Meet our staff

Dajana Berisha is the Executive Director of the Forum for Civic Initiatives. Dajana joined the forum in February 2013 to manage the development and direction of the Forum including design objectives, strategies and activities. Her previous professional experiences include policy-making in areas such as employment, social affairs and migration in order to support active employment policies combined with economic assistance for poverty alleviation.  Dajana graduated in the field of linguistics and literature, holds an MA in International Migration Policies and Development from the University of Sussex, and was educated in Albania, Great Britain, Denmark and Sweden.

Dustin seeks to continue to build the legend of Kosovar resilience by working to develop climate change civil society in the Republic of Kosovo. Climate change is already disrupting regional Balkan economies and will strain peacekeeping operations. Mitigation of the impacts of climate change in Kosovo requires civil society adaptation and resilience building through a socially just transition into a sustainable circular economy.

Dustin visited family in Kosovo following the 2008 independence declaration while serving as an Intelligence Analyst for the United States Army in Iraq. He returned to Kosovo in 2022 as a prestigious Fulbright Fellow conducting research on the environmental consequences of conflict and climate change adaptation in the Rahovec wine region of the Republic of Kosovo with the Department of Geomatics, Geoinformation, Earth and Space Observation in the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the University of Prishtina. He is currently completing his Ph.D. in Geography and Environmental Studies at Texas State University where he studies climate change resilience and adaptation. He received his B.A. in History from University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in 2014 where he studied border conflict and conflict histories and a M.S. in Environmental Science from West Texas A&M where he studied phytoremediation and analytical soil chemistry. In 2020, COVID-19 upended his career in the American environmental sector, and he began his doctoral studies.

Sefë Govori studied at the Faculty of Economics at the University of Pristina. As Director of Finance, Sefa brings over 15 years of financial management experience to the FIQ organization. In this role, Sefa leads all financial aspects of the organization including accounting practices, budgeting, financial planning and monitoring financial performance.

Before joining FIQ, Sefa held various challenging positions as Project Manager in the International Organization for Migration (IOM – Kosovo), Finance Manager in various private companies.

Avyan is a Fulbright ETA in Kosovo, Pristina, teaching and assisting in various law courses. Along with teaching, Avyan will work on a proposal through the Pristina law school on legal research. As an aspiring human rights attorney, Avyan believes that it is important to grow in understanding and communication by being an involved member of the communities one lives in. With these growing connections and skills, Avyan aspires to become an advocate and global leader in human rights and justice.

Altina Nika Krasniqi joined our organization in October 2023. She has an outstanding educational background and rich experience in the field of project management and the legal sector. She completed her Bachelor’s studies at the Faculty of Law at the University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina,” where she demonstrated a strong commitment to legal knowledge and skills. In addition, she also completed her Bachelor’s studies at the Faculty of Business and Administration at the International College “Universum,” where she developed a deep understanding of business management and administration.

With five years of work experience in project management, Altina has acquired in-depth knowledge and excellent skills in this field. Before joining our organization, she worked in non-governmental organizations such as “The Ideas Partnership”, “Assist Kosovo” and “Bllacaku Law Associate”, contributing to the implementation of various projects that have had a positive impact on society and communities. Throughout her career journey, Altina completed professional internships in important institutions and organizations, including the “Kosovo Center for Security Studies – KCSS”, ” The Basic Court of Prishtina”, “Kallxo.com”, ” The Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo,” and “KosovaLive360.” She also attended two political academies in well-known organizations, “Friedrich Ebert Stiftung – FES” and “Balkans Policy Research Group – BPRG,” where she gained profound knowledge of political and social issues affecting the region. With such an educational and professional profile, Altina Nika Krasniqi is a valuable and dedicated asset to our organization’s team, ready to contribute her expertise and skills to achieve the organization’s goals.