Gjakova, 28 June, 2024
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, participated today in the solemn opening of the “Concordia” Community Center, located in the Ali Ibra neighborhood in Gjakova, which has been fully renovated and functionalized with investment from the Ministry of Local Government Administration and the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation.
In his speech, Prime Minister Kurti began with a quote from French writer Victor Hugo: “Opening a school means closing a prison,” adding that the community center opened today is a testament to our commitment to supporting communities in education and learning.
“We have increased the amount allocated this year from 200 thousand euros to 250 thousand euros; with centers like this one in the Ali Ibra neighborhood, children – like those here with us today – will have the proper support to attend state schools, expand their knowledge, develop skills and talents, and achieve their maximum potential to become examples within their family, neighborhood, community, and for Kosovo at large,” expressed the Prime Minister.
For the attendees, he mentioned a visit to the Concordia Learning Center in Prizren, where he observed the contribution to the community. He emphasized that Concordia is unique in Kosovo as the only organization licensed both by the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation for educational services and by the Ministry of Justice for social services.
Highlighting the Government’s support for education with the primary call for learning, Prime Minister Kurti told the students they would have support at every stage of their education and training. In this context, he mentioned the 500 scholarships offered in high schools for students from non-majority communities and an additional 100 scholarships offered in public universities.
As one of the supportive initiatives, he also highlighted the “Kosovo Generation Unlimited” which offers paid internships as a first step into the job market for young people aged 16 to 24. Additionally, he said the Government has also taken care of the employment of communities by creating the legal basis for reserved job ads for communities to achieve the quota of 10% of jobs in central institutions.
“I urge you, students, to learn as much as possible because reading is never excessive, but it can always be insufficient. Use these learning centers to take the first steps towards developing your career and your future. Our support for you will not be missing, and we will always be together to create better conditions for education and later employment,” said Prime Minister Kurti in conclusion of his speech.
Present at this event were the Minister of Local Government Administration, Elbert Krasniqi, the Mayor of Gjakova, Ardian Gjini, Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Sylejman Elshani, Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Ali Tafarshiku, Head of the Romanian Liaison Office in Pristina, Alin Ciocanea, Mirela Lavric, Executive Director of Concordia Social Projects, and other institutional representatives.
Prime Minister Kurti’s full speech:
Allow me to first thank you for this warm welcome, not just because we live in the time of strong sunlight, but above all because as soon as we entered this meeting, there was ‘bread, salt, and heart’.
Honorable Mr. Elbert Krasniqi, Minister of Local Government Administration,
Honorable Mr. Ardian Gjini, Mayor of the Municipality of Gjakova,
Honorable Mr Sylejman Elshani, Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports,
Honorable Mr. Ali Tafarshiku, Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Regional Development,
Honorable Ms. Mirela Lavric, Executive Director of Concordia Social Projects,
Honorable Mr. Alin Ciocanea, Head of the Romanian Liaison Office in Prishtina,
Honorable Bishop Dode Gjergji, Bishop of the Diocese of Kosovo,
Honorable Mr. Valon Myrta, President of the Islamic Community Council of Gjakova,
Honorable Members of the Assembly of the Republic, Agon Batusha and Fridon Lala,
Honorable participants,
Ladies and gentleman,
‘Opening a school means closing a prison’ – so says the French writer Victor Hugo. We have had enough with prisons – I personally as a political prisoner among many thousands of others, but also in the sense that all of us in Kosovo are tired and bored with physical restrictions, but also mental ones. This year, with visa liberalization, we have broken some chains that have geographically restricted us, but the deeper, more real, more sustainable liberation is mental, and this comes only with expanding educational opportunities. You who are opening a learning center here are closing the prisons of illiteracy so that the prisons of poverty can also be closed. And this is an opportunity for many celebrations together.
Earlier this week, on 24 June, one of the communities living in this neighborhood marked their memorial date. And today, we are participating in the opening of this learning center at Ali Ibra in Gjakova, to conclude this week in the best way, with the opening of a new house for education and learning.
I had the opportunity to visit Concordia’s learning center in Prizren, and there I saw the contribution to the community. Concordia is unique in Kosovo as the only organization licensed both by the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation for educational services and by the Ministry of Justice for social services. It is a pleasure to see such an organization is expanding in cooperation with central, local, and international partners, which shows what can be achieved when we all work together.
The investment for the complete renovation and functionalization of this center by the Ministry of Local Government Administration and the Ministry of Education is one of the testimonies of our commitment to supporting communities in education and learning.
Support for learning centers is one way we demonstrate our commitment as a government to quality education for all. We have increased the amount allocated this year from 200 thousand euros to 250 thousand euros; with centers like this one in the Ali Ibra neighborhood, children – like those here with us today – will have the proper support to attend state schools, expand their knowledge, develop skills and talents, and achieve their maximum potential to become examples within their family, neighborhood, community, and for Kosovo at large.
Investment in education would be incomplete without other investments and the creation of good infrastructural conditions. You may recall that for a long time in this neighborhood, there was an illegal landfill, which endangered the lives of the residents of this neighborhood every day. A 250 thousand euro investment from the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning, and Infrastructure and the Ministry of Local Government Administration, and the illegal landfill was removed, public lighting was installed, and a part of this neighborhood was asphalted by the Ministry of Local Government Administration and the municipality of Gjakova together. So, this area will no longer be neglected because we will invest even more so that citizens can live equally and with dignity.
Together with the work of learning centers, we are also working in another field with the valuable contribution of Concordia and its staff. The Inter-institutional Working Group we have created for Reporting and Preventing Early Marriages works to ensure that every girl has the opportunity for education, without interrupting her potential, and without risking her health and that of her potential children as a result of early marriage.
We are with you on the joint journey from the little streets of Ali Ibra to elementary school, but then also in high school and university, if you decide on such a thing – through 500 scholarships we offer in high schools for students from non-majority communities, and through another 100 scholarships we offer in public universities for students from communities.
And if not through the university path, then we are with you on the path to dignified employment. Through the “Kosovo Generation Unlimited” initiative that offers paid internships, as a collaboration between the Ministry of Finance and UNICEF, we support the first steps into the job market for young people aged 16 to 24. So, anyone who goes to university should have a job, but even those who do not choose university should have dignified work. Additionally, for community employment, we have also created the legal basis for reserved competitions for communities, to achieve the 10% quota of jobs in central institutions for community employees, as required by law. Now there are job positions, and there are ways to access them.
We trust you – the Concordia staff for everything you can contribute to the lives of the residents of the Ali Ibra neighborhood, but we also trust you who are residents of this neighborhood, both parents or children.
I urge you, students, to learn as much as possible. Reading is never excessive, but it can always be insufficient. Use these learning centers to take the first steps towards developing your career and your future. Our support for you will not be missing, and we will always be together to create better conditions for education and later employment.
We are glad that you will now have new opportunities and hope you will use them as much and as well as possible.
Congratulations on the new center, and thank you!
Last modified: July 1, 2024