Kosovo is a nation at a crossroads. A nation reborn.

As Europe’s youngest nation, following the heartbreaking turmoil of the 1999 civil war, they are trying their absolute best to rebuild with peace, prosperity, and unity. Unfortunately, political and social influences are slowing their efforts to truly be equal among each other and the world.

In September 2019, I visited my friends in Kosovo who I met through the art of dance. This was my first time ever in Europe. I wanted to experience Kosovo first-hand. I wanted to live it. Take it all in. 

 (Quick collaboration with Megi, a dear friend and one of the lead Ballerinas in the National Ballet of Kosovo, and latin dancer. This was choreographed and shot in less than 3 hours at the Teatri Kombetar (National Theater))

Through the stories I was told, I was heartbroken and hopped on that flight with zero expectation. I wanted to enter into the nation with a clear mind. Upon arriving and after the first week, I was inspired. That despite all the destruction, turmoil, and sad history of violence, rape, and injustice, that development and growth is indeed happening. It was remarkable, but there is still lots of work to do. The citizens of Kosovo are some of the hardest working people I have met and their potential is endless. But they need guidance. They need opportunity. 

 (This was shot at the National Ballet of Kosovo’s weekly showcases with the nation’s first female lead Ballerina, Teuta, who I’m fortunate to call a dear friend, showing just how dedicated and hard working the people of this nation are. Truly beautiful.)

As a Canadian, our systems and values seek to help those in need across the globe. As a developed country, we seek to support those around the world. In the last 5 years, Canada has spent $900M in supporting developing nations. We strive for global gender equality, youth empowerment, and power in diversity. I am no different. I am a child raised by his wonderful immigrant Grandmother from the age of 3, who came to Canada during the Korean War, and welcomed with open arms into this country in the 1950s. I am proud to call Canada my home. Not for what we have developed for our people, but for what we offer to the world. Love and support. And I refuse to take that opportunity for granted. But I can’t do it alone. And I need your help. No, Kosovo needs our help. 

 (up in the mountains of Kosovo, where I taught one of my specialities (hip-hop) to the Ballerinas of Kosovo. They pick up fast. REALLY fast. As my specialities originated in the western world. It was rare for them to experience this type of movement. This shows that despite what may be going on behind the scenes of the country, and any language barriers, we can all be at peace in dance.)

Dance is a universal language. It knows no bounds. It shares respect. It encourages collaboration across all walks of life. It promotes peace, harmony, and unity. It provides equal opportunity for all. A multi-year research study by the Canada Council for the Arts surveyed 2800 dance organizations and 100 genres across Canada and identified a social framework on the beneficial outcomes of dance. They were as follows:

• Physical and psychological well-being of individuals.
• Empowerment of specific groups that often live at the margins of society.
• Education; Empowerment of children and youth.
• Intellectual enrichment.
• Connection to / Understanding of cultural/linguistic groups.
• Sense of community, belonging, attachment and identity, civic engagement. 

 (As a tourist during my trip, I knew had to represent my country of Canada. In the talent we have here and the love we have for other nations. The only way that I knew best is through dance. I thank the people of Kosovo for allowing me to share my craft and I hope to see them all again soon with bigger dreams that support everyone.)

Project Kosovo in its simplest form is a dance studio. In its macro form, it’s an inclusive creative space where equal opportunities are given to everyone despite segmentation of gender, race, and class to:

•  Lead in making decisions with confidence.
•  Teach classes to build leadership skills.
•  Work as a Team in performances and community events.
•  Learn life skills, work ethic, and professional skills to either pursue the arts as a career or translate these skills to other disciplines.

Although Kosovo is striving to develop and has already taken significant steps towards gender equality broadly aligned with international and EU standards (EULEX), “women continue to be underrepresented in decision-making processes at all levels” (Kosovo Agency of Statistics). In addition, “the implementation of the Law of Gender Equality is still slow and incomplete.”

Here are some quick stats according to the 2019 Q1 Labour Force Survey by the Kosovo Agency of Statistics to paint a picture of the things we don’t see:

• Almost two-thirds of the population is of working age (15-64 y.o.) and is expected to increase rapidly over the next decade.
• Of the working age, 61.3% are not economically active.
• Of the 38.7% that are economically active, 26.9% (125 717) are unemployed.
• The unemployment rate for females is 31.6% and males 25.4%.
• The employment rate for females is 13.3% and males 43.0%.

