Polyparty-ism - Search for Common Ground

orn. This place is populated with
Macedonians and Albanians,
although there are inhabitants of
other ethnicities too. We have good
relationships with Albanians, but
most recently it seems as if we've
grew apart from each other and we
speak very little to each other. It's
not our fault. The guilty are those
who are at the top of the pyramid
who manipulate ordinary people,"
says Daniel.
"The interesting thing is that
after the war we will have to live
together just the way we did before
to the war. And, since this is quite
clear and unavoidable, than why
should we cherish the hatred so
much? One can divide certain places
where there are only Albanians or
only Macedonians, but I wish that
those people from the famous pyramid
could explain how a building
could be divided where both
Macedonians and Albanians live?
How do we go about splitting the
building? And, it's not just one
building. If there were only one,
things would be a lot easier, but
there are hundreds of them," says
18-year-old Daniel, deeply distressed.
Daniel continues, "I hope this is
the end of all the evil. I hope that
with time things will get back to normal.
I hope that we will improve our
relations once again, because this is
the only way out. Perhaps, we have
finally all understood that we have
no extra people to have them killed
so easily."
Skopje is a city where an ethnically
diverse people live.
There used to be ethnically
mixed restaurants, but nowadays
these are very few,
almost none. Few Albanians
decide to visit some place
located on the right side of the city,
and few Macedonians decide to visit
some place located on the left side of
the city.
Skopje has currently lost its
human touch. As if someone has
given an attribution of "bridge of
division" to the Stone Bridge. Yet
when it comes to poets, the bridge
has always been a symbol of love,
closeness and warmth. I believe
that there are many poets among
us…
(The author is a student)
Ana Shosholchevska
I really feel as if I have been
given a very difficult assignment-to
be a young person living
at this time. I know that this
conclusion will be followed by
statements like, "youth is the
best time of life," "there is
nothing more beautiful than
being young," etc. This is
indeed true. It is beautiful to be
young, because your entire life,
the future, is ahead of you.
When I pronounce this word,
future, I feel an unstoppable
influx of emotions, infinite
sources of ideas, endless positive
energy… And for a
moment, I stop my dream. For
a moment, I return to the present-to
the reality we live in.
And I come to the conclusion
that it is beautiful to be young,
What kind of future
can we expect
but not in this day and age, not
here and not under these circumstances.
And unfortunately
we cannot stop time, nor can
we wait for better days. We do
not have another youth to spare
or an exclusive opportunity to
be spared from the cruel reality.
I often try to create a vision
of my future, because I think
that it lights the way towards
success and self-approval. With
childish joy I try to build my
visions and plans. Thoughts
about my future come rapidly.
First, I would like to complete
my education. Then I plan to
find a job in compliance with
my education that offers the
potential for future growth.
And certainly, I plan to contribute
to humanity by forming
a family to whom I will be able
to provide a decent life. Let me
explain. What I mean to say is
that I live a decent and normal
life now, but I think that what I
imagine is in compliance with
some common human standards,
meaning nothing
extreme, nothing our of proportion.
But unfortunately, everything
is out of proportion here
in this day and age. It is too
much if you protect and
demand your basic human
rights and freedoms. It is too
much if you demand your right
to freedom, your right to life. It
is too much that you even existthat
you are still aware of your
presence. And under these circumstances,
is my vision for
the future normal? Is it normal
to ask for a decent life in a situation
where you fight for your
own existence?
53
Youth and crisis, October 2001