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Myths About Borders and the Reconciliation Moment Suvremene TEME, (2010.) God Darko Gavrilović: Myths about Borders and the Reconciliation Moment suvremene TEME, (2010.) God. 3, Br. 1 CONTEMPORARY issues, (2010) Vol. 3, No. 1 UDK: 323.14(497.1)”19” Prethodno priopćenje Primljeno: 29. 9. 2010. Myths about Borders and the Reconciliation Moment DARKO GAVRILOVIĆ Singidunum University, Serbia This article deals with the relevant historical and political myths, es- pecially myths about borders, firstly regarding the nationalistic movements within the FPRY/SFRY (including political emigration myths), and the myths and counter-myths concerning the new states created in the 1990s. Method- ologically, this article emphasizes the dynamics of these myths and observes them in their continuous interaction. Thus, as opposed to the architects and engineers of these myths who see these myths as “natural” and “eternal”, as well as freed from “artificial creation”, this article places the emphasis on the artificial, or constructed, character of myths about borders and states, both Yugoslav and post-Yugoslav, as well as on their changes, dynamics and inter- action. The text covers the period from World War II until the present day. Also, article is seeking for the political solution how to deal with myths and placing it in political context of apology and reconciliation in the Former Yugoslav Ter- ritories same as breaking the veil of secrecy in the Former Yugoslav Territories. Key words: myths, borders, nationalism, communism, Yugoslavia, justice, rec- onciliation, cross-border cooperation 1.Borders and Nationalism Eastern Europe and South Africa and the return to democracy in many Latin American countries. After the end of the Cold War, and es- Even these beneficial changes from totalitar- pecially during the last fifteen years, the human ian regimes or dictatorships have been a pain- need to right the immoral wrongs has been ex- ful experience for many countries. In several of pressed in political discourse as a propensity these transitions, instead of revenge against to apologize for acts of past injustice. World perpetrators, truth and reconciliation commit- morality, not say human nature, changed. Moral tees have tried to weigh culpability on pragmatic issues have become so powerful in the interna- scales (Barkan, 2000: XVI). tional arena but, unfortunately, in the same are- But before it happened, it is important na, transition between 1989 and 1999 has been to know that the wars in the former Yugoslavia dramatic. It includes the horrendous wars in Yu- were waged with the purpose of forming eth- goslavia and Africa, as well as the liberation of nic national states with ethnic national borders centar za politološka istraživanja the political science research centre 63 www.cpi.hr Darko Gavrilović: Myths about Borders and the Reconciliation Moment suvremene TEME, (2010.) God. 3, Br. 1 CONTEMPORARY issues, (2010) Vol. 3, No. 1 which – as early as in the phase of ethnic nation- cal mafia. For that reason, the analysis of the alist movements, and later, following the consoli- imaginary rather than the real, i.e. the political dation of the state – had imposed new myths, i.e. mythology of new nations, is the only way to an- mutually conflicting versions of history, so that swer the question of who is who today in the for- the new states be as different from each other as mer Yugoslavia. In this article it is impossible to possible and new national identities be formed. present all the myths in the ex-Yugoslav region The history of the peoples who once lived in the that are connected to borders. So, I decided to unified Yugoslav state has remained shared show some of the myths that are closely related regardless of the fact that this state no lon- with borders and who are, in the same time, are ger exists but has given birth to several new the important national myths that, during the last states, with mostly same old socialist borders, but war helped to mobilized nationalism of the two strongly shaped with national mythology, each biggest nations, Serbs and Croats.1 of which has its own national history, interpret- ing the same events, processes and problems in 1.1. Myths and Borders different ways. Nations and national states that sprouted from that multinational socialist fed- It is interesting how ambivalently the na- eration (1945-1991), overthrown by ethnic na- tional community adheres to national territory, in tionalist movements and the wars of the 1990s, the sense that this territory never has clearly- remain unfinished national/nation-building prod- defined contours and established borders. In ucts in the process of construction. At present, modern Serbian folklore that sprouted during the these are states in transition waiting to join the wars of the 1990s, various landmarks were pro- EU, and they face serious economic difficulties, claimed as