Psychosocial Notebook - IOM Publications - International ...

Chapter 4 • Nicola Mai
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Question: Do you really think the whole world hates us?
Subject: Only the politicians in power hate us. There isn’t a single
nation that has a reason to hate us. Whoever came to our
country, had nothing bad to say about it when he returned
home.
[(G5): Serbian man, aged 50. The subject has had a meaningful experience
of solidarity with his Albanian neighbours, and held hopes for a
future of coexistence of Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo].
Question: What does it mean to you to be Yugoslav today?
Subject : Well, it’s nice. I think that simply the most beautiful nation
is – to be Serb. We did lose Kosovo at the moment, but I
think that we turned out to be winners after all. After all, we
confronted such a great force.
Question: Are you referring to the NATO aggression?
Subject: Yes. After all, in some way, we are winners. We weren’t
scared off, we endured all that, and in the end, when it all
stopped, then we drew back. Now, that surprised me. Then
we surrendered – in the end, when we should have continued,
resisted, when it was easiest maybe. And when it was
most difficult, we resisted. However, to be a Serb, I think it
is the best.
Question: Why?
Subject: Well, there are a lot of people who supported us, who gave
us a hand, that’s how we defended ourselves. I was involved
too, I was there when the grenades and rockets fell nearby.
And I got more strength, I became more and more brave, it
didn’t scare me. Simply – the heroism of the people, not just
today, but from the past also, when you remember all that
you’ve learned from history. Then you see that Serbs were
so brave, such people that would not be conquered. It all has
effect, and you find yourself there, you can find yourself in
the past. I can’t compare any nation with Serbs.
Question: You are, actually, very proud that you are a Serb?
Subject: I am proud, because we always fought some wars, and were
always some kind of winners.
[(E8): Serbian man, aged 21, Law student, from urban context, strongly
against the politics of Slobodan Milosevic, whom he considers to be on
the pay roll of some foreign power. He believes in a future for Yugoslavia
which cannot be realized without good relations between ex-Yugoslav
republics].
Question: Tell me, what does it mean for you to be Yugoslav today, in
comparison to before?
Subject: Pure fiction, I think – to live in a state that exists on paper
only, with borders which exist on maps alone, with a tendency
of getting even smaller, with lack of national consciousness,
I don’t know, I tell you, to me it seems to be pure
fiction.
Question: And what is it like to be a Serb today?
Subject: Well, it’s hard. Especially a Serb from Kosovo.