#SERBIA #KOSOVO #URGENT #novictims #justheros

If you expect #hatespeach #callforviolence, or #blameassigning, this article is a waste of time. Please leave and switch to your usual communication channels.

Recapitulating impressions from the Board Meeting Western Balkans Six Chamber Investment Forum (WB6 CIF) in #prishtina and visiting dear friends from Devolli Corporation in Pec / Peja pushed me to share this story. A story about how peace can work.

It is actually simple. It takes some personal engagement, clearly defined joint interests, a spoon of life joy, and a cup of good coffee.

One of the most extensive coffee production facilities in southeast Europe is placed in Peja as one of the business pillars of Devolli Corporation , which employs more than 4500 people in their system. Just a coffee production part of the company produces 700 tons of all sorts of coffee per month, exports in 24 countries, and cooperates with major global producers and retailers.

“You see, this bridge and all the innovative metal constructions in our storages and production are made by excellent Serbian company Metal Sistemi Plus from #kragujevac, “was the first thing I heard from my friend Dardan Shala .

And not only that, the mills in the modern production facility were made by the Serbian family company Rajica Topalovic i Sin. All the cardboard packaging company is buying at Belgrade based Smurfit Kappa company. For nine years, one of the chief technologists responsible for product development is Dusan Krneta from Krusevac, working along with other experts from Peja, Prishtina, and Belgrade. “He is a part of our family,” my dear friend and owner of the company Shkelqim Devolli tells me proudly.

The first thought coming to my mind: This is, shortly expressed, how peace is built. With joint creation of new value, with commitment and hard work.?

What is the actual moral of the story here? No, it is not just a pure fact that Serbian and Albanian people can work together. The real message is much more subversive. It deconstructs a centuries of our victimhood identity building and competing in “Victimhood Olympimpics” between Balkan nations. It shows that it is possible to have experienced trauma and for victimhood not to form the core of our identity. That it is even possible to grow from trauma. That it is possible to have healthy pride for an in-group without having out-group hate. Having a clear lens and seeing that not everyone in our out-group is evil, and not everyone in our in-group is a saint. There are many stories like this one in our region. Stories shedding the perpetual victimhood mindset for something more productive, constructive, hopeful, and determined to build positive relationships with others.

Oh, wait…there is a more important message of this story:

HUMANITY RUNS ON COFFEE!

Marko Cadez

#cooperation #politics #balkans #serbia #kosovo #europeanunion #europeancommission #business #victims #heros #coffee #peacebuilding #conflictresolution #life #journey #roadtrip