Kosovo's Women in Action: Recovering the History of Civil Resistance

When men could not leave their homes for fear of beating and arrest, women used their apparent harmlessness to transport food, books, and medicine to freedom fighters and communities under siege. They organized the underground Albanian language educational system when their children were ousted from public schools. They held secret elections in homes and shops. They were among the first to gain international attention for Kosovo by organizing massive public demonstrations after a decade-long quiet resistance policy. Yet, the memory of their involvement in civil resistance during the Milošević era has almost disappeared.

The Oral History Initiative, a joint effort between the Kosova Women's Network (KWN) and the New School University, seeks to rescue women's lives from collective amnesia by building an archive of life-history interviews and short films for wider audiences.

Join us for our first screening, introduced by Professor Anna Di Lellio, and for a conversation with Igballe Rogova, KWN's Executive Director. She will share stories from KWN's 13 years of advocacy, including efforts to make women's voices heard in Kosovo's state-building process.

We kindly request donations in amounts you feel inspired to give ($100 or more would be much appreciated). Your contributions will support KWN in continuing our efforts to serve, protect and promote the rights of women and girls in Kosovo. Please RSVP to: Nicole.Farnsworth@gmail.com by 22 April, as seating is limited.