The present is not what we live, but what we think we live. And we live unaware of the past events, victims ofcomitted crime, and army leaders who are not percicuted and they still walk free. Persistently we are protecting ”ours” and not caring for what they have done for some virtually”greater good”, because crime is a crime even in condition of war. We allow these people to continue their lives, ignore that they took someone that right unreasonably.
For the sake of these people, from which basic human rights were taken away, it’s up to us, in this generation not to let the same thing ever happen again. It is important that we work on institutional means of prevention that will solve any future act of this kind.
As a media worker, I heard a lot about media propaganda in 90s. There’s a lot of monstrous examples of inhumanity, lack of ethnics, untruth and fake calls for justice and patriotism. Medias in Serbia and in all former Yugoslavia had done the same things. They are all had the same goal – justifying their role in war, a war for ‘’protecting their country’’, even that was one the same country. There are a lot of examples about the same battles but each media from each country had report that on the way they want to. Victims were tools for justifying entire war. Today, we still have a huge propaganda in media which still have a task to justify nacionalism and false patriotism in each country of former Yugoslavia. If there was war on the ground in 90s, media was the most important soldier. So there is no doubt, media is important tool for reconciliation, specially because all those journalists-solders who had construct and report all so called news of untruth. Entire media system was in chaos, and politician use that to create their pions who will say what they wanted to say. Journalists had corrupted their own profesion in name of false goals and false patriotism. They created hate, soldiers, war, and the biggest illusion of state that care for their own citizens. It is important that they have a trial, because they played, as I sad the most important part in creating of war. Today, it is important that we have a fine regulated media system in Serbia, who will never allow again the program schedule of the nineties, due to which many fathers, brothers, and uncles were sacrificed for the sake of the goals of powerful peopletrough that.
Now it is up to us to solve concequences of their acts. Now we have to find the way to overcome all prejudices and sterotypes for sake of all future generation, for peace and for peaceful region such as Balkan.
We can use the media for process of reconciliation and dialogue in the region, because it’s still does not run smoothly. We need to improve our knowledge with complete facts, we need to complete entire picture, and than political and media manipulation will have no more impact on us. Seminar, as YRA[1] is important because we got a the collection of knowledge and important and complete facts that we can’t get in regular education, the media, and even the random seriouse literature. Through my education and education in general I have not managed to find out anything about the events that preceded us nineties. So, that makes even the YRA seminar so precious. In just a few days of program we had find out so much. Humanitarian law center and OECD Serbia are doing so many on these cases of war crime, and they have a fair fond of important facts which for prosecution of war criminals. But media still remain untouched.
For me as a journalist, this is especially important, because my writing can not be true, complete and informative without these items.I do not want to follow the example of colleagues who have succumbed to self-censorship and do not let the public to know and think. I want to be part of the people who will help this country to move out from the blackness of the lack of information and manipulation, prejudices and stereotypes. On the other side, we have to use opportunity that we have.
I think that we are the generation that will be responsible for improving relations between young people in the region and overcoming the bad events from the past. Fortunately, through non-formal education, seminars and workshops, and through meeting people from the region, I was able to put together the pieces and form a truth based on projections of facts given to me, so I think that is thing with others, and we can move a step forward trough the final reconciliation.
Nonformal education is the way the one-sidedness of formal education can be avoided. It is important to create a team of people who will in the future translate informal knowledge into formal and therefore preventing any future conflict in such a seismically active area such as the Balkans. The fact is that we are different, but the fact also is that ignorance has led us to where we are.I believe that I as a journalist can contribute to spreading the word of reconciliation and creation of adequate media images in Serbia and the region.
As Serbia and other countries are still vulnerable in terms of all these unfortunate events, it is necessary that we young people are working to resolve these problems. I believe that I as a journalist can managed through work in the media, to give a real vision of problem and give proper and valid solution. And now the YRA’s can confirm my will and determination for creating a better future for all of us. We all came to the conclusion that the media and education is the key factors for broaching the truth. Therefore, my appeal to be in the form of incentives of reforms in education and adequate coverage. We can be change, we can spread a words of reconciliation.
