I am Jasir Misini, 20 years old from Prizren. I started my engagement in the group Respect Our Rights – ROR as a member (one of the first children from the Roma community) and now serves as a mentor to the Security Committee. I was never challenged by prejudices about my compatriots, but I always proudly showed and promoted my ethnicity alongside work and professional commitment. I tried to be the motivator for many other children from the Roma community to be part of the activities of the ROR group (some even members today) by staying loyal to the group where every child is valued regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender or color.

It was really a privilege to be a member of the ROR, especially for me as a child of the Roma community. My desire was to work for the rights of children knowing their position, what kind of discrimination they face every day. I was part of numerous trainings and meetings, where we collaborated with various organizations and institutions just to be the voice of children at the local, central and international level.

I am already a first year student at the Faculty of Public Administration at AAB College. In addition to studying and engaging in the ROR group, I also work as a field journalist at the NGO “Durmish Aslano” in Prizren, which is one of the first organizations dealing with civil society and the Roma community in Kosovo. It was founded in 1969. The aim of the organization is to preserve the identity of the Roma community by organizing various cultural, artistic and spiritual activities such as dance groups (with Roma folk songs and dances) and theater in the Roma language.

Acting is one of my hobbies, that is why I am part of the Roma theater “Nexhip Menekshe”. This theater is supported by the NGO “Durmish Aslano” and was named in honor of the journalist, playwright and teacher of the Roma language, Nexhip Menekshe.

One of the best experiences within the ROR was on November 20, 2018, when we met for the first time with the former Prime Minister Mr. Ramush Haradinaj, where we discussed the rights of children. On the same day we had a meeting with the representative of the European Union Office in Kosovo – Mrs. Nataliya Apostolova, the Speaker Mr. Kadri Veseli, several Government Ministers and many members of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo. The purpose of the meeting was to seek responsibility for the implementation of the “Resolution of the Children of Kosovo”, adopted last year during the special session “Children lead the Assembly”. My talk was about repatriated children.

“My message to the children of Kosovo is to socialize with other children, to cooperate and to fight for their rights.”