Just Bär and Thomas Baar (Netherlands)

Jul 11, 2016, 1:10 PM | Volunteers

During the period of March-April 2011, Thomas Baar and Just Bär conducted a research on the work of Community Building Mitrovica. Our aim was to learn about the apparent success of this organization in such a turbulent environment as Mitrovica. We had read about the situation in the city, but to actually live there for a while was a whole different experience. We were received with an unmatched hospitality, and during our stay the helpfulness of the people at CBM was inexhaustible.

We had to conduct many interviews with people from inside CBM and many other organizations. Soon we learned that the scope of CBM’s network stretches far, and we could easily come into contact with all the people we needed to speak with. Better yet, we have interviewed more people than we set out to. Within CBM, everybody was very welcoming and open to us, and no question has been left unanswered. In Mitrovica, every single person we spoke with knows CBM or its staff in one way or another, and we have heard nothing but appraisal and appreciation. Clearly their initiatives have had a positive impact on the environment and its residents.

However, the fact that CBM operates on both sides of the river Ibar has induced opposition as well. Disregarding the imposed divide of the communities made their initiatives prone for threats and intimidation. The strength of CBM lies in their ability to manoeuvre around their opposition, to recognize where they can expand their projects and to ‘feel the pulse of the society’ in order to make their initiatives a success. It is because of the dedication of all employees that CBM has grown into a trustworthy, reliable organization that has been around for over ten years now. For us, being able to work so closely with the staff of CBM has been a truly unique experience, and we want to thank all for making it possible.

Our thesis will be finished soon, and we hope it will be useful for CBM to have their work analysed and their history written down by young students. On a sidenote, we hope that CBM will attract more motivated employees to keep up the good work. The city of Mitrovica would be incomplete without such an organization.