Well the party is over and Kosova is returning to work and normal life. Independence has gone well here but there have been serious demonstrations in Serbian areas and in Serbia, including the violent demolition of two Kosovo – Serbia border posts. For me these recent events have brought back to mind some of the themes of the war in 1998 which led to today’s independence.
In 1998 I worked with a colleague, Faton Mikullovc, whose brother, Jeton, is a famous cartoonist who provides a daily satirical cartoon in Kosova’s leading newspaper. Now, after one memorable day working in an area of destroyed villages and witnessing some Serbian police walking away from a burning village with a fuel canister in hand I suggested an idea for a cartoon for Faton to give to his brother. The idea was this; in those times in Kosova it was quiet common to see Serbian nationalist slogans and symbols daubed on the side of houses, especially after a village had been looted and burned, a common one being, in Cyrillic text, “This is Serbia”. My idea was to depict two slobbish Serbian police languishing against the side of a smouldering house, with “This is Serbia” graffiti on the wall behind. One officer turns to his colleague and asks “Branko, if this is Serbia why are we burning it?!”. During the course of the war few Albanian towns or villages escaped this kind of systematic destruction at the hands of the police or paramilitaries. The Serbian police committed a huge crime; in England if someone burned down your house you would immediately call the police, the irony is that in Kosova in 1998 the police would be already on the crime scene, petrol can and matches in hand!
For me it was the most striking of images, one which goes to the heart of the matter, and raises the most obvious question. Everywhere “This is Serbia”, everywhere the Serbian authorities destroying “Serbia”. If it was Serbia, why were they systematically burning it down? Now ten years later the Serbian anti-Kosova independence protestors are proclaiming a new but familiar slogan “Kosovo is Serbia”. Now why, for even one second, should the happily independent citizens of Kosova invite the same Serbian authorities back? Even the sight of Serbian police in Prishtina would be enough to bring back ripples of fear to most people living here that experienced the war. This is what international politicians mean when they say Serbia has lost the moral right to govern Kosova.
And the sad thing is that Serbia, on a collective level, does not appear to be changing. Unfortunately the Serbian state media has hidden, or does not want to tell, what the Serbian police did in Kosova (nor indeed in any other place in ex- Yugoslavia). The public have not been given the facts and not been allowed to deal with what the Serbian state did in their name. Thus there is no opportunity for collective reflection, remorse and, ultimately, reconciliation. It seems to me that Serbia is in the state of wounded pride and reactionary chauvinism that Germany was after World War One and we know from history where that led Europe in the 1930s. Serbia needs to go through the stage of collective remorse and awakening that Germany went through after 1945; only then will Serbia be mature enough to join the family of European nations. This is Serbia.
26 February 2008
17 February 2008
Republic of Kosova
Well finally here it is, we are now living in the independent Republic of Kosova.
Today at 12.22 am our son completed his first orbit of the Sun on his new found vehicle, Planet Earth, and at 15.40 pm the Kosova Prime Minister declared independence. All day the streets of Prishtina have thronged with people waving flags, letting off fireworks (yes, from the middle of the crowds!) or just walking around smiling and happy. And there has been some shooting – “happy shooting” as its called here – when shots are fired up into the sky in celebration. Its chaos really but that’s the Balkan way of having a party, even on days like today when the temperature has not topped minus six all day.
Our son of course has been oblivious to all this. He has had a bunch of small children around and got very tired playing and toddling around after little ones and adults alike. We, the adults, are now very tired…its been a funny old day. We live right in the centre of Prishtina and historic events have been happening all around us whilst we held one-year olds party. We all go to bed tonight the same people that woke this morning even though we now live in Europe’s newest country.
Today at 12.22 am our son completed his first orbit of the Sun on his new found vehicle, Planet Earth, and at 15.40 pm the Kosova Prime Minister declared independence. All day the streets of Prishtina have thronged with people waving flags, letting off fireworks (yes, from the middle of the crowds!) or just walking around smiling and happy. And there has been some shooting – “happy shooting” as its called here – when shots are fired up into the sky in celebration. Its chaos really but that’s the Balkan way of having a party, even on days like today when the temperature has not topped minus six all day.
