Personal Angle Western Balkans Civil Society at the Vienna Summit

  • 03 Sep 2015
  • Personal Angles
Western Balkans Civil Society Forum takes place in Vienna in 26 August 2015. (Photo: Selma Ahatovic-Lihic)

Western Balkans Civil Society Forum takes place in Vienna in 26 August 2015. (Photo: Selma Ahatovic-Lihic)

When our Spokesperson asked me to write on this topic, I tried to turn the task into a piece on Vienna, city I like so very much. I practically had a structure in my mind; I wanted to walk the reader through the city as it appears in my eyes. And you would have loved it for sure! But… Nenad was adamant that it has to be about the civil society and its representation at the Vienna summit. So, here it is and I am happy that he was persistent. 

Last week I was among the hundred plus activists who participated in the Western Balkan Civil Society Forum, taking place on the side-lines of the WB Vienna summit.  The Summit itself has been described as the crucial political and economic event for our region in this year. And, for the first time ever, the WB civil society had a prominent role at a high-level political event of this kind.

I was excited to be in Vienna again, especially for this occasion, where all the most important figures from the region gathered under the cloudless Viennese sky. The fact that this was my first ‘inside’ experience with civil society! I have worked in governmental and/or inter-governmental organisations for the past 15 years and the prospect of a new field added to the excitement. 

We gathered on Wednesday morning, some 80 people from CSOs from all over the region, in a hotel on the outskirts of Vienna. The conference room had no day-light, but there was a beautiful wild garden which we enjoyed in the coffee breaks. Few and far between I hasten to add.

I was a silent but very attentive observer, trying to get as much as possible from the very lively discussions that took place, all in an effort to prepare recommendations to be presented to the politicians at the summit the next day. And, to figure out the best possible activity plan for the coming year, to prepare for the next ‘Berlin Process’ summit which will take place in Paris in 2016. 

My impression is that ‘civil society’ people are very open and easy to talk to, almost like no other! The things they are saying will engage you easily, in no time, since they are ‘life stories’ that each of us lives with every day, no matter where we are from and what we do for a living. It matters to us all!

Many issues had been laid out in the open and many ideas as well. But what I liked most, and I would like to think that others did as well, was the idea for preparation of CSO presentations for the ‘Paris Summit’ by Ms Jelica Minic, President and co-founder of the Forum for International Relations of the European Movement from Serbia (also, former Deputy RCC Secretary General). In a spirit reminding us of the best ideals of the French Revolution, Ms Minic asked us all to think this through: Liberté, égalité, and fraternité. 

Liberté – to stand for liberation of huge economic debts in the entire region; Égalité for alignment of more and more pronounced income inequalities; and Fraternité – for more solidarity towards refugees, minorities, youth, women, etc. 

So simple, and yet it addresses the most burning issues in this region. As a citizen of one of the least developed countries in the WB, which has huge unresolved problems, I can relate to this straight from my heart and I hope that the civil society and politicians will work together, and give their best to make a few important steps forward in the year to come. Because we, the citizens of the Western Balkans, are worth both the effort and the result! 

Selma Ahatovic-Lihic