Migracijske i etničke teme (Sep 2000)
The Balkan Way to Regional Conflict Solving
Abstract
There has always been a common ground for a political union among the peoples of Southeastern Europe, but somehow it has remained sidelined and mired in the turbid torrents of regional politics. The solution, which the small countries of Southeastern Europe could offer is a consociational Balkan region which could only be a non-national state, where every ethnic, religious or linguistic group would have its own cultural infrastructure. It would be a political and economic merger facilitating the consistency of cultural integrity. The Balkan Union could only be a democratic commonwealth of people who are driven by a strong commitment to doing common work. It would not eliminate differences, but would only manage them towards peaceful coexistence without any infringement upon individual liberties. The implementation of this dream depends predominantly on a mutual effort by all Southeast European states. The results from such an effort can only bring about a significant change for the better in the entire region, which is also important for the security and prosperity of Europe as a whole. The recognition of Southeast European heterogeneity is necessary for its future. Due to a crisis in knowledge production, the first step should be development of cultural exchange programs and pan-Balkan meetings, which would generate support for the idea of a Balkan Union. This is the topic on which this study hopes to provoke a discussion.
