As part of the activity “Advocacy Sessions with Assembly Members and Political Parties”, on October 9, 2025, the Musine Kokalari Institute for Social Policy organized a workshop in the Municipality of Gjakova on the topic “Advocacy and Political Engagement.”
The workshop brought together candidates for municipal assemblies and municipal officials from the Egyptian community in Gjakova.
Lecturers at the event included Fisnik Rexhepi, who presented the legal framework and competencies of municipal assembly members, and Senad Sabovic, who addressed the importance of communication with citizens and the use of social media during and after election campaigns for public engagement and transparency purposes.
During the discussions, participants highlighted that the Egyptian community has not had a representative in the Gjakova Municipal Assembly for 12 years. They also raised issues regarding the regulation of representation in the Committee for Communities and the legal determination of compensation for its members in line with the Law on Salaries.
Key challenges discussed included the lack of adequate representation of communities in municipal assemblies and the limited role of the Committee for Communities.
In addition to the lecture sessions, participants engaged in practical exercises and group discussions, sharing experiences, analyzing concrete challenges of representation and communication, and proposing more effective ways to engage with citizens.
The activities focused on developing public communication skills, empathy, and the use of digital channels to enhance transparency and citizen trust.
The purpose of the workshop was to strengthen communication, empathy, and inter-ethnic cooperation skills among assembly members and community representatives.
This activity was carried out within the framework of the project “Promoting Political Dialogue on Inter-Ethnic and Social Cohesion”, supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and implemented by the Musine Kokalari Institute for Social Policy.
