Kosovo’s schools exclude children with disabilities.
JOURNALISM HUB FELLOWSHIP – FOURTH CYCLE
K2.0 brings you five articles as part of the fourth edition of the Journalism Fellowship program. These stories highlight the harsh realities of those who are silenced, oppressed and excluded.
Voices of women from Kosovo’s shelters
Resistance in the face of ongoing gender-based violence
'I am proud of my son'
Parents of autistic children shoulder burdens unfairly imposed by the state.
‘We are like other women’
Women with physical disabilities fight invisibility in hospitals and society.
Lives lost too soon
The health system is not ready to address the high infant mortality rate.
Daring Youth
23 articles from across Kosovo bring the everyday and often unknown efforts of young people in Kosovo to the surface. They highlight their youthful enthusiasm — a drive fueled by a sense of responsibility, discomfort with silence and injustice. They share a willingness to instigate change, engage more deeply with the world and ask critical questions. Divided into five sections, the narratives in this digital zine draw attention to an important truth: the youth is here, watching and reacting to what is happening around them, at school, at home, on the street, in their minds and in the country.
Longing and searching
On the National Day of Missing Persons, K2.0 will begin to publish a series of five stories, taken from the book “Hijacked Childhoods.” This book, published by ForumZFD in Kosovo and the Resource Center for Missing Persons, brings together the stories of 12 people of different ethnicities, whose loved ones and family members were killed or disappeared due to war. Discussions about how to deal with the past often risk turning into mere political and technical debates. Through our work at K2.0 and with such collaborations, we try not only to change the direction of this discussion, but also to enrich it. We hope to bring people’s experiences and daily efforts to the forefront of these discussions, to first find inner peace and then justice.
SWEAT Monograph
In this monograph we explore the issue of labor in contemporary Kosovo and the broader region from multiple perspectives. Forms of labor are always changing, but the sweat, either literal or metaphorical, that is extracted from workers remains the same. We ask: why sweat?
Having the opportunity to prove yourself
"We are not seeking sympathy, all that we want is to enjoy our rights as individuals."
Riding on technology's wings
How Kosovo's digitally skilled youth find opportunity abroad, from home.
The last of the farmers
"The noblest thing is to eat what you have raised by the sweat of your own labor."
Cultivation
Music, language, films, heritage... What do our cultural expressions say about our culture? What narratives do they reflect and establish? What are the circumstances that make them possible or impossible to exist? In “Cult-ivation,” we speak about culture that has reached crowds, and we explore the environment that allows them to grow.
The struggle for cultural space
Is festivalization leaving independent culture to starve?
The writings on the wall
Aggression, freedom, rebellion — three decades of KS graffiti.
The women shaking up the world of art
Five artists making waves and bringing new narratives.
Elections 2017
K2.0 scrutinizes Kosovo’s political parties and their specific approaches to key issues, including: education, employment, gender equality, air pollution, culture, sports, LGBTI rights, corruption, health insurance, and the army. To our insightful coverage, we add analysis and perspectives, as well as blogs from our readers.
Shkelzen Gashi: If VV comes to power, maybe only Kurti will remain uncorrupt
One of Vetevendosje’s co-founders, alongside Albin Kurti, speaks about its growth during elections, its past mistakes and their being ill prepared to govern.
Kosovo diaspora dreams of political change
The Kosovars abroad calling for a functioning social democracy.
The collapse of political strongholds
Changes in voting trends in Ferizaj, Kacanik and Fushe Kosove.
Elections: What happens next?
All you need to know as political negotiations begin.
We don’t yet know who will form Kosovo’s government, but it is clear that citizens voted for change
Politicians from all parties should pay careful attention to yesterday’s shock results.
Opposition rise as Kosovars punish ruling parties
This is a live story that is being updated.
Human Rights – Third Edition
K2.0 brings you the stories from the third cycle of the Human Rights Journalism Fellowship. These intimate and often heart-wrenching stories shed light on the harsh and violating realities of those who are devalued, excluded and abused in Kosovo, on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, and more.
The denied right to be cured
When every link in the healthcare system disappoints them, patients make difficult paths to recovery.
Limited by injustice
Witnessing her disabled brother, discrimination in employment is a daily struggle.
Neglecting society’s little ones
Many children in Kosovo are denied access to preschool education.
Without alimony, the burden falls on single mothers
Kosovo’s judicial system fails to ensure the well-being of single mothers and their children.
The state does not think about mental health
With no support from the state, children with disabilities and mental health issues and their families, are forced to find solutions on their own.
Untreated postpartum depression
From the ‘Baby Blues’ to psychosis: Severe maternity effects.
Homeless in their own homes
Women are fighting for their right to property, inside and outside of the house.
The lost potential of the ’90s
Mass dismissals caused them irreparable damage — now they are neglected as pensioners.
