The concept of the special "Minority Communities in Serbia" is to present minority communities in the light of the present moment, and to replace stereotypical and folklore approaches with insights into how much we have in common.
It often happens that the labels attributed to a certain minority community are passed down through the generations. Also, there is a tendency among the public that the "culprits on duty" are singled out when necessary, as well as that the sports, scientific or artistic successes of members of minority communities are easily and quickly attributed to the ownership of the majority nation.
With this project, we want to make, first of all, an anthropological insight into the capacities of our society as a whole, with the pretension of highlighting a mode of living that is based on mutual knowledge, respect and understanding of all national communities living in Serbia.
Editor: Natasha Heror
The Albanian population in the territories of the municipalities of Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa lives in an area of 1249 km, has a long history and, according to the historian of the Ottoman era Mead Osmani, these parts in ancient times belonged to the Dardania, an Illyrian tribe that stretched in the triangle Nis-Skopje-Ulpijana (Pristina).
According to the data of the Republic Institute for Statistics and Census, in 2002 there were 57.595 Albanians living in the municipalities of Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa, while today the exact number of members of the Albanian population in Serbia is not available because the Albanian minority boycotted the last census in 2011.
He also said that later, in the Ottoman era, although they were under Ottoman administration, these territories gained more importance during the period of national revival, especially at the end of the 19th century when they became an administrative part of the Kosovo Vilayet and with the construction of the Skopje - Žbevac railway ( Bujanovac) – Belgrade.
"Considering the stages that the Albanian people in general and the Albanian people from the Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa areas have gone through, there must have been vacillations. All the time, and even today, cultural identity is threatened by the risk of changes due to the uncontrolled acceptance of foreign cultural models, which bring with them the unstoppable trend of globalism," emphasized Mead Osmani.
The National Council of Albanians is the only public institution in Serbia that supports, promotes and preserves the cultural heritage of the Albanian people in these areas.
Enver Mehmeti, the deputy president of the National Council of Albanians pointed out that part of the strategic orientation and organizing policy of this institution is to preserve, improve and develop the specificities of the national identity of Albanians.
Mehmeti added that activities such as "Albanian Comedy Days" in Preševo, "Albanian Film Week" in Bujanovac, photo exhibition, folklore promotion in Medveđa, book promotion and other activities provide a continuous contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage.
The "Association for Heritage and Cultural Creativity of the Preševo Valley" makes a significant contribution to the preservation and promotion of the Albanian national identity through the scientific conferences it organizes on historical figures from the areas inhabited by Albanians from all Balkan countries.
The president of this association, Džemaledin Salihu, a retired professor of history, says that with all the risks of destroying the cultural heritage of the Preševo Valley, a large number of personalities who left a mark in national history still remain role models and inspiration for new generations.
An important role for national identity is also played by the media in the Albanian language, one of whose main goals of existence is the preservation and promotion of the script, language and visual presentation that make up the cultural identity of Albanians.
The magazine "Perspektiva" published by the "Albanian Cultural Community" in Bujanovac, since 2006 has remained the only periodical written media in the Albanian language with 214 published issues so far.
Sevdail Hiseni, the publisher of this magazine, pointed out that the cultural identity of Albanians in Serbia is in crisis due to the absence of care and support from municipal institutions, as well as from state institutions.
"We know that culture is a special characteristic of every ethnic community, without which there is no cultural and national development. It is a sad fact that the Albanian culture in Serbia is deprived of the right to achieve greater support for its real development," Hyseni emphasized.
A significant role in the preservation of cultural identity is played by cultural and artistic societies, which promote a part of Albanian culture through the promotion of original carts, costumes and participation in various Balkan festivals.
With the aim of strengthening, preserving and promoting the Albanian cultural identity in Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa, representatives of the National Council of Albanians are planning to establish a digital museum, and non-governmental organizations and researchers are looking for a way to establish the Institute for the Heritage and Cultural Creativity of Albanians in accordance with the legal framework in Serbia.
Leonita Avdili has a master's degree in fine arts studies at the Faculty of Arts, University of Pristina. He is of the opinion that the quality of cultural life in Bujanovac is changing weakly and slowly. He realizes his dreams through painting, leaving traces on the canvas. Exhibits at regional and international exhibitions.
The project "Minority Communities in Serbia" was supported by the Ministry of Culture and Information of Serbia.
