Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 87 No. 3, 2017.
Professional paper
How to Respond to Mentality of Dividedness and Divisions in the Croatian Society?
Neven Šimac
Abstract
Divisions exist in many societies and they vary in time, depending on events that happen in these societies. In this regard, the Croatian society is not an exception, nor is Croatia characterised by an exceptional tendency to and mentality of dividedness. In today´s Croatian society, real divisions, as well as those invented or constructed by media, have their sources in time: in the engagement with totalitarian regimes of the previous century, in changes during the more recent periods, in the war, transition, and globalisation, but also in the relation towards key future challenges. The divisions that have older roots can be alleviated through »cleansing the conscience of the past«, i.e. by opening the archives and gathering testimonies on everything that has been hidden, falsified, or invented by the Communist regime. The divisions that emerged after the democratic changes and the recent war can be healed through the dialogue in the spirit of »truth and reconciliation«, as well as through agreed upon reforms of public policies, starting from the common values. Finally, when it comes to divisions that are appearing on the horizon and are related to the upcoming generations – such as migrations, environment, and all created things – these ought to be present more strongly in our awareness and we ought to work together on preserving our common house and our value identities.
Keywords
divisions; totalitarianisms; freedoms; values; identities; discernments of the past; reconciliation
Hrčak ID:
190488
URI
Publication date:
12.12.2017.
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