People were going around doing their shopping or relaxing in the city's many cafes and bars. However, one does get the feeling that there are many problems just below the surface. For example, the upcoming winter is causing a lot of fear among people. These are the questions that many people are asking and are a source of much concern. An interestingly telling sign of the depth of the insecurity being experienced by the residents of Belgrade in this post-war period involves this summer's solar eclipse.
Numerous stories abound about the media-induced trepidation produced in Belgrade by the eclipse.
For example, BPT was told that on the day of the eclipse the streets of Belgrade were deserted as people stayed indoors for fear of some terrible event occurring. Serbia continues to suffer from international isolation. Many of the organizations that left Belgrade before or during the NATO war on Yugoslavia have been unable to return to the country to resume their work. This break with the outside world has been keenly felt within the activist community in Belgrade. BPT intends to maintain its longstanding relationships with activists and organizations in Serbia, and to make connections with some of the newer groups.