The zero-sum game - war and peace in the Balkans
In a comment on another topic ansimov asked me to sign and pass on this petition about Kosovo, urging that it remain a part of Serbia.
In many ways I sympathise with some of the things that the petition is asking for, but it also seems to me that it has several flaws. One obvious one is language. It is clearly translated from other languages, and the English translation is very bad indeed. But the problem for English-speaking readers is that not only the language, but the cultural assumptions behind it are alien. Even if the language were cleaned up, there is a problem with the content. That, at any rate, is what I feel. But can I explain the feeling? I find it hard to put a finger on the reasons for it, but it seems important to try to do so, because it lies behind much of the conflict in the world over the last couple of decades.
The petition has too much of the flavour of "Serbs good, Albanians bad". That is simply reflecting the errors of Nato, when they bombed Yugoslavia on the basis of the idea "Serbs bad, Albanians good". I believe that as Orthodox Christians we are called to be peacemakers, not partisans.
Yes, it would be nice if the Nato countries paid reparations for their war of aggression, but the way in which the petition is worded will simply make them feel justified in their aggression, rather than repentant.
The biggest problem that led to the wars of the Yugoslav succession was that nearly all parties, both within the former Yugoslavia and outside, were playing a zero-sum game. Nobody was wanting, or looking for, a win-win solution. Everybody was acting on the assumption that if anyone was to win, then someone else would have to lose. The greatest cause of violence was fear and insecurity, and the way to reduce violence is to reduce fear and insecurity, but in a zero-sum game the security of one party can only be improved by making someone else insecure.
Nato's intervention was also based on this assumption, and its cowardly bombing of Yugoslavia did as much, if not more, to exacerbate hostility and hatred as anything done by anybody else, so it would probably be a good thing if the Nato countries were to pay reparations, as the petition calls for. The Nato attack on Yugoslavia was terrorism by any reasonable definittion, undertaken in support of a terrorist organisation, the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK).
But the petition too is based on the assumption of a zero-sum game. It does not call for a win-win solution, but a win-lose solution: the Serbs can only win if the Albanians lose.
And I want to see both Serbs and Albanians win.
I work with two Serbian priest-monks in mission in Tembisa (and have written about this in earlier entries in my LiveJournal). I taught for a term at the Orthodox theological seminary in Albania. I have both Serbian and Albanian friends.
The world may play its zero-sum games, but Christian peacemaking must seek a win-win solution.
In many ways I sympathise with some of the things that the petition is asking for, but it also seems to me that it has several flaws. One obvious one is language. It is clearly translated from other languages, and the English translation is very bad indeed. But the problem for English-speaking readers is that not only the language, but the cultural assumptions behind it are alien. Even if the language were cleaned up, there is a problem with the content. That, at any rate, is what I feel. But can I explain the feeling? I find it hard to put a finger on the reasons for it, but it seems important to try to do so, because it lies behind much of the conflict in the world over the last couple of decades.
The petition has too much of the flavour of "Serbs good, Albanians bad". That is simply reflecting the errors of Nato, when they bombed Yugoslavia on the basis of the idea "Serbs bad, Albanians good". I believe that as Orthodox Christians we are called to be peacemakers, not partisans.
Yes, it would be nice if the Nato countries paid reparations for their war of aggression, but the way in which the petition is worded will simply make them feel justified in their aggression, rather than repentant.
The biggest problem that led to the wars of the Yugoslav succession was that nearly all parties, both within the former Yugoslavia and outside, were playing a zero-sum game. Nobody was wanting, or looking for, a win-win solution. Everybody was acting on the assumption that if anyone was to win, then someone else would have to lose. The greatest cause of violence was fear and insecurity, and the way to reduce violence is to reduce fear and insecurity, but in a zero-sum game the security of one party can only be improved by making someone else insecure.
Nato's intervention was also based on this assumption, and its cowardly bombing of Yugoslavia did as much, if not more, to exacerbate hostility and hatred as anything done by anybody else, so it would probably be a good thing if the Nato countries were to pay reparations, as the petition calls for. The Nato attack on Yugoslavia was terrorism by any reasonable definittion, undertaken in support of a terrorist organisation, the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK).
But the petition too is based on the assumption of a zero-sum game. It does not call for a win-win solution, but a win-lose solution: the Serbs can only win if the Albanians lose.
And I want to see both Serbs and Albanians win.
I work with two Serbian priest-monks in mission in Tembisa (and have written about this in earlier entries in my LiveJournal). I taught for a term at the Orthodox theological seminary in Albania. I have both Serbian and Albanian friends.
The world may play its zero-sum games, but Christian peacemaking must seek a win-win solution.