Often repeated phrase in Serbia is “it was better when…” Depending on whom you ask ‘when’ is either when Serbia was part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, when Josip Broz Tito was ruling the six republics with an iron fist, or when Slobodan Milosevic terrorized the region and committed egregious crimes against humanity. The past in the Balkans is glorious and bitter, triumphant and tragic, venerated and shunned. For many it continues to be enticing, and some politicians still score cheap campaign points by referencing it on a regular basis. The national discourse continues to be saturated with the tales of the glorious past. In the midst of these discussions, we often fail to talk about what is ‘here’ and ‘now.’ We fail to reflect on the current conditions we find our society in. We also fail to plan and dream for tomorrow. Therefore, it is up to us, the young people, to speak up. The future is ours to claim, and possibilities for changing the status quo are limitless. We must take action.

My home-country, Serbia, continues to be plagued with numerous social and political issues. Corruption is pervasive in all elements of the society. In some instances you are afforded medical care only when a bundle of cash makes its way to the doctor. Human rights of ethnic and religious minorities continue to be trampled. Whether you are an ethnic Hungarian in Vojvodina, or a Bosniak in the Sandzak region, you are not afforded the same opportunities and access to government like your other peers are. We also forget to care for the environment. Plains of northern Serbia and mountains of the south are covered in trash. Government owned, and private companies alike, abuse the natural resources disrupting the delicate ecological balance. Most prominently, the unemployment among the young people is increasing on a daily basis. Without the opportunity to make a decent living in Serbia, many flock abroad in search of a decent job and a higher standard of living. “There is no future here,” is a common indication of resignation and frustration with the current system.

From my understanding, countries in our close vicinity are experiencing similar problems. While at different stages of development and the European Union integration process, countries such as Croatia, Bosnia, Romania, Bulgaria and many others, struggle as they modernize their economies and reform the society. Communism, privatization that followed, and greedy political opportunists that came to power, left an indelible mark on this part of Europe. Value systems were disturbed, and relations between neighbors soured. Our schoolbooks never taught us that the histories of people in South-Eastern and Central Europe are intertwined. Our parents failed to mention that the pains we inherited from the past are shared. They either overlooked it because they were blinded by an extremist nationalist ideology of the time; many of these ideologies found a fertile ground in the Balkans. Or, they overlooked it because they were afraid of the repercussions they might face. The system is not forgiving of those who are willing to challenge it.

If we want to move forward, we must act together. We have a lot to learn from each other. Our cultures have coexisted together for many centuries. Many regions of countries in Central and South-East Europe are culturally and religiously mixed. Therefore, it must not be unusual for a person to be attending two Christmas and Easter celebrations, one Catholic the other Orthodox. It also must become common to find individuals who speak more than one language, and who feel at home in the mosque and synagogue as they do in the church. We have the power and the resource to advance our standing within Europe and the World. Our diversity makes us stronger. The means and the tools to achieve these goals are lacking.

In order to guarantee prosperous future and foster reconciliation, political leaders of the nations of the Central and South-East Europe must work together. The trend of regional unification is becoming widespread across the globe. Different nation-states are coming together to form economic, political and security unions as a response to the pressures of globalization. According to the world-renowned political scientist Joseph Nye(1968) “by a recent account 92 countries are members of one or more of the nine regional organizations with mutual security commitments.” This figure was quoted in 1968, and we can assume that in 2011 that number has increased exponentially. Modern travel and communication systems have increased mobility of goods and labor across national borders and brought people of different backgrounds together. We must follow these trends and work together with our neighbors on tackling the issues of the 21st century. By exchanging ideas, bonds among our cultures will strengthen and the momentum to forge ahead, despite many challenges along the way, will be revived.

On a practical level, greater cooperation among nations translates into increased communication among people. This can be achieved by fostering exchanges among schools and institution of higher learning, as well as among businesses, farmers and local political and social activists. We all must learn that the concept of a “foreign nation” is not just about differences in language, flag or anthem, but it also about something deeper. It is about the values the society holds dear and the way ordinary people go about their lives on a daily basis. However, what supersede the differences are the commonalities we share. We all value family and go about our daily lives shopping, cooking, going to work and telling jokes. While we might prioritize it differently, do in a different language or a different way, we still share an essence of being human on this planet trying to lead better lives and leave a safer and saner world behind for our posterity.

Being given a chance to live in a foreign culture for quite some time, I have learned that what you see on the TV, read in the daily newspapers about people and cultures unlike your own, or witness while vacationing abroad, can provide you only with a miniscule and superficial understanding of society and its complexities. In order to understand those complexities and society’s internal intricacies fully – both positive, and others less so – you need to get to know the people and familiarize yourself with their lifestyles, traditions and beliefs they hold dear. Clinging to this notion dearly, I have chosen as my personal and professional goal to work on changing the attitudes within Serbia toward greater regionalization and the EU integration.