Original scientific paper
Forgiveness and reconciliation as a prerequisite for coexistence: a process which has already begun or an utopian challenge?
Dragutin Babić
; Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The author of the paper discusses the return of war migrants to their homes, with emphasis on the problem of social interaction between different ethnic, immigrant and domicile groups in the Brodsko-Posavska County. The survey included 180 war migrants devided into three groups: returnee Croats, returnee Serbs and refugees-immigrants. The statistical significance of differences was tested by hi2 test. The coexistence of the Croats and Serbs is the main problem, both for groups of war migrants in local communities and for the state of Croatia. The returnees are burdened with reminiscences of the recent war conflicts, severe human and material losses and the problem of possibility to forgive and reconciliate. The socio-psychological obstacles are huge, especially in regard to Croat returnees. Is there a possibility to surpass those obstacles? As far as the state of Croatia is concerned, the return is a huge financial obligation, as well as a matter of level of civilization. The success in resolving it will show the scope of democratic development of the Croatian society. The examinees of all three groups confirm that the coexistence was a value internalized by the majority of inhabitants in the region before the war. The difference occures in their perception of those responsible for the war. The Croats and the Serbs have different views on the causes for war, and that difference will be a significant problem in process of return. The majority of the examinees consider the forgiveness possible (war criminals are excluded), although a third of the refugees-immigrants (mostly Croats) and Croat returnees resolutely refuses forgiveness. The survey shows that the coexistence is possible after all, but it will take time and require the state's aid for those who return.
Keywords
WAR MIGRANTS; RETURN; FORGIVENESS; COEXISTENCE; BRODSKO-POSAVSKA COUNTY
Hrčak ID:
25903
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2002.
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