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CBM Celebrates its 15 Year Anniversary

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Community Building Mitrovica has reached a milestone this year, celebrating 15 years of its existence. On Thursday (15.09.2016) CBM hosted a memorable event with its employees, partners, donors and friends to celebrate this achievement. Throughout its history and growth CBM shaped the surrounding community, implemented projects which have had a positive and lasting impact on the lives of Mitrovica citizens and bridged the divide.

‘’15 years of hard work, 15 years of efforts to make this city and its region a better place for living, to make life easier for its citizens, to bring back to normality (as we at CBM like to say), 15 years of challenges but also joy, love and dedication in bridging the divide,’’ stated in her speech CBM’s executive director Ms.Aferdita Sylaj Shehu. ‘’Over 300 projects, some smaller scale, some bigger, some visible and some not, but what was most important that we had our communities part of the design, implementation and celebration but also when we did not succeed we were together to motivate each-other,’’ she added.

One of the CBM’s first initiators and representative of PAX organization from the Netherlands Ms.Miriam Struyk, in her speech reflected on the past 15 years and the progress of CBM, on how everything started as an idea that is now transformed into a strong and trustworthy organization that brings positive change.

As a leading non-governmental organization, CBM proudly celebrated 15 years of learning and progress, and its commitment to continue empowering communities and facilitating dialogue in still fragile Mitrovica region.

About Community Building Mitrovica:

Community Building Mitrovica (CBM) is a local non-governmental organisation (NGO) operating in the field of peace and community building in the wider region of Mitrovica in northern Kosovo. The overall aim of CBM is to facilitate contact and dialogue between citizens in the whole of Mitrovica region.

 

CBM’s executive director speech: Read full transcript below

Mirembrema, Dobrovece, Good evening

Dear Colleagues,

Dear Friends,

Dear Partners,

Dear Excellences,

Dear Representatives of institutions,

Donors,

I am honoured to address you this evening in this great occasion to celebrate 15th anniversary of Community Building Mitrovica.

15 years of hard work, 15 years of efforts to make this city and its region a better place for living, to make life easier for its citizens, to bring back to normality (as we at CBM like to say), 15 years of challenges but also joy, love and dedication in bridging the divide.

I promised to myself that I will not be very long with this speech but I have to share with you some facts about our work.

Over 300 projects, some smaller scale, some bigger, some visible and some not but what was most important that we had our communities part of the design, implementation and celebration but also than when we did not succeed we were together to motivate each-other.

Here in Mitrovica we know the reality that everything was and still is very politicized and us being very ambitious on creating other types of bridges that unite and not divide.

I am standing here today proudly with all of you present our colleagues from Civil society, Local and national Authorities, Community Leaders, our partner organisations, Friends of CBM.

This number is growing more and more: From children that were at CBM with Children assembly and today to great professionals, from Mitrovica Rock School, today to great and known worldwide musicians from opera to Rock and Pop that we see through TV these days and we are proud of them.

M-magazine, M-i2 and other media projects a great tool to bridge journalists and media, today professionals. Empowering women, young women in raising their voice in initiating daring initiatives in very complex/sensitive times. Women that were the first ready and open for cooperation.

We all know that CBM is about people and has always worked with people, citizens, and communities for better life. But some of the projects in infrastructure like painting buildings, lightening the roads, children and school playgrounds, and much more would not be possible without support of the institutions.

And I have to say here that with institutions is not always easy, because we criticize and we are criticized but we are getting along and continuing dialogue and cooperation.

I could continue more but as said I don’t want to be long and I am very proud that CBM was and is still home to many, from all sides.

All this work wouldn’t be possible without the support from communities, partners, friends, supporters, institutions and donors. The key of our success is cooperation with all of you.

Today we have here with us as always they do a great friend of CBM from PAX, well they were called IKV back then, without whom we wouldn’t be here today and we would also not have the partnership with many Dutch organisations.

From the day one in all this long journey you were there to support us. So here I invite Miriam Struyk to take the floor.

I will not be modest now and I will invite the greatest team that someone could only dream of Vetone, Natasa, Florentina, Nemanja, Besnik, Miilivoje, Milos, Kenan, Zana, Mergim, Marko, Naim and Driton.

Thank you very much for all your hard work, your dedication, your understanding and your wisdom that you bring to CBM, very proud of you.

At CBM were around 50 people directly working, more than 200 people worked indirectly at CBM projects back then and today transformed to independent organisations such as: Mitrovica Rock School, Mitrovica women Association, Center for Resources youth and Media and other initiatives.

CBM has one women who was there from very beginning until today - Vetone Veliu, she is our institutional memory she is CBM’s veteran. Thank you for your great work, Vetone.

And the cherry on the cake the person that for all of us was a driving force: our leader, our teacher, our guide who made difficult life for me but at the same time also easy. Difficult because she made very high standards for me to continue her path but it was very easy because she created such a safe environment and she was and still is a role model for me and for lot of us.Valdete Idrizi one of the founders, the former director of CBM and still assemble member of CBM. Thank you for your leadership which is not recognized only by us but also from local and international prestigious organisations. Thank you for being CBM’s ambassador and being there for us whenever we needed you.

All this and a lot that was not said I invite you to watch 3 - min. video followed  by our Mitrovica Rock School that makes us proud every day. Let’s celebrate together and thank you once again.

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