My contribution to the Regional Reconciliation

There has been four months since I finished the program of Youth Reconciliation Ambassadors, yet I’m not sure I’ll ever be capable of completely understanding my role in the reconciliation process.

It is odd to say, but I had some bitter sweet taste coming into the project. I knew it would be intensive, as the agenda was presented, and I also knew that I’d be returning to one field where all my defense mechanism on the social, emotional and psychological side were useless, but I also knew that I’d finally get to see what do people think about the events that has single-handedly destroyed our society.

So the event itself has been full of positive experience; knowledge gathering on all sides, personality bursting in every occasion, views enlightened on every topic, but I won’t talk about that in this essay as it is a boring perspective of every new seminar you visit or take part of. Rather, the word of mine here will emphasize how much strength does one posses in contributing to changes among the thoughts of our peers. I always thought that world would be a better place than now. Full of love, happiness and other dull and dry phrases that go into this occasion. Then I realised that happiness doesn’t last, and that things change. With the history of the Balkan Peninsula that connects all of us after-war generations, questions that needed answers were always present. Who is the guilty side? Who is the victim? What are the consequences? Instead of all that, I decided not to bother myself with the same questions every single time. These ones are answered long time ago; with Srebrenica genocide, with Sarajevo bombing, with Kosovo cleansing, with years and years of demolition, brutalization and killing. What I wanted to know is what can be done so that we never experience anything like that again. Is there a common future for all of us here in the Western Balkan, where piece, reconciliation, prosperity and growth will be our main weapons to continue the road to success? Piece without justice is not possible. That is why my role here, as an Ambassador is to learn and transfer knowledge to the generation to come that historic facts and events must be known. That every war has brought nothing but suffering, and that working together with other young people from the region is the only way we will be able to move from this black hole we are currently in. It is therefore essential to maintain an attitude that will show that people are willing to progress, to sacrifice personal judgments for better social and political stability and well-being. I am not sure this is enough, or whether by time it will produce results, but I am sure it is a start. Something new that has been set as an obligation for us, the “ones” that have seen that steps forward is a must, and that time is ticking. If there is something that the last 100 years have taught us, it is that history is known to repeat, and this region is not ready for something like that.

I could continue on to talk about how I spent days after the event thinking of whether I will be ever able to come back to the same issues and share the same stories with some new people, maybe kids of our upcoming generation, but it would take me hours and hours to explain why. On the other side, I am already late with submitting this essay, and am pretty sure that Naim Leo and the rest of the company are on the verge of their patience, so I’ll just end up here with sincere regards for them allowing me to experience a once in a life time event. Thank you.

Ismet – Fatih Čančar

Sarajevo, 16.03.2015