Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija are the most vulnerable population in Europe. They absolutely depend on Serbia, whereas in Kosovo’s society they are on the margins of all margins. “I don’t know whether it would be possible to explain to an average German that someone is able to enter into your house, live there, work on your land, whereas at the same you live in one of the refugee camps. I think that this wouldn’t be tolerated in the civilized world, however this factual truth did not make its way to the public,” says Aleksandar Djikic, professor at the Pristina University, which is displaced to Kosovska Mitrovica.

Serbian National Forum was established recently. Where did the idea come from?
Even though the idea on the establishment of the Serbian National Forum (SNF) appeared quite spontaneous it was launched by persons whose personal and professional integrity has a sort of specific weight and who have certain experience in Kosovo and Metohija, but the Belgrade too. Thus, we can freely say that it (the idea) is fully ripe and completely formulated. The initiative board, which gathered on the occasion of Vidovdan 2014 in Gračanica, was composed from professors, publishers, lawyers, journalists, businessmen. Those are individuals from all over Kosovo and Methoija, what was actually the lacking element of all so far efforts in organizing Serbs in the province.

Why do you think that Kosovo Serbs need another association?
Difficult position of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija unequivocally shows that establishment of the Serbian National Forum is needed. It is possible that there is a big number of organizations, however that should not be measured by figures, instead it should be measured by the effects of those Serbian organization they make on Serbian nation. And, those effects are devastating. That’s why the goal of our association is to highlight the real problems and to engage competent human resources for addressing those problems – and there are many problems.

You have announced roundtables and meetings, and there were many of this kind in the past. What will be the difference compared to the ones of the SNF?
There used to be events referring to Kosovo issues, however they used to deal with the issues in the frameworks of ethno-musicology and ‘high politics’. Those events have, intentionally or unintentionally, distanced Kosovo and Meothija from the Serbian man. How many Belgrade’s graduated second school students know today where the Dečani is? I doubt that more than 20 per cent know. That is the exact effect of the failed events. That’s why there are less people on meetings over the Kosovo issues, than on the football matches of Čukarički (Belgrade local football team). We will not repeat those mistakes. We won’t run away from politics, but we will connect it with the existential problems in Kosovo and Meothija, thus, we’ll help our state, which is not doing well in given conditions. The obvious case is the recent one when state didn’t make it well in case of the paramilitary demonstrations of Mujahideens in Novi Pazar which is a direct consequence of the weakened position of Serbia in Kosovo.

Which are the biggest problems of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija?
The biggest problem, definitively, is that they are constantly the subject of the ethnic cleansing, which is not the new phenomenon. It lasts for decades now, whereas June 1999 and 17 March 2004 are only the most drastic examples.

After 1999 various movements and options have led Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. Is there any amongst them that did the good job?
The role of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC), first of all of the (deceased) Patriarch Pavle, Bishop Artemije and other clerics, from whom some paid it with their lives in most difficult times, was indeed heroic. I have in mind the period between 1999 and 2001. If it wasn’t for the SPC to position itself as it did, it is a big question how many Serbs would remain in Kosovo today. However, in the later phase many political options have emerged and which, due to various reasons, inflicted damage to entire Serbian national corpus in Kosovo and Metohija, be it for the sake of personal interests, lack of knowledge, lack of skills…Whereas the main failure is that all those political options used to act in a disunited fashion, without taking into consideration the difficult position that Kosovo Serbs were in.

Do you expect that any of the political options will hear your expert opinions which you are going to offer them?
You know, if your vehicle is malfunctioning, you will ask the mechanics for an advice or you will pay him to fix it. If you don’t do it, you won’t make it far and it will cost you a lot more. However, there are ones who would drive it ‘until the mag is broken’. I am sure that many will find our work interesting. We are unconditionally open to all.

If they don’t listen to your advices, do you plan to engage politically?
At the moment we are not thinking about it, however if the need arises everything is possible. Of course, in that case, the best amongst ourselves will be engaged.

If Serbs would not be able to realize the basic right on the use of Serbian language in  Kosovo institutions, could there be any discussion about existence of any rights for Serbs?
Use of language, particularly of the Cyrillic alphabet, is only an indicator of the entire position of Serbs. Apart of few official documents (i.e. ID cards) Cyrillic alphabet can’t be seen anywhere else, not even in the Kosovo institutions or their official web presentations. The bilingualism appears to be only a matter that is presented to international community in order to show that Serbs have the rights. This is proved by a very ‘poor Serbian’ in those documents. No one has made any effort to hire someone, that doesn’t have to be a Serb, whose mother tongue is Serbian in order to proofread the documents. International factor acknowledges such things without questioning because such a multi-culti approach is used by them to justify billions paid by their tax-payers, and invested into a ‘black hole’ of human rights.