Working today, only for tomorrow
The older women get, the more they are discriminated against in employment.
People Missing
K2.0 explores the tales of the missing and the day-to-day realities of those left behind. From forced disappearances in past wars and regimes to modern day manifestations — when official accounts are absent, questions and pain remain.
‘We were left behind to suffer’
Two women remember loved ones lost in March 1999 in Krusha e Madhe and Krusha e Vogël.
Missing from the wartime narrative
Stories of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian persecution still rarely heard.
‘Live to tell’
Betim Berisha talks about life before and after the massacre where his loved ones were killed.
The ‘herasure’ of Kosovo’s murdered women
Justice system misogyny revealed in seven cases.
Podcast: ‘Recognition for missing people’
Bekim Blakaj on his two-decade-long activity on dealing with the past.
Education for Life
Education is the bedrock of any society. But is it all about the grades? Or is what we’re learning — and how we’re learning it — equally important? Is education just for the classroom? Or can we learn without even realizing it? Much has been made of Kosovo’s poor educational results. But how are citizens being educated for life?
Through the classroom and beyond
Welcome to K2.0's latest monograph — ‘Education for Life.’
Primary concerns mar educational reforms
Much more required to put children’s education on track.
Konteksti: Education for life — from abroad to Kosovo and vice versa
Our guests share their experiences after studying abroad and returning to school in Kosovo.
Striving to combat university harassment
The internal battles fought to protect students and staff.
Health
K2.0 puts Kosovo’s health system under the microscope, focusing on some of its most fundamental problems and challenges ahead. From public vs. private care, to overpriced medicines (that may or may not work) and fundraising for your own survival... What are Kosovar citizens really dealing with when their health is at stake?
Patients paying price of public system’s poor health
Widespread deficiencies adding to suffering of those with serious illnesses.
Kosovo’s health system: Pay to live
How well is Kosovo’s health system serving citizens’ needs?
Health Insurance plans will deepen privatization of social rights
Implementation will work against those most economically disadvantaged
Aging with Alzheimer’s
The struggle of two granddaughters slowly losing their loved ones.
Pharmaceutical industry in chronic condition
Corruption, scandals and medicines not fit for purpose.
Asking the public to pay for treatment
Fundraising campaigns common for financing Kosovars’ health care.
Ilir Begolli: Patients’ health is not in focus
Doctor with 40 years experience at the National Institute for Public Health Care discusses Kosovo’s health system.
Human Rights
K2.0 brings you the stories from the first cycle of the Human Rights Journalism Fellowship. These eight intimate and often heart-wrenching stories shed light on the harsh and violating realities of those who are devalued, excluded and abused in Kosovo, on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, and more.
Life and death: The harsh reality of pregnancy in Kosovo
Minority women lack critical access to health care and maternity medicine.
Poverty, insecurity, death
Kosovar construction workers are risking their lives for work.
Biased legislation favors tradional gender roles
A look into policies on maternity, paternity and parental leave.
Extreme poverty forces children to be bread-winners
Vicious cycle of childhood poverty in Kosovo robs children of their rights.
A Place to Call Home
Violence and hate leave LGBTI people in Kosovo to search for safety and acceptance.
Kosovo is no safe haven along the dark road west
Migrants seeking temporary refuge are met with little protection.
No Callback
From finding a job, to getting up stairs and accessing ATMs. This is life with a disability in Kosovo.
Exchanging poverty for prison
Minor crimes by people in poverty being punished with jail time.
Human Rights – Second Edition
K2.0 brings you the stories from the second cycle of the Human Rights Journalism Fellowship. These intimate and often heart-wrenching stories shed light on the harsh and violating realities of those who are devalued, excluded and abused in Kosovo, on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, and more.
The short-term contracts denying workers their rights
Thousands employed through poorly regulated public sector contracts.
Juvenile rights violated in correctional facilities
Juvenile girls housed with adult women at what expense?
They want a boy
Pressure from family and society to have boys is pushing women towards selective abortions.
Marital rape, ‘legitimate’ and granted in Kosovo
A crime not recognized by authorities and survivors alike.
Success stories from the shadows
Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian women who are breaking the stereotypes.
Lack of food safety in Kosovo threatens public health
Weak enforcement sees hundreds of food poisoning cases per year.
A glimpse into the lives of Kosovo’s women pioneers in literature and art
Rhymes and brushstrokes: Portraits of women artists
Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian women’s invisible lives in society’s ‘outskirts’
Bringing Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian women out of the margins.
Ignored and unreported, bullying troubles Kosovo students
Lack of resources and awareness leave students and parents struggling.
