Meet our staff

Dajana Berisha

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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 Sanchez

Director of Strategic Initiatives

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

Director of Finance

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 Mejdeen

Policy Researcher Program Manager

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.

Arnis Agushi

IT and Social Media Manager

Arnis Agushi studies Computer Science and Engineering at UBT. Arnisi joined FIQ in September 2021 as an intern and now assists in the maintenance and updating of FIQ communication channels, while also being the organization’s IT.

Dea Saraçi

Communication and Social Media

Dea Saraçi completed her studies at “AAB” University, Department of “Mass Communication and Journalism”. She became part of the Forum for Civic Initiatives on October in 2021. Earlier, Dea worked as a journalist for a period of six months at “ATV”, where she had the opportunity to develop her communication skills through various stories, which she worked on.

Blerta Kuçi

Intern

Blerta Kuçi is a 3rd year student at the Faculty of Law at the University of Pristina “Hasan Prishtina”. In addition to her studies, she participates in various local and international trainings, workshops and courses related to various topics, including human rights, women’s empowerment, gender equality, rule of law and environmental protection. Blerta was also won a scholarship during her 3 years of study at the Faculty of Law, University of Pristina “Hasan Prishtina” as an excellent student.

Diona Zhubi

Intern

Diona Zhubi is a third-year student at the Faculty of Law “Hasan Prishtina” University. In addition to regular studies, she has also completed various trainings and voluntary work in which she has gained various experiences. Diona won the “Konrad Adenauer Foundation (Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung)” scholarship in Kosovo and also the scholarship within the Faculty of Law, University of Pristina “Hasan Prishtina”.