Our son of course has been oblivious to all this. He has had a bunch of small children around and got very tired playing and toddling around after little ones and adults alike. We, the adults, are now very tired…its been a funny old day. We live right in the centre of Prishtina and historic events have been happening all around us whilst we held one-year olds party. We all go to bed tonight the same people that woke this morning even though we now live in Europe’s newest country.
16 February 2008
A Long Road
It is nearly ten years since I came to Kosova for the first time in August 1998, during the war of liberation. I have seen life under the Serbian regime; people living as refugees in their own country, whole families living under plastic sheeting in make shift camps in the forests, houses burning and whole villages destroyed, school teachers defending their homes against tanks with rifles. I have been evacuated from here just days before the NATO aerial bombing campaign knowing friends were left behind. Whilst working in the refugee camps in Macedonia I have shared some of the suffering of thousands forced to leave Kosova. I have witnessed the Serbian generals meet NATO generals in Macedonia in June 1999 to surrender Kosova to NATO. Stood watching with crowds of refugee men, women and children, as an endless column of the British Army vehicles enters Kosova and, along with everyone else, including the soldiers, cried tears of joy at the sight. I have worked to repair damaged homes and worked with people rebuilding their damaged lives. Helped build institutions of a new state and step by step seen a country rebuild itself. And been proud and honoured to have played a small part.
So it has surely been a long road to independence. Tomorrow will come another land mark in Kosova’s history when Prime Minister Thaqi makes the long awaited declaration. The streets are adorned with flags and already there is a sense of celebration, of a party waiting to happen. People here deserve to enjoy it so lets hope its a peaceful one.
So our little son knew what he was doing when he was born three days later than expected; his own big struggle for independence will now for always be celebrated on Kosova independence day. And right now one of Enita’s elderly aunts, Fatmire, is seriously ill and not expected to live too much longer. I hope no one alive here today, who will have waited so long for this, dies before they know their country is, for the first time in its history, just that - a country.
So it has surely been a long road to independence. Tomorrow will come another land mark in Kosova’s history when Prime Minister Thaqi makes the long awaited declaration. The streets are adorned with flags and already there is a sense of celebration, of a party waiting to happen. People here deserve to enjoy it so lets hope its a peaceful one.
So our little son knew what he was doing when he was born three days later than expected; his own big struggle for independence will now for always be celebrated on Kosova independence day. And right now one of Enita’s elderly aunts, Fatmire, is seriously ill and not expected to live too much longer. I hope no one alive here today, who will have waited so long for this, dies before they know their country is, for the first time in its history, just that - a country.
15 February 2008
"A New Country is Born"
Last night Enita and I went out for Valentine's Day dinner to a near-by restuarant and found ourselves sat at the next table to Hashim Thaqi, the Kosovo Prime Minister, and man of the hour in Europe at the moment. He seemed quite relaxed for a man who will, it is expected, very soon make the announcement that Europe has a new country. The expected date for the declaration of independence is Sunday 17th February. Preparations continue here although no one really knows what will happen with any certainty. Posters are going up around the city saying "A New Country is Born".
Let us pray for a peaceful pain-free birth and that on Sunday morning Europe's new son has a smile on its face, like our son did one year ago to the day!
Let us pray for a peaceful pain-free birth and that on Sunday morning Europe's new son has a smile on its face, like our son did one year ago to the day!
A Tough Task
One of my tasks here is to chair the Boards of three regional water companies. On Wednesday this week I had a Board meeting of one of these water companies. On the agenda was the review of the Managing Director’s contract which comes up for renewal once a year. This year change was obviously in the air in Kosova since my fellow Board members voted unanimously not to renew his contract. This means, as Chairman, the duty falls to me to inform the Managing Director of, what would be to him, the very bad news. He has been working for the water company for thirty four years.
Now it seems to me that despite the difficulty of this situation there is a choice involved; to do this tough job with some kindness or not. And there is a choice in the response; to receive the decision with acceptance and dignity or not. If the former is done the latter often follows. And this reminded me of someone I worked with some years ago when I was young manager in the construction industry. For a couple of years I worked with an elderly site foreman called Peter who at first meeting seemed a soft gentle Irishman, and indeed he was. But he was the only person I have ever met who did not hesitate to dismiss a lazy or incompetent worker, which sadly needs to be done from time to time, and do it in such a way the fired employee would, and I have witnessed this, actually thank him afterwards. He left no bitterness in executing tough decisions that many people shy away from. Often this kind of action is not done out of fear or done with a kind of gung ho approach that leaves a lot of bad feeling. I learned a bit, I think, from Peter that if done with honesty and equanimity then firing someone can be done without ill feeling and in a way that does not produce anger.
