Discussion
Details
The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), the Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM) and the RECOM Initiative for former Yugoslavia are organizing this roundtable discussion on the topic “The challenges of dealing with the conflict past in the Republic of Macedonia”.
The target group for this event consists of representatives from the media as well as representatives of the local citizens associations that deal with rehabilitations and reconciliation of war veterans and their families.
Macedonia has been seen as a paradigmatic case of post-conflict recovery. However, despite all encouraging results since the 2001 conflict, the country still waves between fragile peace and unfinished conflict. The conflict in Macedonia was the shortest and the most bloodless on the territory of former Yugoslavia. Nevertheless, the crucial issue about the victims, especially the civilian ones, has been generally neglected. Eleven years after the conflict the politicians have started talking about the reconciliation process but the interpretations differ as well as the understanding of what it really means. Dealing with the past is about facing the roots of the violence, war crimes, human rights abuses, and human insecurity. It is also about facing the truth about the ugly part of one’s history, taking over the responsibility and paving the way for a democratic future which will be based on the lessons learned from the recent past.
This is the third round table discussion on this topic. The first one took place in Tetovo and the second in Skopje.
