On June 25, 2013, ACBH had the pleasure of joining a discussion about diplomacy, democracy, and the role of women in Kosovo with the 2013 National Albanian American Council Hope Fellows (NAAC-HF) at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).

The Hope Fellowship was established by the National Albanian American Council (NAAC) and is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to strengthen the role of women in policy and decision making in the Balkans. The program operates in Kosovo with an aim to empower women leaders to create collaborative, sustainable and positive changes in government, civil society and the business sector.  

After brief introductions by Ms. Renata Stuebner, Balkans Program Specialist at USIP and Ambassador Steven Steiner, Gender Advisor at USIP, the Hope Fellows spoke about the repeated failures of the top-down approach of governing. They noted that there has not yet been reconciliation in the Balkans, however, they remain hopeful and optimistic about the future of the entire region.

ACBH commends the Hope Fellows for their outstanding work and believes that projects such as these help advance democracy building efforts in the region.