Text : Capt. Cristiano Dechigi - Photos: Sgt. Ann Outzen
 

Passionately together: In mixed order, DCOMKFOR Gen. Cecchi, Father Michele, Capt. Di Blasi, Capt. Karine Gainetdinoff, OR 7 Pagliara.
 

BINAC: A few kilometers south of Vitinia the village of Binac shows that co-existence is still possible in Kosovo. Recentl,y DCOMKFOR Maj. Gen. Cecchi, paid a visit to this special community.

"My presence here today is only a charity visit to such a special place," says Maj. Gen. Cecchi, DCOMKFOR, to the KFOR Chronicle.

Unloading the goods: Young children unloaded the truck in just a few minutes. They surely knew that they would get their reward.

Together with him were a few officers and NCOs of the Italian contingent at KFOR Main. Their guest is however someone special:

"All around my house there are only houses of Kosovars," says Father Lush Gjercji to the KFOR Chronicle. In this short sentence he says what could be the keyword to start solving the puzzle, which involves faith and ethnicity in this region.

"We should all feel as inhabitants of this land before thinking about other matters."

He is a strong defender of the multi ethnicity of Kosovo. In the village where he has his Community, one hundred and eighty K-Serbs are still living door to door with the K-Albanian majority. Catholics and Muslims compose both this majority groups.

"During the war, some of the people of this village were killed." He adds. "The losses were suffered by all the groups of the village."

Found a way

Father Lush found the way to work with the terrible pain suffered by the mothers and wives, either they were K-Albanians or K-Serbs, and he was able to keep them together to rebuild the Community, starting with him sharing this common sorrow. The operation was successful and today, Binac is an example for all Kosovars.

"I would not have accepted having guards around the village to keep people divided. The US soldiers which are representing KFOR in this area are most welcome as overall security of the village." According to the Father, the people of the village are getting along and the only threat could come from other places.

"This is the overall security that KFOR is providing to our community."

So far, so good. All the parts of the village recently agreed to a project to improve the water distribution and accepted to actually work together in the implementation of this project. The visit was completed by a donation of some goods collected by the indefatigable Father Michele band.