The report is divided in three parts. The first part of the report consists of a general description of public perception on violent extremism based on the 2017 data-gathering efforts. This is categorized on ethnically-motivated threats, religiously-based violent extremism and politically motivated violent extremism. In addition, the report analyzes respondents’ attitudes toward national and religious causes.
Topic:
Public Opinion, Violent Extremism, Survey, Community, Foreign Fighters, and Repatriation
Kosovo’s current isolation and the lack of country’s clear path to membership in key regional and international security organizations and mechanisms such as the United Nations (UN), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union (EU) has not only frustrated the country’s ability to become part of the global security infrastructure, but it has also held back its chances to participate and contribute to the various peacekeeping missions worldwide.
Topic:
Security, Foreign Policy, NATO, Peacekeeping, and Cooperation
The Kosovo Security Force (KSF) has become a topic of public debates due to ongoing efforts to upgrade its mandate. Confusion has spread among the public as it remains unclear whether those debates were just political calculations or whether the Kosovo institutions, in cooperation with international partners, are indeed taking concrete steps towards transforming the country. Controversial statements and interpretations of the matter by local and international stakeholders and the diminished debate for a short period of time have all contributed to the complexity of the situation.
The aim of this report is to identify the new trends and threats of terrorism and violent extremism in Kosovo in the aftermath of IS defeat. The challenges identified in the report are instances of domestic terrorism, lone wolf terrorists,11 vulnerable communities, reintegration of the returned former fighters and their families.
Topic:
Security, Violent Extremism, Islamic State, Foreign Fighters, and Repatriation
Kosovo Security Barometer (KSB) is a distinctive tool through which Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) measures public perceptions. The eighth edition of the KSB report consists of two main chapters. The first chapter measures citizens trust toward Kosovo’s security, justice and central state institutions and the second chapter recordsc itizens perceptions regarding Kosovo’s main internal risks and threats.
Topic:
Security, Public Opinion, Institutions, Justice, and Survey
Kosovar Centre for Security Studies continues to narrow down the results of public opinion on the broader issues of foreign policy and dialogue with Serbia in a form of Special Edition of Kosovo Security Barometer Programme. For the purpose of the trends, the main survey questions remained unchanged. KCSS continues to measure the way regional and international strategic partners of Kosovo are seen in the eye of it’s citizens, how does an average citizen of Kosovo perceive the pool of external influences in the Western Balkans and Kosovo specifically and what is the opinion toward the EU and NATO memberships. Similarly to the previous editions, KCSS has given a special focus to the EU facilitated dialogue with Serbia. However, following the debates over the potential epilogue of the dialogue, KCSS has included additional questions related to the legally bindings agreement and the leading negotiator on Kosovo’s side.
Topic:
Security, Foreign Policy, Bilateral Relations, Public Opinion, Survey, and Dialogue
In 2017, NATO will start some form of cooperation with Kosovo. This was presented in an ambiguous letter, which was sent to Kosovo’s Prime Minister by NATO Secretary General in December 2016. The letter stated the formal commencement of Kosovo’s accession into some NATO’s programmes by balancing the existing mandate of KFOR/NATO presence with the need for gradual accession of Kosovo into NATO’s programmes. In other words, NATO already designed a framework of cooperation by enabling Kosovo’s involvement in certain programmes of the Alliance for state and nonstate institutions of Kosovo by marking for the first time Kosovo’s participation in NATO’s programmes and tools.
Topic:
Security, NATO, Treaties and Agreements, and Partnerships
The report, among others, finds that there are a set of push and pull factors that drive women from Kosovo to join these organizations. These motives include ideological factors, socio – economical factors, personal motives and the lure by the recruiters. While most of the women who have joined violent extremists organizations are seen as victims rather than perpatrors, it is also true that there are women who see joining the conflicts in Syria and Iraq as empowering. The purpose of this research is to shed light on the women from Kosovo who participate in violent extremists organizations and potential consequences deriving from their role. While the report will be solely focused on Kosovo, it will bring international knowledge in treating this phenomenon having in mind that Kosovo marks no general exception when compared to other countries. The goal is to particularly identify who these women are, why would they participate in these conflicts, and what is their role.
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Topic:
Violent Extremism, Women, Radicalization, and Conflict
In general, the KSB targets a wide variety of actors interested in the public opinion trends in Kosovo in the field of security and justice. It targets the following stakeholders: policymakers in Kosovo as well as the western Balkans; the international organizations in Kosovo and their headquarters; local and international civil society organizations; academia and the media.
Topic:
Security, Foreign Policy, Public Opinion, and Justice
Since Kosovo has no experience with dealing with returned foreign fighters, especially with programs aimed at the rehabilitation and reintegration of radicalized persons, this document fits into several models and experiences that have been adopted by some states. This report analysis models of the three study cases from: Germany, Danmark and Saudi Arabia. By analizing such models, KCSS offers and alternative programme separated in three phases: Rehabilitation, reintegration and post-prison phase.
Topic:
Violent Extremism, Foreign Fighters, Repatriation, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration
Political Geography:
Eastern Europe, Kosovo, Germany, Denmark, and Saudi Arabia