But it still is not easy and one of the hardest things to do in working life. This occasion was no exception; I like the Managing Director and have known him for a number of years now, he is a man of quiet dignity, a real gentlemen, and it was no surprise that his response to the news was received in a way in keeping with his character. I felt sad to have to tell him but I believe it is for the best, the water company in question was going no where fast and an improved water company may benefit many people.
Now it seems to me that despite the difficulty of this situation there is a choice involved; to do this tough job with some kindness or not. And there is a choice in the response; to receive the decision with acceptance and dignity or not. If the former is done the latter often follows. And this reminded me of someone I worked with some years ago when I was young manager in the construction industry. For a couple of years I worked with an elderly site foreman called Peter who at first meeting seemed a soft gentle Irishman, and indeed he was. But he was the only person I have ever met who did not hesitate to dismiss a lazy or incompetent worker, which sadly needs to be done from time to time, and do it in such a way the fired employee would, and I have witnessed this, actually thank him afterwards. He left no bitterness in executing tough decisions that many people shy away from. Often this kind of action is not done out of fear or done with a kind of gung ho approach that leaves a lot of bad feeling. I learned a bit, I think, from Peter that if done with honesty and equanimity then firing someone can be done without ill feeling and in a way that does not produce anger.
But it still is not easy and one of the hardest things to do in working life. This occasion was no exception; I like the Managing Director and have known him for a number of years now, he is a man of quiet dignity, a real gentlemen, and it was no surprise that his response to the news was received in a way in keeping with his character. I felt sad to have to tell him but I believe it is for the best, the water company in question was going no where fast and an improved water company may benefit many people.
12 February 2008
Local Hero
Today I had a meeting with the mayor of Skenderaj, a small town in the central area of Kosova and a town long associated with the origins of the Kosova Liberation Army (KLA). Adem Jashari, a hero of Kosova’s war in 1998-99 who was killed by Serbian forces in March 1998, hails from a village near Skenderaj. So it was interesting to me that for no apparent reason the meeting, in the mayor’s private office, was attended by Adem Jashari’s brother. A proud man with a traditional and very mighty handlebar moustache (noticeably stained yellow in the middle from too many cigarettes, which he smoked from a long plastic cigarette holder, presumably to stop the moustache catching fire) and wearing an Albanian plis (a traditional white hat, shaped a bit like half an egg) complete with a smart business suit and tie. What was strange was that as far as I know he holds no position in the mayor’s office and was there simply due to his status as a member of the heroic Jashari family. We talked for a while about water supply issues and then, of course, about independence. Two things struck me…first of all neither of these two public figures of Kosova life knew any more than I did about when the big day would be (but the 17th is still favourite) and second how concerned they were that the events would be peaceful and that all citizens of Kosova, Albanian and Serbian, would benefit. I came away feeling more optimistic that all would go well, kismet.
10 February 2008
The Inevitable Day...
Like the huge meteor cruising towards Planet Earth in the Hollywood blockbuster movie "Independence Day" such a day is slowly moving through time and space to Kosova. I doubt it will have such Earth shattering consequences but the whole thing now appears similarly inevitable and completely unstoppable. Boris Tadic won the Serbian election and, being the good guy in the eyes of Europe, has delayed the inevitable day whilst a few more discussions go on but he has not and cannot stop it. Here the news is now completely mono-topical; there are non-stop discussions about preparations, for instance the Kosova Philamonic Orchestra needs to be readied, a flag needs to be chosen, celebrations planned.
The most talked about day for all this happening is now the 17th February, which happens to be our son's first Birthday. I am still not sure that it will be such a good idea that for the rest of his life he is inflicited with sharing his birthday with Kosova's historic independence day.
The most talked about day for all this happening is now the 17th February, which happens to be our son's first Birthday. I am still not sure that it will be such a good idea that for the rest of his life he is inflicited with sharing his birthday with Kosova's historic independence day.
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