Week Four: Digitalization and Barriers to Justice
The Balkans are beautiful. Mountains, valleys, beaches-- it seems to have it all. Still, naturally beautiful rural landscapes are not the most conducive to social cohesion and development. Add to these physical barriers the cultural and linguistic barriers that come from 2,000+ years of immigration, war and conquest, and creating a cohesive legal system seems virtually impossible. COVID, too, seemed a big barrier to access to justice. The Internet offers an opportunity to overcome traditional physical barriers—but does it make ethnic and religious barriers better or worse?
The population of Kosovo is young, and most (70%+) are active online and on social media. One of my coworker's favorite ways to introduce me to Albanian culture is through memes. Memes are one of the ways younger generations have learned to bond and communicate. Some well-known meme templates transcend language, clearly showing the opinion of the poster even with a minimal knowledge of the language of the post. For me, social media and the Internet have helped me adapt to a new culture and way of life much quicker than would have been possible previously. It will also allow me to maintain contact with people from this period of my life once I am back in the United States.
The Internet is not just social-- it is an incredible practice tool for disseminating information and resources. Pushes from USAID and the East-West Institute, along with the Council of Europe, have increased online resources for legal aid in Kosovo. It also allows for rapid translation into whatever language the reader is most comfortable in. More courts are able to handle referrals and filing virtually, cutting down on the need for people to travel far and wide to advocate for justice. E-justice was essential during the COVID-19 pandemic. Without online hearings, the wheels of justice would have ground to a halt as the country quarantined.
Still, for all the access to civic resources the Internet offers, it also allows the spread of hatred and misinformation at an exponentially higher rate than ever before. In a country still divided by the scars of the past, this poses a huge concern. On the one hand, citizens have a right to free expression, even of ideas that are unpopular or offensive. Freedom of expression is one of the basic pillars of democracy. On the other hand, no society has ever recognized an absolute right to say anything and everything. Words which can spark actual physical harm or civil unrest must be examined, and a balancing test applied. All of this is nothing new—it is just more relevant than ever because of the reach and influence of the Internet.