Kosovo’s Pathos

By Céline Paré

In 2015, Vetëvendosje leader Albin Kurti – today’s Prime Minister of Kosovo – let off tear gas in parliament to oppose a deal to empower Serbian communities with more local powers. In our effort to inform ourselves about Kosovo’s past and present in class in the first week of June, we visioned a video of this incident. To me, this act of provocation screamed long-held resentment and frustration about the status quo. The powerful message sent by Kurti on that day inspired me to investigate further the emotions transpiring from Kosovar everyday affairs. This led Tiana and I to imagine producing a magazine which would convey the range of feelings emanating from everyday life in Kosovo, through informational articles, potent photographs, and expressive artworks. Contrary to research papers, a magazine held the potential to display emotions in a very creative and compelling way, by virtue of its visual dimension. A magazine could also contain written pieces directly communicating to the audience our thoughts and reflections on what we would see, hear, and perceive in Kosovo. The combination of visual and textual content made a magazine stand out from other formats which typically only offered one of the two aspects.  

 

Frustration was an emotion that we encountered in the discourse of all the stakeholders in Kosovo – that of citizens we conversed with on the streets who felt trapped by the lack of visa-free travel, of the activists who told us of their work to bring about social change in a country plagued by political inaction, even of the few politicians who attempted to highlight the success of their initiatives to us all the while expressing cynicism in the face of a domestic climate of political, economic, and social stagnation. Frustration was often accompanied with disappointment and pessimism – related to the general lack of opportunities for professional or personal development in Kosovo.

 

The permanence of grief was betrayed by the urban space in Kosovo. Pristina and Mitrovica were saturated with commemorative plaques, large memorials, desolate graffiti, missing person posters, and bleak murals, all dedicated to the many victims of Kosovo – of the 1998-99 war but also of more recent killings in the context of protests, intergroup clashes, and domestic violence. Kosovo is in a state of continual mourning – a lack of closure for wartime atrocities coupled with the loss incurred by periodic deaths due to recurring violence is preventing old wounds from closing all the while opening new ones.

 

Many other negative emotions infuse the everyday in Kosovo, such as anger and fear which fuel the divide between ethnic communities. However, they are somewhat counterbalanced by positive emotions which nurture patriotism and solidarity. National pride – in the beauty of landscapes, the kindness of people, and the determination of youth, among others – was often the first sentiment that emerged from our discussions with Kosovar citizens. Despite all of its faults, it is simply impossible for most not to love their country which embodies freedom and resistance. In addition, the boundless efforts of nongovernmental organizations, often led by new generations, to improve social conditions, economic prospects, and political structures, inspires feelings of hope and trust in the future.

 

Kosovo is marked by an entanglement of numerous emotions, none less salient than the other – frustration, disappointment, hatred, fear, grief, pride, and hope, among others, characterize Kosovo’s social and political landscape. These emotions heavily influence the course of affairs, by virtue of their potential to simultaneously provoke unrest and sustain efforts to bring about social change. The commotion engendered gives Kosovo its unique character as a vibrant post-conflict society.

 

Link to online magazine: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mw86_q-xIRB97ZjNyePjwU7mADMrvKJu/view?usp=sharing