The Kosovo Interethnic Dialogue and Integration Initiative (KINDI) goal is to strengthen internal dialogue in Kosovo, foster cohesion among civil society from Kosovo and Serbia that work on peacebuilding, and promote the internal dimensions of the Kosovo–Serbia normalisation process through grassroots interethnic dialogue, practical cooperation between civil society, and advocacy engagement with institutions in Kosovo and Brussels. While the EU-led dialogue remains essential for addressing inter-state disputes, sustainable peace depends on progress at the community, sectoral, and civic levels.
KINDI seeks to bridge this gap between top-level political negotiations and the lived realities of citizens by building cooperative spaces for dialogue and joint action. In both Kosovo and Serbia, polarisation, disinformation, and shrinking civic space have eroded trust and weakened civil society’s ability to serve as a bridge for reconciliation. KINDI responds to this context by creating a multi-level process that connects expert, municipal, and civil society actors in advancing shared solutions for interethnic cooperation in Kosovo. The project will engage stakeholders from government institutions, municipalities, academia, and civil society, bringing them together to identify practical ways and means for cooperation that can also inform and complement the EU-facilitated dialogue.
KINDI project is structured around three interlinked Work Packages (WPs), and each work package represents an overall objective.
Work Package 1-Sectoral Expert Dialogues: This component focuses on three critical policy sectors and how to advance the integration of Kosovo Serbs in the respective areas: healthcare, education, and social welfare. KINDI will organise three expert roundtables, each bringing together 10 participants, including practitioners and civil society experts, as well as representatives from the Kosovo Serb community. Each roundtable will analyse sector-specific challenges and opportunities for integration, guided by the Constitution of Kosovo and the Ahtisaari Plan. Following each roundtable, a discussion paper will be produced that summarises the findings, identifies gaps, and provides policy recommendations to guide both Kosovo institutions and the EU. The findings will also be shared through short op-eds and social media to inform public discourse and promote constructive, evidence-based dialogue.
Work Package 2- Grassroots Community Dialogue: The second component strengthens dialogue at the local level, recognising that municipal institutions play a significant role in shaping interethnic relations and trust. KINDI will organise one high-level municipal roundtable involving mayors, directors of community and youth offices, and civil society actors from six multiethnic municipalities. This roundtable will focus on practical cooperation and local peacebuilding, discussing challenges and opportunities in implementing integration-related policies and community return processes. The event will provide a safe and constructive space for municipal officials to exchange experiences, identify joint actions, and develop context-sensitive solutions to strengthen coexistence and local resilience. The outcomes of the discussion will be summarised in a report published on the role of municipalities in peacebuilding and the normalisation of relations.
Work Package 3- Kosovo–Serbia Civil Society Peacebuilding Forum: The third component brings together the civil society dimension of the normalisation and reconciliation process. KINDI will convene approximately 25–30 leading civil society leaders from Kosovo and Serbia for a two-day Kosovo–Serbia Civil Society Peacebuilding Forum, to be held outside Kosovo. The forum will facilitate an open, unfiltered, and structured discussion on the challenges we face as civil society working on peacebuilding, how we can overcome them, and how we can strengthen our internal cohesion. The participants will jointly prepare a letter to the European Commission, addressed to key EU leaders, outlining recommendations for how EU policies can better support interethnic cooperation, democratic resilience, and normalisation efforts. A small delegation will then travel to Brussels to present the letter and engage directly with EU officials and policymakers.
The primary target groups are local communities, civil society actors, and emerging political leaders who can influence reconciliation processes through policy and practice. Indirectly, the project will benefit Kosovo's citizens by promoting a culture of dialogue, improving public services, and encouraging social cohesion. KINDI applies an inclusive, evidence-based, and participatory approach, grounded in research and practice. Each work package reinforces the others: sectoral policy dialogue generates knowledge; municipal engagement translates it into action; and civil society cooperation ensures continuity and advocacy.
This project began implementation on December 1, 2025 and is supported by the Robert Bosch Stiftung.
