Survivor-Led Reparations in Kosovo: From Harm to Healing

Abstract This article examines harms and reparations in Kosovo, based on interviews conducted with survivors in Prishtina and Gjakova. Using a reparative justice lens, I identify multi-layered harms-material, psychological, social, symbolic-and trace how needs evolved over time. Deportations in Prishtina and killings and disappearances in Gjakova illustrate both common and site-specific patterns. I show how Kosovo’s existing reparations schemes remain selective, opaque, and poorly aligned with survivor priorities. Centering survivor narratives, I propose a survivor-led framework that integrates material, symbolic, psychosocial, and institutional reforms. The analysis adds to discussions on transitional justice by showing how reparations can move from basic state obligations to shared, community-driven efforts for recovery.