Vasfije Krasniqi Goodman tells in New York how hard it was to talk to Kosovo about what happened to him

Vasfije Krasniqi Goodman, says it has not been easy since she first spoke to her countrymen about the horror she had experienced in the hands of Serbian forces, though she had spoken earlier in Geneva and Korea about the most painful experience of her life.

But when I spoke in Kosovo, it was quite another thing, that it is different to speak where the case happened, in our country. But since I spoke, I broke the silence, now I am better, and I hope to give women strength and courage, other men to speak publicly in Kosovo”, she said in an interview for the Voice of America.

But to understand fully its strength, as a survivor of sexual violence during the war, you must not neglect its frailty and the trauma that is always present, expressed in the form of emotions.

Because Vasfie barely gave the interview for the Voice of America. <x) Feridia tenderly but without obligation moved her. Vasfia says that if other survivors cannot speak publicly, they should do so privately.

Then freedom to speak to family, marriage mates, parents, brothers, sisters, and having the support and support of how I have it, not just from my family, that it is now understood by all Kosovars, of all Albanians I am having enormous support and support”, she said.

In October last year, Vasfije Krasniqi Goodman, overwhelmed by emotions, became the first survivor of sexual violence by Serb forces during the war, who spoke without hiding his identity. With her act she gave a face of suffering and the horror of over 20,000 such victims.

Goodman and Rushiti were this week in New York, where they participated in an international conference under the leadership of peace Nobelists for their contribution to the victims of sexual violence in the war, Denis Mukwege Foundation and Nadia Murad, where they talked about Kosovo's experience.

“Conference has an international character that has brought in many global initiatives, but above all of the world's experiences that are isolated, it is Kosovo's experience and Colombia's experience, for the fact that these two states have only started working and operating in the area of reparation of victims of sexual violence”, Rushiti said.

Vasfije Krasniqi Goodman, in a message for those who have suffered like her, says that “we have suffered in silence for 20 years”.

“We are as silent as possible, we are protecting the Serb, defending what he committed, destroying ourselves, our lives, so we must talk, don't forgive the Serb, understand what the world has done even institutions and states to protect us that Serbia has apologized for the cases it has done and to pay compensation for what it has done, and to take full justice”, she says.

Rushiti says her organisation and other organisations have made efforts to hear the voice of survivors and that one of the main goals was achieved last year when Kosovo institutions expressed readiness to recognise themselves as victims of war and to provide compensation in the form of a personal pension.

“... which is not only monetary compensation, is recognition of the suffering, recognition of the pain and spiritual plague of over 20 thousand women and men, boys and girls who were tortured and raped during the war”, she said.

But Rushiti says compensation is not enough.

We think that the next challenge for us and for all survivors of the sex violence of war is the approach to justice for the fact that now 20 years after the war we don't have a single criminal behind bars, for the crime done during the war period, so it is our duty, but also for society, and for institutions to do further in empowering these women, girls and men to seek justice close to Kosovo institutions<1>, she says.

Goodman and Rushiti not only embody the voice of survivors and activists who have become their most powerful lawyers. They also bring them with them in a symbolic way. On Rushiti's black T - shirt, a yellow flower is glistened, which has become a campaign for senbilization for the sacrifices of survivors of sexual violence during the war. And on Goodman's red golf, a special necklace is spotted. It's one of the creations of women from Kosovo, who as she has survived.