Lessons in Ethnic Reconciliation: A Case Study of Kosovo
Abstract
This study uses case study analysis to determine best practices for ethnic reconciliation
in Kosovo – a country still experiencing stark ethnic divide between Albanian and
Serbian populations after the genocide in 1999. Case studies include Guatemala and
Burundi, both nations that endured and struggled to rebuild after their own ethnic
conflicts. The study specifically targets the policy areas of United Nation (UN) involvement,
host government reform, truth commissions, and transitional justice. Comparative analysis
of the cases draws on documents like UN reports/resolutions, national laws, peace
agreements, truth commissions, and court cases. The findings indicate that UN involvement
in Kosovo was initially successful in implementing a ceasefire, however could have
been more effective by involving citizens in inter-ethnic round tables. Additionally,
Albanians and Serbians successfully co-exist and co-govern through power-sharing structures
within the government. The findings also suggest that a truth commission could be
beneficial to reallocate blame from an ethnicity as a whole to specific individuals.
Finally, international transitional justice efforts have been more effective in Kosovo
than in prior conflicts, yet witness corruption remains a pressing concern.
Type
Honors thesisDepartment
Public Policy StudiesPermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/14323Citation
Davies, Hannah (2017). Lessons in Ethnic Reconciliation: A Case Study of Kosovo. Honors thesis, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/14323.Collections
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