Today, her business produces traditional products such as pickles, ajvar and jams, while also creating employment opportunities for women and strengthening ties with local farmers.Her story reflects a broader effort to expand economic opportunities for women and support their role in community life. “Women supporting women creates strength in our communities,” Valbona says. “When we succeed together, we create opportunities for others as well.”Through support provided under the Economic Resilience Programme, implemented in partnership with municipalities and local business ecosystems, Valbona’s enterprise strengthened its internal organization, improved business management practices and expanded market opportunities. The programme focuses on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, with particular attention to women-led businesses and enterprises from non-majority communities. By supporting local entrepreneurship and job creation, it contributes to building more inclusive and resilient local economies.Across Kosovo, these efforts are reinforced by wider initiatives supporting gender equality and women’s rights. Young women and men have gained knowledge and advocacy skills through programmes addressing gender equality, prevention of gender-based violence, human rights, and sexual and reproductive health. Civil society initiatives have also expanded services for women and encouraged dialogue on gender equality and women’s rights, while national campaigns have promoted digital safety, bodily autonomy and informed decision-making. Together, these efforts are helping women and girls claim their rights, participate more fully in economic life and contribute to inclusive development in Kosovo.By supporting women entrepreneurs such as Valbona, the Economic Resilience Programme shows how expanding economic opportunities can strengthen both communities and local economies, while advancing progress toward SDG 5 on gender equality and SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth. Supported by Luxembourg, the European Union, Switzerland and Kosovo institutions, and implemented in cooperation with municipalities and local business ecosystems, the programme is helping women-led and youth-led enterprises strengthen their competitiveness and expand market opportunities. This updated story is based on the original developed by Mimoza Kqiku -LINK Photos: Xhemail Sllovinja, Enis Mustafa, GRASEP

For many, it is the first time they have spent several days side by side with peers from communities they rarely meet in everyday life.The gathering is part of the Youth Empowered through Inclusive Schools and Societies (YESS) initiative, which creates opportunities for young people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds to meet, learn and collaborate. Through workshops on media literacy, dialogue and peer mediation, the camps offer a safe space where participants can build skills and form meaningful connections.At first, many arrive quietly, unsure of what to expect. Some come from places where interaction between communities remains limited. But over the course of a few days, the atmosphere begins to shift. Group exercises encourage teamwork, language activities introduce basic phrases in Albanian and Serbian, and small discussion circles open space for honest conversations about stereotypes, social media and the pressures young people face today.By the second day, the room feels different. Participants who were hesitant at first begin speaking more openly, and what started as a structured workshop becomes something more personal: a space where young people feel comfortable listening to one another and being heard.One participant, Gramos Geci, described the camp as one of the best training experiences he had attended. “The three-day camp was one of the best experiences among all the trainings I have attended. We had the opportunity to learn a new language and explore different cultures. I truly look forward to participating in similar activities in the future.”For many participants, the camp is more than a training opportunity. It is a rare chance to meet peers whose daily lives unfold in different languages, communities or social environments, and to see one another through shared interests rather than stereotypes.Another participant reflected on that change: “Before coming here, I had never really spoken with someone from another community. Now we are planning to stay in touch and maybe even work together on a project in our schools.”The camps are part of a wider effort. Across YESS activities, around 13,000 young people and 700 teachers have taken part in initiatives promoting dialogue, critical thinking and inclusive participation. Language courses and camps have reached 4,590 students across 11 municipalities, while 24 multi-ethnic youth projects involving more than 900 participants have led to workshops, campaigns, podcasts and other creative work on media literacy, misinformation and online hate speech. Many young people leave with more than new skills. They return to their schools and communities with new ideas, new perspectives and, often, new friendships that continue beyond the programme itself.In a place where everyday interaction between communities can still be limited, even a few days of dialogue can open the way to something larger: understanding, cooperation and lasting friendships.Youth Empowered through Inclusive Schools and Societies (YESS) was implemented by UNICEF and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with civil society partners and funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), advancing SDGs 4, 10, 16 and 17.