We aim to develop programming suited for all but more specifically around closing gender gaps. We plan to do this by offering women and youth the opportunity to learn from experienced choreographers, train, and allow them to shine by performing in front of an audience at shows, performances, local events. What we consider micro-opportunities. Opportunities of low risk and higher frequency for the benefit of experience, confidence boosting, and leadership training.

How will the funds be used?

Half of the funds received will be used to offset the capital costs of the dance studio. Once we find a space, minimum 2000 sq.ft. to accommodate 40 students, we’ll be required to install flooring, mirrors, audio equipment, and office supplies. The other half will be used to impact the community immediately, by hiring 2-3 Kosovar women in leadership positions to also teach dance classes of their own. We’ll also use the remaining funds to provide free dance programs for at-risk youth under the age of 12. We hope this to be a continuing effort to help positively impact the youth and women of Kosovo. 

Our two biggest costs will be rent and salaries ($10 000 annually per person initially – which is above average for women of the nation).

We anticipate breakeven by end of year 2 of operation.

My travel costs and accommodations will be paid for out of pocket from my freelancing career. My salary will be exactly the same (if not less) than the leaders of Project Kosovo to lead by example that equal opportunity and equal pay is critical to the sustainability of the project and its anticipated socio-economic impact.

Who am I?

I have been a dancer, in the genres of popping, breaking, and hip-hop, for over 14 years. Along with 3 friends, we co-created the largest (by # of students) hip-hop dance club in Kingston, Ontario, Canada called FLOW Dance Club alongside the support of the Queen’s University Athletics and Recreation Centre. Project Kosovo is a close relationship to this past endeavour. I’ve seen and witnessed the power of dance first-hand and its positive social impacts on a community.

Started in 2006 (before the iPhone even existed), by 2 women and 2 men (including myself), FLOW Dance Club was built as a small community to spread the awareness of hip-hop dance, its cultural roots, and the ability to “freestyle” (dance by one’s own movements independently). We started off as 4 classes (one for each teacher) with 20 students (averaging 80% women and 20% men) with semi-annual showcases averaging 50 audience members which then grew to 6 classes of 150 students with 200-500 audience members per show by 2011 (my last year).

Over the years, we built FLOW Performance Crew where we held auditions for those who wanted to join the crew that performs and competes across Ontario at showcases such as the Ontario Universities Competition for Hip-Hop, open for global artists such as Hedley, and were even given opportunities to hold a TED Talk (before we knew what TED was). Many of early members, including myself, auditioned for So You Think You Can Dance Canada, some making it into the top 100. 

Over time, we saw all members of FLOW graduate from Queen’s and pursue their professional careers. Some chose to take the dive to pursue dance as a full-time career, which rarely was an option and a complete afterthought before FLOW. Some chose to take the work ethic, leadership, and educational skills to their business, political, and research endeavours. For example, one of the founding members, achieved her Ph.D and developed a program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health where addicts used dance as a form of rehabilitation.

Continuing to this day at Queen’s University, going on to its 14th year, we now see an even more diverse group of students, teachers, leadership, performers, and classes. It’s truly a blessing to see this level of diversity that we never expected.

Today, my primary area of work is a Freelance Marketing Architect. I use my experiences in technology implementation and management in addition to my education in the field of mathematics and science to empower marketers, execute campaigns, and solve complex marketing problems for services business that are sub-$50M in revenue.

I am also the author of “Dear Me.” a book about my personal journey in overcoming dark times and about self-love.

Note.

In addition to crowdfunding, a submission was made to Global Affairs Canada for $400,000 across 3 years in funding the capital required to begin building the community internationally.

Project Kosovo falls in line with their mandate and policies surrounding Feminist International Assistance. More specifically the following areas:

• Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls.
• Human Dignity.
• Growth that Works for Everyone.
• Inclusive Governance.
• Peace and Security.

The full Concept Note is made publicly available at www.iamandrewyang.com/kosovo as I believe the need for transparency and awareness in the work required to drive global gender equality and power in diversity is of far importance.

In addition, I am documenting the entire journey on Youtube at www.youtube.com/iamandrewyang to bring those who support us along for the ride. It’s going to be an incredible journey from start to finish and hope you will be able to join us for this adventure too!

PS. Our reward system on Kickstarter is open to ideas! The more we can offer supporters / backers the better! This project would not have been possible without support from backers, just like you, from around the world! If you have a reward idea, please send me a note at me@iamandrewyang.com and I’d be happy to consider it!

Let’s provide opportunities and guidance to those who need it most. We can do it. We can do it together!