the borders of ethnic territory. In one as well as internal national consolidation prob- case, the national territory extended from “Kar- lems, tense relations with their neighbors same lovac to the plains of Kosovo”, while in another as borders problems that ethnic nationalism tried more humorous case, “Serbian land will extend to draw during the last two decades. By focusing from Oslo to Crete”. On the Croatian side, a band on the situation in the former Yugoslavia twenty called Zlatni Dukati wrote nationally-engaged years after the crucial year of 1989, we can say verses with a similar intonation: that the borders partially helped in attention of the nationalists to answer the question of “who “Between the Sava, Adriatic and the is who” in the region today, and partially not, be- Drava cause the hunger of different types of national- Always somewhere near a border ism never can be solved and always it is giving From ancient times lived possibilities for opening the new appetites for the The Croats – men and women” new territories. (Čolović, 1996:280). It is important to mention that all post- Yugoslav states (including Slovenia, to a cer- tain extent) define themselves primarily in relation to the past (Yugoslav states, wars of the 1940s and 1990s and pre-modern history), then in rela- tion to one another and in relation to the leading 1 More about it in Perica, V. and Gavrilović, D., 2010. This Western countries. As states in transition, they are collection of papers is a result of work carried out on a close to fitting into the concept of failed states, project that was jointly developed by a group of scientists from the territory of the former Yugoslavia under the aus- yet they made more progress when it comes pices of two non-governmental organizations for peace/ to nation construction than the construction of humanitarian activism – the Center for History, Democ- statehood and the political/economic system. racy and Reconciliation (CHDR) from Novi Sad, Serbia, These nations have a “symbolic nationality” above and the Institute for Historical Justice and Reconcilia- tion (IHJR) from Salzburg, Austria and The Hague, Neth- all: a flag, national anthem, state religion, sport erlands. The text was written in the form of a so-called national teams, as well as collective fantasies “shared narrative”. This is a fairly new method which is about history, historical national borders and most frequently used both in theory and in the practice the present articulated as political myths and of peaceful conflict resolution. The concept behind this method is that history be written without the imperative counter-myths. Wars might be waged again in to reach a consensus regarding every controversy. Rath- the region because of the “symbolic-mythical er, it is a joint study of history, with teamwork between nationalism” but I hope that a bigger conflict will the authors representing the sides in the conflict or post- not erupt because of transitional bankruptcy, the conflict phase, and the issuance of a joint publication and presentation that contribute to a peaceful resolution of corrupt political elites and the influence of the lo- the conflict. centar za politološka istraživanja the political science research centre 64 www.cpi.hr Darko Gavrilović: Myths about Borders and the Reconciliation Moment suvremene TEME, (2010.) God. 3, Br. 1 CONTEMPORARY issues, (2010) Vol. 3, No. 1 This brings us to a group of myths about say, that on this river there used to be a centuries- the special role of small Balkan peoples as the old – even thousand years old – border between protectors of larger civilizations, for instance the East and West, i.e. between the Catholic and Christianity – both Western and Eastern – and so Orthodox faiths. Though this mythologem seems forth. These myths are linked to the myth about old, it actually is not. It originated from the Pure sacrifice made by a small people to fulfill the role Party of Rights, then found its way into the works of savior of a large civilization. For example, of Milan Šufflaj in the 1990s and continued to some of the Serbian myth-makers have gladly develop abroad, among the Ustasha emigrants, seen themselves as the “keepers of the gates in the 1950s. The mythologem about the “bor- to the civilized world” (Antemurale), taking par- der on the Drina” is based on a myth maniacal ticular pleasure in citing poems from the Kosovo use of the fact that following the death of Roman cycle. For them, the Battle of Kosovo of 1389 emperor Theodosius in 395 the Roman Empire was a sacrifice made by the Serbian people for was divided into the eastern and western parts, the benefit of the entire Christian civilization, as and that along one part the border followed well as an example of how the same civilization the Drina valley all the way to the Montenegrin never “repaid” this sacrifice, for it was the Serbs coastline.
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