Ongoing Projects
It is estimated that around 403 Kosovar nationals travelled to conflict zones in Syria and Iraq. While many were killed, more than 200 individuals have returned through informal and formal channels. The Kosovo Probation Service (KPS) has a key role to play in the rehabilitation and reintegration (R&R) of these returnees. Yet, research has shown that the KPS “has not sustainably benefitted from trainings provided by donors and state institutions engaged in P/CVE and R&R in Kosovo,” and lacks specialised knowledge and internal capacities to develop effective R&R interventions for repatriated individuals.
In this project, ICCT - in collaboration with the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) - seeks to address these gaps and continued challenges by providing KPS with bespoke training and other support to:
-
Improve KPS staff knowledge on good practices in R&R programme development, including gender sensitisation and monitoring and evaluation;
-
Strengthening KPS capacities with regards to risk assessment; and
-
Contribute to improvements in inter-institutional coordination on R&R and P/CVE more broadly in Kosovo.
Within this framework, ICCT is offering direct expert support to the KPS in consolidating its R&R programming in line with international best-practices and challenges identified in the Kosovo context.
The project is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Netherlands and the United Kingdom Embassy in Pristina.
Highlights
About the project
Extra body
The Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) and the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) are conducting the project 'Increase capabilities of Kosovo Probation Service on countering terrorism and violent extremism’ with funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Netherlands and the United Kingdom (UK) Embassy in Pristina. The project team, through close consultations with the Kosovo Probation Service (KPS), will improve these institutions’ skills and tools to better design, monitor, and evaluate rehabilitation and reintegration (R&R) programmes targeting returnees from Syria and Iraq and their families.
ICCT experts have designed and delivered a two-day training on the overall design of gender-sensitive rehabilitation and reintegration (R&R) programmes in Kosovo (and conducted an Impact Assessment of this training). The project team will participate in inter-institutional workshops that will enable better communication and information-sharing between institutions on their R&R programming & implementation. Drawing on consultations with relevant stakeholders, ICCT and KCSS will also design and deliver a training to improve KPS risk assessment tools and capacities. Moreover, ICCT and KCSS will provide a tailored training for P/CVE and R&R focal points within the KPS, and support the development of a cross-institutional database that will coordinate, monitor, and track R&R programs: ICCT will review existing systems and provide recommendations that will better tailor the database toward R&R programming.
This bespoke training and other expert support delivered by ICCT and KCSS is:
- Improving basic knowledge on the process of, radicalisation to violent extremism, the phenomenon of foreign fighters and returnees, key aspects of preventing and countering violent extremism, and the importance of using a gender approach;
- Raising awareness on the importance of setting up systems to ensure data exchange between the Kosovo Correctional Service and Kosovo Probation Service;
- Improving KPS staff knowledge on good practices in R&R programme development, including gender sensitisation and monitoring and evaluation;
- Strengthening KPS capacities with regards to risk assessment; and
- Contributing to improvements in inter-institutional coordination on R&R and P/CVE more broadly in Kosovo.
Partners
