From: pshane@andromeda.rutgers.edu (Ana M. Shane)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.bosna-herzgvna
Subject: Re: Leaders and people (was: A rare occassion of sanity)
Date: 16 Oct 92 05:55:29 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

abrodnik@watdragon.uwaterloo.ca writes:

>And the war is not ended yet, not talking about the conflict. Serbs
>are moving out of Prevlaka and Konavli. Now the relatives of those who
>lost their lives there will start to ask why they lost them. What will
>be answer? And what will be answer, when trading will be reopened
>between Croatia and Serbia, to Croats? How will look to others peoples
>in the area of B&H (whatever will be the political map)? As I said
>that many times, we are not living for today, but for tomorrow and as
>Beaumarchais wrote: "Don't look where are you comming from, but where
>are you going to!" And our children will have to look into each other
>eyes. Will they be able?

>Best regards,

>Andrej

Well, that's what I have tried to get across all this time, in a way.
Namely, that we have to do things now to open at least some possibilities
for the future.

You are right, the whole situation is so complex and escapes a simple
description of a USENET posting. But I am 100% sure that we (whoever)
have to work on diminishing hatred, fear and confusion among all the
peoples of the former Yugoslavia. And I am 100% sure that one of the
ways to do that is to stop blaming NATIONS and begin blaming INDIVIDUALS.

I know that it will ultimatelly be impossible to accuse, prosecute
and sentence to whatever is an appropriate punishment ALL those
involved in this bloody massacre. But It will be better than to
continue with this senseless hatred, vengence (however rightfull)!
and war. It will be better for the people of the same nationality
to have killers and criminals of their own punished, as well as
for the people of the other nationalities to see that the ones who
brought this wrath upon them are punished.

One day when this war is over (no matter how soon or how far in the
future) and the presumably normal criminal laws are established,
it will be imperative for everyone to know that their neighbors
(in the street, in the work, in the theater, or across the border)
are NOT the yesterday's killers, and that justice had reached
their corner of the world.

But justice will never be reached as long as everyone blames ONLY
the other nation for everything. 

So, as I see the future, the only possible thing to do if we wish
our children to be able to look into each other's eyes is to
provide such constitutions and such laws in all the regions (or
states) which would guarantee the punishment of the war criminals
and the full equality of all the civilians (regardless of nationality) in
every possible way (citizenship, ownership, employment, cultural,
educational and religious rights, etc). As long as a Serb fears
that s/he will not be able to get a citizenship in Croatia (like
today!!!) even if for centuries they lived there, there will be no
peace. As long as a Bosnian Moslem fears that s/he doesn't have
the same rights (employment, public office, education, etc), there
will be no peace. (Or Albanian in Kosovo). As long as a Bosnian
Serb thinks that s/he will be a citizen of a lesser status in a
Moslem country, there will be no peace.

So, I think that the only possible way for anyone to look into
anyone's eyes without doubt, without suspicion, without guilt
is to de-nationalize politics, and instead of talking about
Croats, Moslems and Serbs, talk in NAMES (personal, institutional)
as close as possible. And punish all the villans for what they did
not for what nation they belong to.

But as you said, it is awfully complex, even mindboggling, maybe
impossible. Maybe we will live from now on in a constant war,
at least psychological, and with many many more borders between
us than the eventual state borders will show. Because, if the
future and present states will not guarantee civil laws for
everyone, then these countries will turn into a kind of a middle age
leopard skin of little islands of deprived people, living in
isolation and hatred for everyone else.

  With hopes for peace

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Ana M. Shane                              voice: (215)-843-2909
334 Winona St.
Philadelphia, PA 19144      e-mail: pshane@andromeda.rutgers.edu