Kosovo X
K2.0 reflects on 10 years of Kosovo’s independence, wallowing in the nostalgia of 2008 and imagining the dystopian possibilities of 2028. We see how geopolitics has shaped Kosovo, and how the independent state has shaped its civil society, and society at large. What has been created for athletes, artists and the youth? Are we more equal? Is Kosovo secular? Can anyone escape?
We — the citizens — are the state
February 17 is not just a day of independence, but a chance to reflect upon the Republic we want to be.
The West must finish what it started with Kosovo
The global context has changed in the past 10 years, leaving Kosovo in limbo.
Sislej Xhafa: Independence is an empty glass with no water
Contemporary artist discusses identity, victimization and an underwhelming independence.
Kosovo’s ‘secularism’ is being confused — especially by those trying to defend it
The state’s relationship with religion is far from clear.
LGBTI rights
K2.0 uncovers the processes of coming out, embracing a different gender, facing intersexuality, and overcoming prejudices. We look at the history of the LGBTI movement and the people fighting for equal rights in Kosovo and the region, and assess what the legislation is missing to protect LGBTI rights once and for all.
Proud to introduce K2.0’s LGBT monograph
Kosovo’s first Pride should be understood for what it is — a celebration, but also a protest for fundamental human rights.
The ebb and flow of LGBT rights across the globe
Throughout history, the fight for LGBT rights is a story of victories and defeats.
VIDEO: Gaps in the legal system on LGBTI rights
Legislation needs to face same-sex marriage, hate crimes, and the fluidity of gender identities.
Goran Miletic: Most Western Balkan politicians do not see diversity as desirable
Veteran human rights activist discusses slow progress in regional LGBTI rights, defying borders and adapting activism to the internet age.
Local Elections 2017
K2.0 dives into the local ahead of the October 2017 municipal elections. What do our local municipalities do for us? How can they engage citizens to make them proud of where they live? What are the challenges that they face? And what do citizens do — both good and bad — when their municipalities don’t function as they should?
Do mayors keep their promises?
What has or hasn’t been done in the last four years in the bigger municipalities?
Who’s representing rural women?
Municipalities and candidates doing little to end isolation.
Choosing between your city and Islamic State
The radicalization of disconnected young people.
Fighting back on Facebook
Social media helping activists put pressure on the municipalities.
Municipalities do not have functional independence
Ten examples of the central level encroaching on the local.
Kosovo’s digital Leviathans threaten a crisis of democracy
Our unchecked online culture is promoting an unhealthy personalization — and presidentialization — of politics.
Sports
K2.0 explores Kosovo’s new sporting existence in a post-recognition age. We take a moment to celebrate, looking back at the first successes of this new era. We assess the transforming landscape of Kosovar sport, examining its infrastructure, its leaders and its finances. We meet future stars and question what impact recognition has on others. Come and play.
The history makers
After years of seeking recognition, Kosovo’s first ever world cup qualification campaign began with a roller coaster 36 hours on the Finnish coast.
Stepping into Kosovar sport’s post-recognition age
Welcome to K2.0’s monograph on sports — a note from the editor.
The halls of power
Kosovo’s sports federations have won the battle to be recognized, but are they serving the country’s sportspeople?
The homes of Kosovar sport
A look inside the places that house Kosovo sport, including both its history and future.
Grappling with greatness
The latest judo star from the Ippon Club in Peja knows exactly what it takes to beat a current Olympic champion. She trains with one every day.
Following in the footsteps of champions
As the women’s national football team play their first competitive matches, they can take inspiration from two superstars of the European game.
Are we one?
For years, sport united ethnic Albanians scattered among states around the world, but Kosovo’s sporting recognition has complicated matters.
The past, now
The past is inescapable. Especially when there are crimes there. K2.0 looks at the post-war period across the Western Balkans: How victims have struggled for justice and been failed by institutions; how politics, education and commemoration have struggled to escape the poison of the ’90s; and how reconciliation seems as distant as ever.
The past must be confronted, continuously
K2.0’s latest monograph dives into the past, for the present and future.
Taking the long road to justice
The Kosovar war crimes survivor seeking justice in Serbian courts.
Missing Persons — my confrontation with pain and uncertainty
A photo-journalist’s personal account of documenting a poignant issue.
Rape survivors struggling for recognition
The perennial fight for wartime rape survivors’ rights.
Fading hopes for ethnic minority missing persons
As years pass, families left endlessly waiting for loved ones.
Is genuine truth seeking still possible in post-Yugoslav states?
How to move from piecemeal to coherent and constructive peacebuilding.
Could an amnesty for war crimes really work?
What is an amnesty and what would it mean for a post-war country?
Serbia has scarcely tried to escape Milošević’s poison
After the ’90s, the process of denazification in Serbia never really began.
The Kosovo-Serbia ‘de-normalization’ dialogue
K2.0 breaks down the hottest political show in town.
We learn the past differently
History classes are still the teacher of Balkan identity.