Six years after a 78-day NATO bombing campaign ended fighting in Kosovo, the effects of a war fueled by ethnic conflict and repression still remain.  Governance structures are still evolving, somewhat awkwardly, under the control of the United Nations, which has run the province since the end of the 1997-99 war. The infrastructure is poor, with roads, buildings, homes and schools still in need of repair.  Unemployment is high, salaries low. And, most importantly, reconciliation among the majority ethnic Albanians, many of whom seek independence, and the Serb minority remains elusive.  The corrosive effects of the region's long-standing ethnic divide are still felt in every sector of politics, economics, and society.

Today, a few courageous individuals and groups are beginning to reach across that divide in a tentative effort to partner for the future. As a visiting AFT delegation to Kosovo discovered in early April, teachers (through their work in the classroom) and teacher unions (through labor solidarity) may have an important role to play in building that future.

Although schools in Kosovo remain sharply segregated along ethnic lines, two teacher unions—one large union that is primarily ethnic Albanian, and a smaller one that is mainly ethnic Serb—are quietly speaking and meeting with one another in a spirit of dialogue.

The visiting delegation, led by AFT president Edward J. McElroy, hosted an informal dinner in the capital city Prishtina that was attended by leadership from both ethnic unions. The "unity dinner" built on earlier work in Kosovo by the AFT, the Solidarity Center, and fellow international unions to facilitate inter-ethnic cooperation. Although much work remains, such small steps can send a positive message of hope.

A similar message of hope was the theme when the delegation met with the President of the Republic, Ibrahim Rugova.  Rugova, a writer and intellectual, shared with the delegation his dream of a Kosovo firmly rooted in Europe, one where the values of democracy, rule of law and respect for human and minority rights are paramount.

If the dream of a tolerant, unified and independent Kosovo is to become a reality, then it is perhaps the youth that may ultimately lead the way.  As the AFT delegation heard from students while visiting an ethnic Albanian high school, "The time of hate is past.  We members of the younger generation must move forward to the future, working with, not against our Serb neighbors.  We simply have no other choice."