Civil Resistance in Kosovo

Book Description
The world woke up to the conflict between Serbs and Kosovo Albanians too late--when the die was cast for war in 1998-1999. Until then, the self-restraint and social solidarity of Kosovo Albanians in the face of Serbian ultra-nationalism created opportunities for preventive action which the West had spurred. Ultimately, however, the nonviolent policy of Kosovo Albanians succeeded only in postponing war, not averting it. In Civil Resistance in Kosovo, Howard Clark examines how a remarkable nonviolent struggle by Kosovo Albanians frustrated Serbia's plans for Kosovo. Covering key features of the struggle, such as the miner's strike of 1989, the Campaign to Reconcile Blood Feuds, and the creation of parallel structures in education, medical care, and taxation, Clark describes the growth and potential of the movement, its subsequent stagnation and attempts to reinvigorate it. In assessing the achievements and limitations of nonviolence in Kosovo, Clark suggests how the policy could have been more effective and draws lessons for consideration in future peace-building. Clark also addresses the failure of foreign governments. International diplomacy, he argues, took Kosovo Albanian nonviolence for granted. It did not respond adequately to the danger of war and failed to adopt preventative policies and deal justly with the Kosovo Albanians. Consequently Kosovo Albanians turned to arms, precipitating Serbian aggression and NATO military intervention. Clark reflects on the significance of the Kosovo tragedy for other civil resistance movements around the world.


About the Author
As coordinator of War Resisters' International, Howard Clark was involved in civil peace initiatives in Kosovo throughout the 1990's. He is also one of the founders of the Balkan Peace Team, an international volunteer project working for Serbian-Albanian dialogue.


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The world woke up to the conflict between Serbs and Kosovo Albanians too late — when Kosovo erupted into full-scale war in the spring of 1999. But many Balkans watchers were surprised war in Kosovo did not happen sooner. In Civil Resistance in Kosovo, Howard Clark argues that war had been avoided previously because of the self-restraint exercised by the Kosovo Albanians with their policy of nonviolence.Prior to the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA)'s taking up of arms, Kosovo Albanians had had a long history of civil resistance in the face of Serbian ultra-nationalism. They were committed to a strategy of nonviolent resistance even as they were harassed by Serbian police, vilified in racial terms, and excluded from jobs, education and state benefits. Left out of the 1995 Dayton Agreement, Kosovo became a breeding ground for frustration and ethnic strife, ultimately leading to war and the NATO bombings. The author traces the historical evolution of the Kosovo Albanians' struggle, from peaceful demonstrations to the KLA backlash, covering the 1980s to the present day. He shows the beginnings of nonviolent struggle in the miners' hunger strike in 1989 and the Campaign to Reconcile Blood Feuds, and its growth with the construction of parallel systems for education and health. In assessing the achievements and limitations of nonviolence, Clark explains why the policy was ultimately abandoned and how it could have been made more effective. Importantly, this book draws on the lessons of Kosovo to suggest considerations for future peace-building.


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