The first Balkan Forum took place within the Subversive Festival in Zagreb, in May 2012, and gathered up to 40 progressive organizations and movements from across the post-socialist states of the region. It was for the first time since the collapse of state socialist regimes and Yugoslavia, that progressive leftist forces – from Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria and Romania – came together to discuss and imagine a common future for their region. Up to 35 activists took part in drafting these reports with the goal to provide a critical examination of the situation in the region in all its varieties, to map and evaluate the existing social and political struggles and, finally, to suggest alternative social, economic and political strategies. In order to avoid the old curse of ‘one step forward, two steps back’, we strongly believe that these reports provide a valuable resource for existing and future social and political movements sharing the goal of progressive anti-capitalist transformation of the Balkan societies towards profound democratization and social equality. At the same time, these reports invite a productive continuation of discussions and disagreements on the Left, across the Balkans and elsewhere in Europe. Without a unified Balkan left, we believe, there is no viable future for the Balkans. The activities of the Balkan Forum are among first steps in that direction. In solidarity! Vedrana Bibić, Andrea Milat, Srećko Horvat and Igor Štiks, Coordinators of the Balkan Forum
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 15:01:24 +0000