Another skill that was deemed necessary to our rapidly approaching summer internships was the art of interviewing. To break into this new arena, we were to hold a group interview with Nebi Qena, the Associated Press correspondent in Prishtina.
He spoke to us about the parallel system covering all aspects of life that emerged when Belgrade took over the institutions in Kosovo. Ethnic Albanians were expelled from their jobs and their schools, and thus re-created their own. Nebi told us of community members asking ethnic Albanians for the use of their homes to set up parallel schools, and how this new school system involved sitting on the floor, crammed in a tiny room learning with other kids - all of varying ages and levels of study.
Nebi was also a journalist for Koha Ditore, an Albanian Daily newspaper. He covered the war and was expelled to Macedonia. During the time when many people were expelled and the refugee situation was increasing, Koha Ditore created a section of the newspaper for families to write messages to one another, since locating family members was near impossible. Koha distributed these newspapers free for four months in order to help families communicate in the difficult situation.
I enjoyed his stories and perspectives, and I am starting to get a feel for the reality of Kosovo during the past 10 years. It's also interesting to think about how the people who experienced this war at a young age are now my age and have vivid memories of the horrors of war, which to them seems like just yesterday.
He spoke to us about the parallel system covering all aspects of life that emerged when Belgrade took over the institutions in Kosovo. Ethnic Albanians were expelled from their jobs and their schools, and thus re-created their own. Nebi told us of community members asking ethnic Albanians for the use of their homes to set up parallel schools, and how this new school system involved sitting on the floor, crammed in a tiny room learning with other kids - all of varying ages and levels of study.
Nebi was also a journalist for Koha Ditore, an Albanian Daily newspaper. He covered the war and was expelled to Macedonia. During the time when many people were expelled and the refugee situation was increasing, Koha Ditore created a section of the newspaper for families to write messages to one another, since locating family members was near impossible. Koha distributed these newspapers free for four months in order to help families communicate in the difficult situation.
I enjoyed his stories and perspectives, and I am starting to get a feel for the reality of Kosovo during the past 10 years. It's also interesting to think about how the people who experienced this war at a young age are now my age and have vivid memories of the horrors of war, which to them seems like just yesterday.
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