Civil society in Kosova has expressed itself in distinct ways before and after the war. When the whole population was threatened by the Milosevic regime, the society showed remarkable signs of organization and solidarity. However, after 1999, when this immediate threat was no longer there and the competitiveness for foreign funds began, this solidarity weakened. In the 1990s civil society organizations were usually membership based and voluntary. At the same time they played a major role in supporting the parallel government of Kosovo, by providing services such as health. While, after the war, there was a large increase in the number of NGOs. These NGOs were not membership based, they were entrepreneurially minded and run much like businesses.

The experience of Kosovo has demonstrated that ‘NGOs’ do not mean ‘civil society.’ The few movements that tried to deal with the issues close to the heart of the population were ignored by the international administration and the newly created institutions. That was one of the key reasons for the 2004 violent burst of the post-war political and social bubble. Thus, the most important lesson from Kosovo's experience is that when social and political grievances do not find a strong voice in the civil society and that voice is ignored, the society can turn violent.

The profound collective experience of Kosovo Albanians in the 1990s has taught them to create extrafamilial connections and organize in civil society organizations to improve their lives. This defies notions that culture is the main determinant of civil society expressions and development, and that societies with low trust cultures have no hope. Culture is dynamic and can change, or adapt phenomenally when faced with external threats or very attractive incentives. A strong foundation for a progressive civil society in Kosovo exists, and this civil society will play a large role in managing the social transformations to take place in this important phase of Kosovo's development.

While Kosovo Serbs' reliance on state support has meant that civil society organizations are very weak, the experience of other minorities in Kosovo is more diverse with cultural organizations having a long tradition of representation.

Currently, the bad state of the Kosovan economy, the very small middle class, the deep level of distrust between Albanians and Serbs, and the urban-rural divide are continuing to be impediments to the creation of social capital and the increase of level of trust in the society.