This book is dedicated to Berit Backer, Kristoffer Gjøtterud and all other Norwegians and foreigners from other countries who greatly helped make peace in Kosova. If I were to write in detail about the contribution of all of these foreigners to Kosova, it would result in many separate books. With this dedication, I would like to at least offer a public token of gratitude to some of them who have made a special contribution and whose contribution can be largely documented. Consequently, in this book, based on documents and verifiable sources, I present the important contributions made by Berit Backer, Kristoffer Gjøtterud and other Norwegians, as well as others from foreign countries, that ensured Kosova’s future as a peaceful country with equal rights for all of its citizens, regardless of their ethnic affiliation.
More concretely, starting with the main political developments in Kosova during the past 40 years, I focus first on the activity for Kosova of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC), namely, the activity of the Kosova Group within the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (KGNHC), which was coordinated by Berit Backer and Kristoffer Gjøtterud. To make it easier for the reader to clearly understand the significance of the activity of the KGNHC, which paved the way for internationalization of the Kosova issue in the framework of the Helsinki Process, I start with a brief summary of this process. Additionally, I continue with an elaboration on the activity of the KGNHC, including the context of its establishment. Furthermore, after a discussion regarding the context of the tragic death of Berit Backer, I examine the impact of the commitment and advice of Berit Backer and Kristoffer Gjøtterud alongside contributions of other Norwegians and foreigners towards peace-making in Kosova. By the end of this book, I draw a conclusion.
Given that the primary purpose of this book is one of dedication, I have chosen to publish it without any commercial intent and have entrusted it to a publishing house in Kosova. As a gesture of gratitude, it may be presented to international friends and to relevant international institutions – not solely in my personal name, but also on behalf of Kosova as a whole. The book has been published in English in order to ensure its accessibility to a broad international readership. In addition to the printed edition, it will also be made available online, thereby placing it at the disposal of all interested readers.
Since I have collaborated with most of the individuals mentioned in this book – particularly in efforts to achieve peace in Kosova – I will not refer to myself in first person (“I”), but in third person (by name), in my capacity as both a collaborator and a witness to their contributions.