I am back in DC for a few days before I leave for Kosovo. I recently returned from a visit to California, where I closed a significant chapter of my life. Since my earliest memories California has been my life, my blood, my home. UCLA was where I made my college memories and the surrounding areas of Santa Monica and Malibu offered respite from stress. Visiting California and driving these familiar roads–the infamously trafficky 405, Malibu Canyon and Kanan–made me nostalgic, for I was filled with the knowledge that this was no longer my home. These sentiments sprung from the fact that I was saying goodbye to a place that I have loved for the better part of 20 years.

While finishing this chapter of my life was difficult, it is appropriate to let go before I embark for Kosovo this summer. Releasing the past and beginning a new and exciting chapter of my life will allow me to gain and give the most during my internship this summer. Recognizing that while multiple memories are behind me, there are still many yet to be created. My summer internship with the Kosova Women’s Network (KWN) will be the opening of a new chapter–one with themes of greater self-discovery, deeper understanding of others and pursuit of social justice.

The Kosova Women’s Network was founded by Igo Rugova in 2000 and is a network of 85 women’s groups. KWN works on behalf of women, regardless of age, sexual orientation, ethnicity or religion. KWN has worked to improve women’s literacy, reveal the effects of domestic violence on women, has formed “Get out the Vote” campaigns, promoted a movie called “Lilja Forever” (regarding human trafficking) and worked to develop political platforms for women.

This summer I will serve as KWN’s media and advocacy intern and work in different capacities. I will compose public relations materials profiling the women’s groups associated with the KWN, further develop the the Women’s Peace Coalition (a partnership between KWN and the Women in Black in Serbia), as well as covering the events led by the Peace Caravan as it makes its way through Kosovo.

The purpose of this blog will be to chronicle this summer and the work of the KWN, as well as profiling the stories of the women who work within the KWN. This blog is my way of using multimedia (video, photography and the internet) to tell a story–a story that will hopefully become a long-term journey.

From California to Kosovo

Picture taken from travel website: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/20ab6/afdf9/