On 30 September, the German Residence in Pristina opened its doors to a room full of the kind of people who don’t wait to be asked before they start building something better, young people, institutional representatives, partners, and friends, gathered for the Harmony Hero Awards 2026.
Now in its fourth year, the Harmony Hero Award is organized by the RYCO Local Branch Office in Kosovo* in cooperation with the German Embassy in Kosovo. It exists for a simple reason: peace is rarely made in grand gestures. More often, it’s made by people who show up, again and again, in the classrooms, newsrooms, and communities they call home.
This year, that spirit belongs to three young people: Edona Bllaca, Ilir Kicmari, and Butrint Avdyli, proof that there is no single way to build peace, only a shared willingness to try.
Edona has spent years volunteering and pushing for more inclusive spaces, including for young people with disabilities, the quiet, patient work of making sure no one is left standing outside the room. Ilir turns technology and education into bridges, using both to connect young people across divides and carry messages of peace further than they could travel alone. And Butrint uses journalism and honest conversation about the past to give young people room to question, to understand, and to engage with the stories that still shape who we are.
Three different paths. One shared conviction: peace is something we practice, not something we wait for.
The evening itself began guided by Kimete Arifaj, Harmony Hero 2024. Guests took part in a collaborative painting, each person adding a small piece of thoughts around Harmony.
Remarks followed from H.E. Rainer Rudolph, German Ambassador to Kosovo; Ismet Krasniqi, Youth Representative of Kosovo in the RYCO Governing Board; and Krenare Gashi-Krasniqi, Head of the RYCO Local Branch Office in Kosovo.
Across the opening remarks, one message ran through every voice: peace begins close to home, and it is built through understanding, fairness, and the willingness to stand beside one another.
H.E. Rainer Rudolph reminded the room that “cooperation starts at home, with the people around us and with our neighbours.”
Ismet Krasniqi spoke for a generation: “Young people are not asking for favours. They are asking for fairness. And fairness begins with protecting the dignity of every person.”
Krenare Gashi-Krasniqi closed the remarks by reflecting on what it means to be a hero today: people who, through their actions, try to bring others together. “Harmony does not mean always agreeing,” she said. “It means remaining willing to stand beside one another even when we disagree.”
But the real heart of the evening belonged to the young people it was built to celebrate.
Edona spoke about the power of education to move a country forward and to create a sense of belonging, and about wanting to share what she has learned with her own teachers. “Do good in life, and allow that good to reach others,” she said. “For me, peace also means doing good for yourself and for the people around you.”
Ilir spoke about the cost of the peace young people now take for granted. “Peace is not simply given. It has to be built and protected. The peace we have today came through enormous struggle. My grandfather went to war so that none of us would ever have to.”
Butrint dedicated his award to his uncle, who recently passed away, and to the values he stood for, including peace and bringing people together. His message to the room was simple: “Value the people around you, be grateful for what you have, and continue doing your best.”
The evening also recognized Shyret Hoxhaj and Miodrag Denic, who received German language course scholarships at the Goethe-Institut, with the support of the German Embassy. Both have shown real commitment as young people actively engaged within, and in support of, the ethnic communities they belong to. The scholarship isn’t only a thank-you for what they’ve already done; it’s an investment in what they’ll do next, another chance to grow their skills, widen their view of the world, and keep building as peacebuilders in their communities and beyond.
These stories are exactly what the Harmony Hero Award has always tried to show: that meaningful peacebuilding rarely starts with a big institution or a grand plan. It starts in a classroom. Behind a camera or a microphone. In a volunteer shift nobody will post about. In the decision, quiet, deliberate, to make space for someone else to be heard.
So this award isn’t just a nod to what these young people have already done. It’s a nudge to keep going. As Harmony Heroes, the awardees will carry their work forward through follow-up activities, bringing their commitment to peace, dialogue, and cooperation back to the communities they call home.
As this year’s honorees join a growing community of Harmony Heroes, the message stays as simple as it’s always been:
The world needs more harmony — and sometimes, it starts closer to us than we think.
Congratulations to the Harmony Heroes of 2026: Edona Bllaca, Ilir Kicmari, and Butrint Abdyli.
This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.
