SESAME STREET - SESAME STREET TO PROMOTE RACIAL TOLERANCE

Enduring US kids TV show SESAME STREET is being exported to former warzone Kosovo in a bid to promote racial diversity. In 26 special episodes, broadcast in Serbian and Albanian languages, ELMO, COOKIE MONSTER and BIG BIRD will expound the importance of tolerance among ethnic groups. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which has arranged the screenings, hope the show will address the "educational needs of children and encourage respect and understanding". The group adds, "These segments will feature children from various ethnic groups, providing a window into Kosovo's rich diversity." Kosovo was plagued by conflict between 1996 and 1999 when Albanian separatists fought for their independence against Serbian and Yugoslav security forces.