Polyparty-ism - Search for Common Ground

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Tradition should be conquered continuously 136 Danilo Kocevski With the new situation created after the 2001 conflict, many people, mainly the good-willed, remained confused: hey, haven't we lived together in this region, do we have to be taught to live together now? Tradition, like freedom, is not permanent, it must be asserted time and again. Some elements of a certain tradition remain, another disappears, a third should be updated. Many misunderstandings are justly created by the fact that today, in the beginning of the twentyfirst century and the new millennium, the international community is about to instruct us how to live together! And so it will, since we unreasonably and without any grounds introduce "disorder in the system," we cut off and question tradition. The reason why certain civilizations at times suddenly fail, are not always fully accounted for. Apparently, in a broader macro-dimension a spiritual, economic, moral or social impediment obstructs. And then, everything must start again, although certain aspects from previous achievements and tradition remain in some form. The stronger the tradition, the more chance that its elements may "survive," may transform themselves into new forms. At times the forces of destruction can't destroy everything, but they question things to a great extent and seek new ways of revision that are inevitable. If one takes into account the tradition of cohabitation in the past two centuries, it is obvious that there have been oscillations, ups and downs. Forces of progress and destruction have continuously changed places. However forces of progress have prevailed here. In that sense and spirit I wrote my article in the previous issue of Multiethnic Forum, "The Bazaar means encounter, not separation." This text is only its logical succession. For, if the tradition of cohabitation is strong for a longer period, it will survive more easily all the shattering and re-examinations. Today we are obviously under such shattering and re-examinations. After my text was published in Multiethnic Forum, a friend Z. from Skopje whom I have known since before the earthquake encounters me in the Bazaar, riding his bicycle. I admire him because each weekend, he rides through the hills surrounding Skopje by bike. "We read your article in Multiethnic Forum", he says, S. did too (he is our mutual childhood friend, an Albanian). He believes that children should read it and remember it as well. To make them see how life used to be before. And that is exactly what we need: if tradition is strong, it can not be overlooked or forgotten. Destruction can not undermine or obliterate it. I often sit by the fountain, in the heart of the Old Bazaar, under the shadows of the huge oak tree and the water that gurgles pleasantly in the middle of the fountain between the restaurant tables set all around. I order a cup of coffee, but coffee is no good without a cigarette. My pack is empty. Opposite me a gentleman sits and smokes the same brand . As soon as he notices my problem, he kindly offers me cigarettes, we exchange a few words and he invites me to sit at his table All of this brought memories of our old family friendships with Albanians, and not only with them, but with close people from other ethnic communities. Do you remember the last time you Two years of the ohrid agreement, August 2003
ead an article about such family friendships? I am sure you don't. Not about childhood friendship, nor about unforgettable street friendship, but about mutual respect and visits between families? And those are the stories written exactly from life itself. There are many of them here. We shouldn't forget them. Right after the earthquake, we were moved from the old part of Skopje to the newly established residential area. One of those areas, built by Slovenians, was Vlae. During a stay in the State hospital, a family member made friends with an Albanian, J., the latter coming from a beautiful village behind Vodno. The friendship turned into a family friendship and later visits: he stayed at our home with his family and we stayed at his in the village behind Vodno. The closeness was so strong that J. started addressing us using our nicknames, as we addressed each other in everyday family communication! In the mid 1970s, while serving in the army in Samobor near Zagreb, I made friends with Z, an Albanian from the village Kopanica (the "last post office of Bojane" as we used to call it) which afterwards turned into a family friendship. When I visited him and his family I brought him presents, when he visited me he brought presents too, beautiful skillfully knitted woolen socks. The friendship with Z. lasted for a long time, since he worked in a department of the Goce Delchev printing company, the one in the centre of Skopje, which no longer exists today! One article can hardly grasp the authenticity of friendships and respect we had with Albanians, Turks, Vlachs, Serbs, Bosnians, Roma in Skopje. My best friend from high school, J.T., at the end of the 1960s took me to Krushevo for the first time, in his family house with a great and rich Vlach tradition. His grandmother, still alive at the time, told us about Ilinden and the day Krushevo succumbed. She even remembered details, although she was a girl at that time. I made friends with T.M. there, who later became a prominent skier, and J., who studied French. Apart from T. who was into sports, we would visit the restaurant in the centre, held by the well known caterers J. and P., who later took over the Writers' Club in Skopje. We would go down into the monastery woods, and sang the song "Dafino, vino crveno"(Dafina, red wine) we would first go red from the wine and then got pale and white as the beautiful bed covers from Krushevo. What can I say about friendship with the Turks, we were like brothers, since our houses were separated by only one garden door. What can I possibly say about the mutual family visits with Romot-a porter first in Kooperativa, later in Vardar and after that in Tehnometal Vardar? He came for Easter, we visited for Gjurgjovden in Topaana, never thinking that we could miss the great holiday! Well, that is life! That is the grandeur and uniqueness of life. That's how we were, that was our destiny, and nobody can change it. Regardless of whether somebody suppresses or assists us. Nowadays, it is called "multiethnic living," "cohabitation between ethnic communities," "multicultural living" or the Framework Agreement. Fine. But it all sounds so pale and unconvincing. Artificial. And it is our fault. Because tradition is not permanent, it should be continuously cherished, updated, renewed. Like freedom, like wooing the woman you love, like something sacred and precious. Nothing is given for good, unchanged. We must be wary of destruction as it preys on us at each step. And if the framework means progress, and not destruction, can anyone speak against it? Of course not, provided we do not confuse the terms progress and destruction. Not to confuse them and advocate real values. My story about the family friendships was not accidental. It 137 Two years of the ohrid agreement, August 2003
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Pluralism and us Polyparty-ism Ten
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The custom officer asks the boy to
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Yugoslav state, along with its nati
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tunate region of the western Balkan
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The phenomen of Macedonia The impos
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eforms. Otherwise, the reforms will
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Pluralism and Albanians From enthus
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Pluralism and the economy The Maced
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The time has come to do something M
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A tragic feeling about balkan borde
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a posthumous medal. They wrote abou
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closely to see how much negative en
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The big and small in defense of „
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Hostages kept by criminals What doe
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I remember another thought which is
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the thought of having a second or t
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fetishism can lead us to a false im
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the border, cadre formation and arm
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Solve your own problems A view from
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all crying: neighbours, relatives,
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are waiting for someone else to pre
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Respect the differences and you wil
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Has anyone asked what a high school
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I have become a sick patient „for
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orn. This place is populated with M
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The conscience of young people is s
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Me, Igor and Macedonia Zekirija Ibr
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used to imagine my future here, amo
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that peace has not yet settled down
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Nobody should be afraid to go back
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ent religious and ethnic groups who
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Matejche three months after the war
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Tearce: the returning of the coexis
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are not satisfied with this process
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couldn't be differed from the every
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gaining power, between the parties.
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To forget the past for the sake of
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ing four quilt maker shops (there w
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there, Konstantin Dimitrovski, whil
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The Donors Conference came and went
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Page 95 and 96: Elections 2002 Sasho Cholakovski Th
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Page 123 and 124: forces on the other. 2. Three numer
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Polyparty-ism - Search for Common Ground

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