On the 2nd of October Sbunker in collaboration with Alternativna held the first session of lectures with young people from both communities, within the project "Kosovo Youth United Against Radicalism". The overall goal of this project is to increase the capacities of young people in Kosovo to become proactive agents in promoting peace and reconciliation between different communities. The objective is to raise the awareness of Kosovo youth about the strategies and tactics used by extremists on all spectrums including extreme right-wing groups, ethno-nationalists and religious radicals, equipping them with the tools and knowledge necessary to oppose and resist these tactics.
The lecture held by Alban Bokshi focused on the historical aspect of the extreme right, starting from the period when these ideologies were born, the historical context that enabled their coming to power and the philosophy behind them. The lecture emphasized Italian Fascism and German Nazism as the two most characteristic and destructive forms of extreme ideologies. Young people learned about the defining characteristics of these ideologies such as extreme nationalism, racism, totalitarianism, mobilization of the masses and subjugation of individuals, denial of human rights, glorification of the past and rise of the cult of the leader, restriction of women's rights and economic exploitation.
The lecture ended with a lively discussion and many questions from the young people, who drew many parallels between that historical period and the resurgence of the extreme right and totalitarian ideologies in the region, Europe and all over the world.
This project is supported by YIHR-KS, financed by USAID Kosovo, and implemented by Sbunker in cooperation with the organization Alternativna