Multiethnic Coexistence in the Balkans: Conditions for Building Substantial Peace

Interethnic conflicts have become synonym for the Balkan, marking as well the beginning and the end of twentieth century. In this period peoples of the Balkan had passed through the processes of national building and creating national identities, crossing the communist ideology, and regaining new nationalistic weakening, mixed with implementation of democracy and the processes of globalisation as Western innovations, which are equally proportional on that which is offered by the same West in the mid nineteen century in the face of nation-state ideology. The last, in bigger or smaller measure, has created identity confusion and preconditions for creating new borders and promotion of interethnic clashes as a concept for implementation of there national goals. The best way to solve conflict situations on the Balkan is to prevented before it starts. The most secure prevention in this moment is not isolation but integration into Euro-Atlantic associations. The ethnocentrism and building of stereotypes are the main reason for misunderstandings and conflict situations on the Balkan. The solution lays with inter group contacts, communication, education and cooperation. Post conflict period of the Western Balkans countries includes transformation on conflict stages into process of permanent peace building. The short time solution includes managing the crises. The preparation is longer term process of a few years period, in which there is realisation of projects of stabilisation. The outcome includes a long term plan for overcoming the post conflict period and creating preconditions for building substantial peace. For Weiner, the people will always raise the one most important, crucial question: How to change for the better of our children, but not to forget the sacrifices of our parents