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This innovative initiative aims to engage Diaspora, Albanian and Kosovo  young professionals (age 18-35) to connect, share knowledge, and provide community solutions to some of the most pressing issues at the local level. The designed multidisciplinary diaspora school, will bring together local and diaspora participants and experts, to see how they can work together to benefit people across municipalities, the region and beyond. Specifically, this project aims to facilitate the exchange and co-creation of ideas between Diaspora professionals and their Albanian counterparts in the areas with the most potential impact on local economic growth, while providing innovative and cost-effective solutions. Moreover, this process of improving professional exchange will directly benefit people through knowledge exchange, technology transfer, and develop professional networks that will benefit Albania, Kosovo and Diaspora young professionals in the future. This project facilitated collaboration between Kosovo and Diaspora young professionals in order to implement creative solutions that address local economic growth in Prizren and Malisheva, and as such rekindle the connection of diaspora with their home country and cities, enhance their engagement in development through exchange of knowledge and expertise;

Diaspora School in Kosovo was held in Prizren and Malisheva from 11 – 15 October 2017.

Goals:

  1. To establish a mechanism that allows diaspora young professionals to reconnect with their identity, culture and history in Kosovo, and understand the potential for investment in Kosovo;
  2. To contribute to the improvement of both communities through implementation of small grants following the conclusion of the Diaspora Summer School;
  3. To facilitate collaboration between Albania, Kosovo and Diaspora young professionals in order to implement creative solutions that address local economic growth, and as such rekindle the connection of diaspora with their home country and cities, enhance their engagement in development through exchange of knowledge and expertise;
  4. To establish a mechanism that allows diaspora young professionals to reconnect with their identity, culture and history in Albania, and understand the potential for investment in Albania;
  5. To contribute to the improvement of both communities through implementation of small grants following the conclusion of the Diaspora School in Albania. 

Activities:

  • A 5 day hackathon type of Diaspora School lasting from 11th-15th October 2017, in Prizren and Malisheva. 50 youngsters coming from 17 different countries (26 from Kosovo and 22 from Diaspora and 2 from the region). The hackathon was led by Mentor Dida, a change manager at Ashoka, who mentored the participants about the changemakers’ journey in the pursuit of a better community for all. The participants were split voluntarily in 8 groups/initiatives based on their profiles and preferences.
  • In the final day of the hackathon, there was an evaluation of the 8 initiatives, from a jury consisting 5 different people from GIZ and civil society, which selected the 6 winning initiatives based on their project proposals. The 6 winning initiatives were awarded grants to implement their initiatives. 
  • In March 2018, all the initiatives started the implementation of their projects after a mid-way check-in which trained the students in the best practices of making their initiatives a success and the guidelines that they should follow.
  • On 25 June 2018, Germin held the closing ceremony in Prizren which officially ended the project.

WINNING INITIATIVES IN PRIZREN

Multifunctional Working Space –

  • Partnership with Lumbardhi Foundation in Prizren (MoU) which led to the public opening of the Lumbardhi Cinema for public;
  • Creation of one multifunctional space where young people and citizens of Prizren have access for lectures, presentations, movie nights, workshops etc.
  • Creation of opportunities for volunteers and interns in the MWS;
  • Launching event of the workspace is scheduled to take place at the end of February after all the work is completed in the space area.
  • MWS together with Lumbardhi Foundation will provide continuous activities to the center during and after DSK Project Implementation Timeline. Also under the (Appendix 5) you can find the Result Chain of Multifunctional Working Space.

No Name

See you in Prizren

WINNING INITIATIVES IN MALISHEVA

The BUS

Girls & Boys Club

Invest in Malisheva

https://germin.org/portfolio/diaspora-school-in-kosovo/