Mirupafshim!
My internship in Pristina has finally come to a close. I spent my last week in the office continuing to research extradition and similar agreements between Kosovo and other countries. CLARD is currently working on building an updated website, and before I left, Anton told me that he intends to use my findings about extradition for the website. Since he also told me that he plans to use my Istanbul Convention report in CLARD's future work, this means that both of my projects will continue to have an ongoing impact. I'm very proud to know that I was able to contribute something concrete to CLARD's work this summer. My coworkers also presented me with a certificate to take home, so I have a physical reminder of my contribution now, too.
My coworkers at CLARD have been very supportive of me, even in the midst of their own busy schedules. They asked me about my future plans and were very interested in hearing what areas of law I'm interested in. I'm definitely going to miss working with them, as well as our frequent conversations over coffee at the cafe downstairs from the office. Those conversations often included lessons about Kosovo's history, culture, and legal system, all of which provided very helpful context for my work. I really appreciate having had the opportunity to learn so much from the CLARD team.
Aside from what I learned directly from my coworkers, I also learned a lot from my research this summer. One major takeaway for me is just how many things Kosovo's status and complications with recognition impact. This was apparent in both of the projects I worked on because it affects which countries have extradition agreements with Kosovo, and it also is the reason why Kosovo went about codifying the Istanbul Convention in the way that it did. Another thing my research illustrated for me was how simply changing the law to deal with domestic violence, violence against women, and gender-based violence is not sufficient without also addressing practical issues with implementation at all levels. This was why I studied not only the law itself—which I did identify gaps in—but also areas highlighted in the National Strategy as needing improvement to be able to comprehensively implement the new law. That being said, my research was exclusively based on what has been reported on paper. I do not have the experience Anton does with seeing how things actually play out on the ground. What Anton told me he plans to do is advocate for recommendations based on both my findings and on his own observations as a lawyer actively working on domestic violence cases. That way, CLARD's advocacy will include a combination of both of our recommendations, based on both of our perspectives and the information we have each seen.
After saying my goodbyes to the team, Stephanie and I decided to go to one last tourist attraction for my final weekend in Pristina: Bear Sanctuary Prishtina. In 2010, Kosovo passed a law against keeping bears in private captivity, aiming to end the practice of some restaurant owners keeping and abusing "restaurant bears" in small cages for entertainment. A few years later, the bear sanctuary was established to rehabilitate and create a safe home for rescued bears. Now, the sanctuary is home to both restaurant bears and bears who have been rescued for various other reasons. They live in large enclosures in a species-appropriate woodland habitat and are taken care of by the sanctuary's staff.
We happened to visit on a very hot day, so many of the bears seemed to be wisely hiding from the sun. However, we still saw two bears who were active outside. Each bear had a sign outside their enclosure stating their name, where they lived before coming to the bear sanctuary, and a few details about their personality. The ones we saw were named Mira and Rina. They seemed to be living peaceful, happy lives.
Finally, it was time to say goodbye to Pristina. I finished packing, took a taxi to the airport, and flew first to Vienna, and then after a long layover, back to the United States. My coworkers assured me that I will always be welcome in the office if I ever come back to Pristina. They also told me that some of their past interns have gone on to work for their partner organizations in the United States, so depending on how things go, there's always a possibility that I could work with them again. Regardless of where my career goes from here, I look forward to taking the lessons I learned this summer with me. But for now, faleminderit dhe mirupafshim—thank you and goodbye, Kosovo!