PhD candidate and adjunct instructor Laura Mendez visited Pristina, Kosovo August 10-20, 2022, to participate in the Kosovo International Summer Academy for Peace Building in Post-Conflict Areas. Mendez spent her professional time there attending workshops and lectures on Kosovo’s peacebuilding efforts, diplomacy, etiquette, and negotiation. According to Mendez, “the experiences shared by the Kosovar [presenters and instructors] dedicated to peacebuilding and state-building elucidated the nuances of grassroots activism in local peacebuilding, as well as the intricacies of advancing women’s political and economic empowerment.”
Even though she had little free time, Mendez made a point to participate in field trips within Kosovo to the cities of Prizren and Mitrovica and visited museums and art exhibitions around Pristina. “KSA was also a platform for cultural exchange,” Mendez says, “that made for a vibrant and rewarding experience. Living among people from different cultures and all walks of life was a fertile ground for diversity and multiculturalism and for making long-lasting friendships.”