Message from Belgrade ved Prodanovic

On Sun, 22 Aug 1999 02:19:53 +0200, "Mathilda Feldthaus" <mathilda.fh@get2net.dk> wrote:



Det er velgørende at høre energien er alligevel er i stigende!

Men hvorda mon det går med Kvinder i Sort?!

Og hvordan det mon går de albanske kvindeorganisationer??

MF







-----Oprindelig meddelelse-----

Fra: S & M Prodanovic <ecourban@EUnet.yu>

Til: Mathilda Feldthaus <mathilda.fh@get2net.dk>

Dato: 21. august 1999 00:55

Emne: message from Belgrade





>Message 20. August 1999

>>Dear Friends,

>>The long awaited rally/demonstration in Belgrade asking Milosevic to

>resign is over, it makes us overall happy, mainly because that after so

>long time during and after bombing campaign "our Serbia" is on the

>streets again, while the "patriotic" rhetoric (xenophobic, antiliberal,

>antiwestern) is getting where it has always been, back to the

>monopolized media (which is of course very powerful. despite the smashed

>TV headquarters and transmitters, even the city's only television

>station monopolized by Vuk Draskovics' party broadcasts the

>nationalistic rhetoric).

>>The long term political prospects are confused, the real opposition on

>the trace of Grand civil protest of winter 96/97 now around "Alliance

>for Change", struggled in Free Cities of Serbia staging local rallies,

>and collecting citizens signatures for dictators' resignation, we feel

>the potential energy for change has bee aroused culminating in last

>nights event. More or less the same crowd was gathering to listen

>competing leaders, which indicates that the wide dissatisfaction of

>people might be again dissolved by leaders, our fear is that the regime

>might be profiting as before. New election without a free media and

>without the international supervision would be just another farce, as

>we had elections for the last ten years (and in communist times there

>were some kind of elections with only one candidate on a list). The

>transitional Government while Milosevic is in power is also another

>farce, makes it clear there is no way until he resigns. And he will not

>do it until he is forced, but question is who is going to force him as

>he controls all levers of power. Practices of "transition the Balkan

>way", speculation on "privatization without denationalization" (read

>grabbing the ex "socially owned properties" without considering the real

>owners before Tito's revolution) and other criminal practices of new

>"business" produces its results.

>>Our thoughts at a time that the bombing and the endowment of a dictator

>for war crimes might have weakened him internationally and in a long

>run, but everyday life in ecologically, infrastructurally, economically

>devastated country can not be considered as leading to democratization.

>The mechanistic thinking suggests that bombing weakening Serbia must

>have weakened its regime, but the holistically observed evidence

>suggests that the regime is stronger by retaining most of the laws and

>practices introduced during the bombing.. It make us think of what

>means for us today to the transition in Eastern Europe and Balkans Mr.

>Clintons' message "no help to Serbia until Milosevic is in power

>> We greet with excitement the declaration of the Pact for Stability of

>Balkans (July in Sarayevo) signed by worlds' leaders, we do not see the

>real way to implementation (how to get rid of our "nomenclature", what

>are the means of the technology for change).. Change by legal means

>considers the use of institutions in Serbia, pathologically sick with

>new hierarchies established on top of previous equally disastrous ones.

>Judiciary system corrupt, baking hopelessly centralized in control of

>dictator, police after Kosovo adventure shaken by evidence of atrocities

>they committed, University, Academy of Science, Media, etc.. all in bias

>superficiality. (as an example just at the University, several dozens of

>Ph.D.-s were granted during the bombing campaign, civil defense and

>Marshall law discipline). Means of extra parliamentary pressure by

>street democracy has been show as futile so far, by military/police

>coupd'etat would lead to yet another blood bath. The only acceptable

>way for change is selective and much more evident help by international

>community, help to proven democratic forces, civic society activists to

>the germs of new institutions, Free Media, (also providing Alternative

>Academic Educational Network with international recognition of diplomas

>etc.)

>>Of course now activated UN and other agencies (environmental, human

>settlements, health, humanitarian even Red Cross) find it hard to relay

>on the reports or services of such sick institutions, but it makes it

>equally problematic to relay on masses of "safari" para-politicians

>zooming thorough Serbia and now through Kosovo, "blood and sensation

>thirsty" journalists, unemployed "experts" who do not know where they

>found themselves. There is a great danger of ignoring a great number of

>good willing and competent local people, knowledgeable and really

>democratically minded professionals, numerous NGO-s heavily dependent on

>various Foundations. Now with withdrawn or drastically reduced support

>instead of being increased as the problems are aggravated, makes one

>very pessimistic.

>>>From the very beginning of ex-Yu transition culminating with NATO

>bombing, our pleading was for sensitivity and smartness in action,

>meaning more knowledge, smart projects, much more significant support

>and reliance on relevant local knowledge leading to more efficiency in

>democratization. Instead of clumsy crudeness which appeared to cost more

>to repair than if nothing was undertaken.

>>Sonja & Milan Prodanovic

>Ecourban workshop,

>Supilova 11,

>11000 Beograd,

>Serbia, Yu

>Tel fax +381 11 750 876

>e-mail: ecourban@eunet.yu

>>>>