The European Centre for Minority Issues Kosovo (ECMI Kosovo) is currently engaged in a decentralisation project aimed at increasing the awareness of communities on decentralisation and furthering their involvement in this process, financed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. During June and July 2009 ECMI Kosovo has focussed its activities on women living in the new municipalities south of the Ibar river. It organised eight round table and two focus group discussions.

This report is the first of a series from the project: Improving Service Delivery and Minority Rights Awareness at the Municipal and Civil Society Level. The project seeks to provide support to local municipal authorities and civil society organisations to deliver education to students from minority communities.

This report is the second in a series from the project: Improving Service Delivery and Minority Rights Awareness at the Municipal and Civil Society Level. The project seeks to provide support to local municipal authorities and civil society organisations to deliver education to students from minority communities.

Throughout 2011 and 2012, ECMI Kosovo has advocated against the segregated education of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian children in Kosovo’s education system. On Wednesday 16 January 2013, this resulted in a lawsuit being submitted on behalf of eight parents of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian children who were placed – by the ‘Mustafa Bakija’ school in Gjakovë/Ðakovica – in a segregated first grade class separate from their Albanian peers. This information bulletin sets out all actions taken by ECMIKosovo leading up to the submission of the lawsuit.

“ECMI Kosovo would like to announce that today, on 16 January 2013, a lawsuit was submitted against the Directorate of Education of the Municipality of Gjakovë/Ðakovica, in response to the discriminatory practice taking place in the ‘Mustafa Bakija’ primary school where Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian children have been placed in a segregated class separate from their Albanian peers. ECMI Kosovo has for a long time worked to stop and prevent the segregation of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian children in Kosovo and has closely supported this lawsuit as part its project ‘Enhancing the Positive Impact of the Law for Vulnerable and Marginalised Groups (VMGs) in Kosovo’, funded by the European Union and managed by the European Union Office in Kosovo.”

ECMI Kosovo strongly condemns the desecration of a number of Orthodox graveyards that took place between Sunday 20 January and Monday 21 January.