We want to hear about your memories. Write to us.

Sometimes, living with memory is difficult. You may hear stories of a war you never lived, but that live within your family. You may sit at the table, where silence about the past speaks louder than words. You may recall childhood songs, but they no longer match the present you face. You may walk through your neighborhood, where every corner reminds you of something that is gone. You may leave your hometown, and memory becomes the only way back.

The list is long. But however fragile memories can be, we believe that the bridges they create can be even stronger. Bridges that cross generations, geographies and identities. Bridges that show how memory is not only about the past, it is about who we are today, and who we will become tomorrow.

We want to hear about these bridges of memory. Whether you are in Kosovo or in the diaspora, whether you write for work, for passion, or not at all, whatever your age or perspective, we are curious about your stories.

First, so that we can give them space in the noise of everyday life, and second, so that we can be inspired by you, your community, your traditions and your acts of remembering. We want to hear from people who carry stories of migration, who confront silence about war, who struggle to preserve songs, stories and rituals that are disappearing, who dare to remember what others want forgotten.

We want to hear from anyone whose memory does not have the attention it deserves. Write a blog of 900-1,200 words about the bridges of memory you are carrying or building, in either English or Albanian.

A blog post is not an academic article. It is a personal piece of writing where you share your own perspective, story, or experience. For this call, your blog post can be reflective, emotional, or creative, it doesn’t need to follow strict rules.  

As an inspiration you may consider these questions:

• When was the first time you felt the weight of memory?
• Which story, song or silence shaped you?
• When did you realize that remembering or forgetting can be an act of resistance?
• How do you live with memories of violence, loss or displacement in your daily life and how do you cope with them?
• What bridges of memory have you built? What bridges have collapsed?
• How has memory connected you, or separated you from others?

The selected texts will be published on the Dealing with the Past platform, a space dedicated to memory work in Kosovo and beyond. Through this platform, your words will stand alongside others, creating connections across experiences, perspectives and generations.

Send us your blog by email: luca.teseilibassi@propeace.de by October 31, 2025.                       

If you have any questions or need any clarification, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at the same email address; we are happy to help. Authors whose stories are selected for publication will receive compensation and editorial support.

We are looking forward to your stories!

About Pro Peace

Pro Peace was founded in 1996 by German peace and human rights groups responding to the Balkan Wars, originally under the name Forum Civil Peace Service (forumZFD). Today, the organization works in 13 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Its mission is to strengthen civil society actors who are committed to peace and non-violence in the midst of conflicts. Pro Peace advises, supports and collaborates with local initiatives, and advocates for sustainable peace policies at the international level.

Kosovo Program

In Kosovo, Pro Peace focuses on fostering dialogue, dealing with the past and building non-violent approaches to conflict transformation. Through platforms such as the Dealing with the Past initiative, the program amplifies voices and stories that might otherwise remain unheard. By doing so, it helps connect generations and communities, and creates spaces for reflection, healing and common ground.

👉 Lexoni këtë thirrje të hapur në shqip: dwp-balkan.org/sq/thirrje-e-hapur-urat-e-kujteses/