It’s Time to "Serb" Things Different

26.08.2009

Be it Serbia’s elegant tackling of Kosovo issue or the immaculate organization of Universiade 2009, be it the country’s democratic track record and commendable administrative capacity or its sport achievements (most recent waterpolo world championship 2009 and swimming medals of Milorad Cavic and a rising star Nadja Higl), reasons are many to take a new “photo” of Serbia.

While many admit that the currently available Serbian “portraits and landscapes” in the media seem quite different than a few years ago, they still don’t seem enough “European” for the European Union leaders to anticipate even the Serbian EU candidacy status. Nor do they seem sufficient to make Serbs feel they really belong to this family, as they still need to go through humiliating visa process in order to even visit the European Union.

Thus a graffiti "Хоћемо у Азију" (trans. We want to go to Asia) in the center of Belgrade should come as no surprise, though one may find it witty. Namely, it is the local way of saying - "we are in Europe", for those in the EU club who have not been informed.

That Belgrade is a European city not many doubt. The first glimpse of this remarkable place makes one think of this. As any other European capital, the city has its own dilemmas e.g. should it be more European or its own (Serbian)? The founder of Belgrade Despot Stefan Lazarevic provides the answer- „Сарађуј са свима, сачувај своје!“ (trans. Cooperate with everyone, maintain what is yours). And it seems, Belgrade follows the wise advice of this great Serbian medieval knight.

A modern version of this slogan “Остајемо овде, ми смо у Европи” (trans. We remain here, we’re in Europe) emerged on the billboards in Kragujevac, fourth biggest city in Serbia. City management made this possible. Not so long ago the poorest in Serbia, this industrial city is booming now with top three Serbian people brands investing in lumps to recreate the golden life of the sixties when Kragujevac was at its best with Zastava car factory. Or even better- the nineteenth century when Kragujevac was the Serbian capital and its first constitution here adopted.

Back in the future, it is in Kragujevac that Novak Djokovic is building 8 tennis courts with a hotel complex. It is here that the NBA legend Vlade Divac is constructing a residential building complex worth no less than 22 million Euros. And it is here that film editor, musician and architect in recent times- Kusturica, will revamp the first cannon factory in Serbia by turning it into a cinema and restaurant.

Fortunately, keeping Serbia’s time capsule for the nineties is becoming increasingly old-fashioned among journalists and academics. Even at the time when Milosevic died I got contacted by a major German media with a comment “we’re so bored with whole this Milosevic issue. We hoped you could provide something fresh for our report”. 

In addition, researchers and students writing their theses about Kosovo and recent developments in Serbia are more willing to hear other arguments and reconsider results of the Yugoslav wars from a more balanced point of view. International open-minded tourists, likewise, are discovering Serbia as it really is, on the ground. Furthermore, majority of those who already visited Serbia are on alert for positive stories about it that reflect their experience.

Many Serbs, for their part, found alternatives to feeling European. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” defense mechanism helped. While technology facilitated absorption of “European values” by internet, isolation enabled them to focus on themselves and learn to live a cut-off, yet self-reliant, and no less fulfilled life.

Three years ago I wrote an article arguing that main Serbian brands were war, bombing and Milosevic. Last year, Serbian tennis trio Novak Djokovic, Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic seem to have replaced these as major Serbian brands. And the usual reaction Serbs can expect these days in major western countries appears to be sympathy. It is “we are really sorry about Kosovo, BUT…” Someone might dare say “we are/ were wrong”, but not yet “let’s take the right way, let’s join forces to correct the mistake”.

This leaves possibility for mistakes to multiply. Sooner than many expected in e.g. South Ossetia. Many other regions will follow and it will be interesting to watch international lawyers and UN officials finding the way out of this mess. Now that international law and the UN give the impression of decoration on the world scene of influence, the real leaders and value collectors will have a hard time to raise mango in Siberia i.e. to reestablish basic principles that apply for all “united nations”.

One might find these words childishly critical, yet difficult to argue against. Therefore, I challenge people with common sense to arm themselves with patience while insisting on values. Namely, the world can change one step at the time, only if we change first.

Once this personal change takes place, concerted, strategic efforts to match it can follow. Leadership outside political milieu from cult scientific, art and innovative research community might be a good way to build up a new headship from young generations. Generations who have seen Serbia from inside and outside - Serbian Diaspora- not stuck in the nineties time capsule. Or even better, people who were not there either in the nineties and who could, therefore, easily see beyond it.

A recent conference of young leaders in Belgrade showed more than good will of ambitious youth of Serbian origin from all over the world to get engaged. The conference was quite refreshing both in terms of its concept and in terms of results... Watch out, more miracles are yet to pop out from Serbia, the wonderland.