Summary of the Week 64

Sometimes, neither standard language nor slang is enough for us to truly understand one another. Some of this week’s developments were best described through folk sayings, while others required more than just wisdom to comprehend.

Life experience, traditional proverbs, and folk wisdom are all valuable for interpreting and making sense of everyday life—even the complex reality of Kosovo. As Professor Aleksandar Milovanovic, president of the Council for the Serbian Language, puts it:

“Any good that is introduced by force becomes evil, and when something is imposed against someone, know that it is doomed to fail.”

We usually recognize when something is headed for failure. But identifying the root causes—whether through experience or theory—is a bit more difficult. For instance, citizens of Pristina know why institutions are still missing in Kosovo. They’re just not exactly sure why.

“It doesn’t suit anyone, I don’t know what they’re doing,” said one Pristina local we spoke to this week. He added: “It’s just pointless.”

The people may not always use literary language, but they describe reality with precision. Politicians, on the other hand, tend to disguise small deeds and unsolvable problems with grand words.

“The stability that existed in the past three or four years in Kosovo is more of an exception than a rule,” explained political analyst Ognjen Gogic.

Some expressions, although sounding the same, don’t carry the same meaning everywhere. Nor do they evoke the same reaction in everyone. Seen through the eyes of the Director of the Kosovo Police, the situation looks quite different.

“Everything is currently calm and stable, there are no major issues,” said Gazmend Hoxha while touring northern Kosovo.

Perhaps we don’t see the problems because there are no words for them—or perhaps because those words cannot always be spoken aloud. As journalist Zivojin Rakocevic reminds us:

“There isn’t one of us who hasn’t at least once wondered: ‘Am I allowed to say something in my own language?’” says Rakocevic.

To make clear what is allowed and what is not, courts set rules—and exceptions.

“The use of national symbols,” tried to clarify Deputy Ombudsperson Nizan Hajdari regarding one of this week’s dilemmas, “is regulated by the Constitution and the laws.”

Dusan Radakovic from the Center for Advocacy of Democratic Culture provides a broader perspective:

“Nowhere is the use of a flag forbidden. Just look at how the Albanian flag is used at gatherings in Kosovo—nowhere is it banned,” Radakovic points out.

Prohibitions can be opposed—through words, defiance, and action. Some of those actions may lead to arrests or fines. But the struggle continues. And poet Nenad Radenkovic, speaking to Kosovo Online, explains why:

“It’s not enough just to be alive…” concludes Radenkovic.