Valdete Idrizi was born in Mitrovica, and in the last decade led Community Building Mitrovica (CBM), a multi-ethnic NGO that seeks to bridge the divide between the different communities living in the Mitrovica region. In 2008, she was the European winner of the International Women of Courage Award, by the US State Department. Valdete is the honoree of the Soroptimist Peace Prize in 2009, for her work and dedication to the people and peace in Mitrovica. She is one of the founders of the Mitrovica Forum, and remains a local activist by serving as a board members of many orgnisations and institutions. Valdete studied geology, and is currently finalising her MA degree studies on conflict transformation at the University of Novi Sad, in cooperation with Responding to Conflict (Birmingham) and Nansen Academy (Norway).