When Besartë Mulolli joined the Court of Appeal as a legal officer, she stepped into work that was helping quietly reshape the way courts preserve and retrieve decades of legal history. Through the digital transition of court archives—an initiative launched by UNDP in cooperation with the Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC) and supported by the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)—she found herself working with files dating back more than half a century. For Besartë, the archive was never just a collection of paper stacked on shelves. It was the institutional memory of the justice system, holding the record of lives, disputes and decisions accumulated over generations. But in overcrowded and disorganized archive rooms, locating case files could take time, slowing procedures and affecting timely access to justice. Together with other legal officers across the Basic Courts, Besartë helped digitize thousands of civil case files. Since September 2024 alone, the initiative has contributed to the digitization of more than 43,000 civil cases. At the same time, broader improvements introduced modern archive infrastructure and organized more than 2,061 square metres of archive space across courts.For court staff, the change is visible in everyday work. Files that once required time and effort to trace can now be located far more quickly, helping courts operate more efficiently and respond faster to the needs of the public. “Seeing how quickly court staff can now locate and access case information shows how important this transformation has been. A well-organized and digital archive helps courts work more efficiently and, most importantly, helps people access justice faster,” said Besartë Mulolli. Beyond the shelves and storage rooms, the initiative speaks to a larger goal: strengthening the institutions people rely on. The effort improves efficiency, transparency and access to justice, contributing directly to SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. This article builds on the earlier Exposure story “The Power of Court Digitalisation”, originally developed by Perparim Leka, and has been updated with the latest information and data following additional consultations with the Court Administrator, ICT Officer, and Legal Assistant at the Judicial Council of Kosovo. 

Young filmmakers in Mitrovicë/Mitrovica a are using storytelling and digital creativity to explore personal experiences, reflect on social themes, and share messages that resonate across communities. For Elirë Rama, filmmaking became a way to revisit memories and celebrate the place she calls home. During the Short Feature Filmmaking Workshop, she chose to tell a deeply personal story about her relationship with her father, who passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic.Her film explores the cityscapes of Mitrovicë/Mitrovica—places that hold memories of long walks and quiet conversations they once shared along the river. Through the lens of her camera, Elirë returns to familiar streets and riverside paths, creating a visual dialogue between past and present.“My father and I used to walk often by the river,” she recalls. “When I look at these places now, I remember those moments. The city holds those memories.” To Elirë, the river is more than a landscape. It is a thread connecting memory, family, and belonging. Through her film, she reflects on how places can carry emotional meaning and become spaces for remembrance and healing.“I am proud of my city,” she says. “I want to tell a story about the city that helped me heal".For Stefan Vuković, filmmaking is a way to explore the human mind and share a message of hope. As part of the same workshop, he is developing an experimental video essay that examines mental health through a first-person perspective, portraying the inner turbulence of depression. Yet the essence of Stefan’s project is not despair—it is hope.“Even people who struggle with mental health challenges were once happy,” he explains. “And they can find that happiness again. No one is beyond redemption.”Inspired by experiences around him, Stefan uses visual storytelling to encourage compassion and understanding.“Unfortunately, I know people who are dealing with mental health issues,” he says. “I wanted to send a message of hope and care. Video seemed like the perfect medium.”For Stefan, personal wellbeing is closely connected to how people relate to one another and their communities. “We all need to achieve a level of inner peace,” he says. “When we do that, we become more open to working together to improve living conditions, address social challenges, and build peace.” Both young creators are among 15 trainees in filmmaking and digital creativity workshops implemented by UNDP, in colaboration with the two multiethnic art and culture CSOs project partners: 7 Arte and Aquarius Gallery, one form south and the other from north Mitrovicë/Mitrovica, under the UN’s regional peacebuilding initiative: Youth 4 Inclusion, Equality and Trust (Y4IET)”. Through hands-on sessions and expert guidance, young participants transform their ideas into short films and digital art projects exploring diversity, trust, and shared experiences. Stefan and Elirë are eager to screen their short films, produced during the Filmmaking for Advocacy workshop, for the planned local artistic audience on 27 March 2026. The evening will end with live music, creating a celebratory space for guests, youth, and local community members, to connect and reflect on the power of art in bringing communities together.  About the Youth 4 Inclusion, Equality and Trust (Y4IET) initiativeThe filmmaking workshops in Mitrovicë/Mitrovica north and south are part of the regional “Youth 4 Inclusion, Equality and Trust (Y4IET)” initiative, which is supported by the UN Peacebuilding Fund and implemented by UNDP, UNFPA, UNESCO and UN Women.Since 2022, the initiative in Kosovo has engaged more than 2,000 young people directly, with 65% young women, and 300,000 people indirectly through social media, cultural events and public engagement through peace education, media literacy, youth journalism and creative initiatives that challenge divisive narratives and promote dialogue.  Across the Western Balkans region, young people are rewriting what trust, equality, and inclusion look like in everyday life. Their stories begin in classrooms, town squares, youth centres and municipal hallways - places where change often feels slow. Yet over the last three years, these spaces have been transformed by youth-led initiatives that reached more than 3,000 peers in one cluster of cities alone, mobilized 575 peer educators, trained over 500 young people in peace and security, and engaged more than 150,000 community members through campaigns designed and delivered by young volunteers.  Written in collaboration with UNDP Y4IET Team, Project Manager Ardian Latifaj.