And the organizers cannot guarantee that nothing will happen to the participants, none of us can. The truth is that for two days now I don’t know what to write, because instead of writing this I was supposed to drink coffee with my colleagues from Kosovo 2.0 in Belgrade. I’d like to send the message that they are not Serbia, but unfortunately they are. They, as me, are Serbia. We are part of the same society and citizens of the same state. But they behave as if they rule this country and for 20 years now we’re solving problems their way, and see where that has taken us.

Their voice is stronger than mine, their opinion is more acceptable. I fear they’ll hurt me and that’s why I don’t oppose them.

But I will no longer be afraid. Who are they to determine who will come to Belgrade, and who won’t? Who are they to determine who is my friend and who isn’t? Who are they to make me feel uncomfortable in my own state?

Since I don’t know what to write, I send my support. I want Kosovo 2.0 to come to Belgrade. I want my voice heard. And if anyone ever wants to come to Belgrade, they should know they can do it, that in Belgrade there are people who will really be happy to welcome them.

I am angry, because it seems to me that I can’t do anything to them. It seems to me that the state doesn’t care about protecting people who are important to me, who offer these societies an alternative. And however much politics they try and talk about, people are getting more and more separated from each other. What I have been building for years could disappear in a moment, and I can’t allow that to happen.

And not all of us are Kosovo 2.0 because Kosovo 2.0 are one of the few who had the courage to try to talk about unpopular topics and to bring societies closer. There are others like Kosovo 2.0, you can find them in Belgrade and in Prishtina. Youth Initiative for Human Rights is the only one that condemned the threats from the nationalists. There are people who disagree with the dominant position, you only have to hear about them. We cannot allow ourselves for things like this to bring us further apart.

I love both Belgrade and Prishtina. And yes, that is possible; all those who say otherwise will have to get used to the fact that there are people who think like me. And they have to get used to the fact that numbers of such people will only grow.

And we will retaliate towards the nationalists by socializing and collaborating even more.

The article was originally written in Serbian.
Photo Credit: taken by K2.0 supporters at the Share Conference.
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