A valedictorian Petra Vuckovic: Only during peace we can be happy children

Petra Vuckovic, a valedictorian of the "Nikola Tesla" high school generation, said at the protest rally in Leposavic that children from the north of Kosovo had had only one wish, and that was a peaceful childhood.

"We had only one wish, a wish that I often emphasized in my public speeches, and that is childhood in peace. Unfortunately, our childhood was marked by tensions, unrest, insecurity, lack of freedom, fear, and the eternal hope that one day it will be better. And so, year after year, we grew up like the Robinsons on this island, where smiles were replaced by wrinkled foreheads, where tears are common every day, where we met sadness at every step," Vuckovic said.

On behalf of her peers and, as she added, future generations, she conveyed a message from the podium.

"I am telling those in Pristina and those in Belgrade, I am telling those behind my back, but also all of you who are standing in front of me - stop this madness, give us back joy, happiness, and most importantly provide us with what belongs to us all – freedom,” Vuckovic said.

She pointed out that even young people could understand that they need unity.

"But not unity according to the measure of individuals, but unity in love, humanity, and most importantly unity in the Lord, in whom we only trust," Vuckovic said.

Vuckoviccc added that the young people had not lost their will and that they bravely coped with all the troubles that had befallen them, dreaming of a better life that awaited them.

She ended her address to the citizens with the words from the Gospel, "Let us be wise as serpents and harmless as doves".

"Do what you can to give us the peace, because only during peace, we can be happy children," Vuckovic said.