Burcu Akan Ellis, Shadow Genealogies: Memory and Identity among Urban Muslims in
Macedonia. Boulder, CO: East European Monographs (distributed by Columbia
University Press), September 2003.
ISBN 0880335262 Hardcover
Shadow Genealogies explores identity transformations among minority populations
under conditions of intense sociopolitical change. Based on intensive fieldwork
in the Republic of Macedonia, this study chronicles the fragmentation of the
Sehirli, once widespread urban Muslim communities in Macedonia, into Turkish and
Albanian elements throughout the formative years of former Yugoslavia.
Illustrating the dynamics of identity construction and alteration that extend
beyond contemporary ethnic divisions in the Balkans, Shadow Genealogies offers a
fresh perspective on the flexibility and sophistication that divided societies
require if they are to survive as integrated, cohesive social units.
Shadow Genealogies weaves together the life histories of more than two hundred
individuals across ninety well-known Muslim families in Macedonia. Through their
voices, the book displays change where it is least expected; in ethnic
identities in a country torn apart by ethnic strife. Re-creating identities
under pressure forces communities to act like "cultural cannibals" who destroy
and consume their own meaningful categories to emerge with alternative
definitions or acceptable modes of survival. Ultimately, their stories suggest
the deficiency of ethnicity as a political category in the face of opulent
memories. Juxtaposing anthropological insights on ethnicity, religion and gender
with unique observations on the migrations and identity politics of urban Muslim
populations in the region, this book raises seminal questions about the role of
culture and identity in the Balkans.
About the Author
Burcu Akan Ellis is an Assistant Professor of International Relations at San
Francisco State University. She holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from
American Universitys School of International Service. A native of Turkey, she
continues to specialize in culture and identity politics in Southeast Europe.
Macedonian Unfinished Crisis: Challenges in the Process in Democratization and
Stabilization", by VETON LATIFI.
Author: Veton Latifi is a political analyst in Skopje, Macedonia. His analyses
have been published in various
institutes and international presses, as he writes on freelance basis. He has
also been a speaker at many international conferences and universities with
regard to the Balkans; Albanians; Macedonia and the role of the International
Community in this region. Veton Latifi is doing a MA in Political Sciences in
the sphere of International Relations.
Publisher: Konrad Adenauer Foundation
Language: English
Place/Date: Skopje, March 2003
ISBN: 9989-51-029-6; 20 cm; 250 pages
Contents:
Book includes the following chapters:
1. Introduction;
2. Long- term peace in Macedonia no sure thing? ;
3. Impact of the regional organized crime to the security of Macedonia;
4. Ohrid Framework Agreement: start of the democratization or only document of a
compromise?! ;
5. Some aspects of the Macedonian conflict 2001;
6. The controversial post conflict period;
7. No end to the cultural segregation;
8. Indispensability for a long-term international presence
Author of the book is not focused particularly on the explanation of the reasons
and causes of the Macedonian conflict of 2001, because as he said "they [reasons
of the crisis] should be approached as a package of many elements, some more
predominant and some minor, but all of them having an impact on the situation at
the start of the conflict. There have been many recent debates, and therefore
many interpretations, regarding the reasons of this conflict and with different
approaches". Or, as he express that in other words, the reasons for the
escalation of the Macedonian conflict of last year were mixed. "Although the
prevailing aim was to win more human rights for the ethnic Albanians in
Macedonia, at the same time, it seems that the start of the conflict was also
affected by the regional circumstances, domestic political affairs in Macedonia,
the social-economic elements, etc."
In the foreword of the book, the publisher's representative Andreas Klein among
others have stressed that the book by Veton Latifi describes, for the first
time, the development of the 2001 crisis in Macedonia as a whole. "Thanks to
this, the author, who reported on last year's crisis to the national and
international media, was invited in this context to a great number of
international symposiums and conferences for his profound expertise", Klein
wrote in the foreword of the book.
There are a lot reasons and elements, in the pages of this book, and as the
author said "in the general situation in Macedonia", which show that without the
International Community's involvement, there would be no progress in the region
for a long time, but only tenses will hang the future of the country.
According to Latifi, Macedonia actually is not on the priority list of attention
for the rest of the world, after the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks on
the USA. "But, there should no be optimism that local authorities can alone map
out the future situation of Macedonia and that of the Balkans in general ",
author wrote.
He clarify in one of the chapters of the book that if the EU, USA, NATO and OSCE
do not continue working altogether in the up-coming period in Macedonia, a
period which will be the decisive one for the subsequent direction and scenarios
of the country, then there would be a opening left exposed for the extreme
circles from both sides, Macedonians and Albanians, to possibly ruin the peace
efforts made in the last year by the International Community.
From another hand, the author think that Macedonia cannot be in priority list
of attention for the International Community all the time, as there are other
problematic zones in the rest of the world. "So Macedonia should start more
seriously to make many reforms in the process of democratisation, and with that,
to start to overcome its societal contests and defects properly. But if that
happens like the processes streamed in the last period, it seems that such
necessary reforms will not be speedily effectuated. "
Although during the last period a significant improvement of the Macedonia's
relations with the neighbouring countries has been noted, nevertheless according
to the author, the situation along the borders and traditional contests with
some of these countries, went on to become deeply tense. "Macedonia's
perspective seems to depend heavily on the regional developments and the level
of cooperation with its neighbours. However the societal defect in Macedonia
will be fixed, there will no be securing Macedonia without a peaceful Balkans",
as the historical quarrels with some countries of region remained unsolved.
"The Macedonia's future among others depend on just how will go on the process
of the implementation of the Ohrid Agreement, because it is a tool for the
democratization of the country. The streaming of the process of the
implementation of the agreement will influence in the flowing of the
democratization process of Macedonia." Nevertheless, the dilemma always is
present: does this framework agreement will work?! According to the author of
the book, the reforms foreseen within the Ohrid Agreement are the base of a
framework for securing the future of Macedonia's democracy, and the sanctioning
of the development of closer and more integrated relations between Macedonia and
the Euro-Atlantic structures. But, according to Veton Latifi there are still
several elements that could be treated as challenges for the country in the
coming period, which challenges he explains with an analytical approach in the
pages of the book: "Macedonian Unfinished Crisis: Challenges in the
Process of Democratization and Stabilization"
For further details or for request to provide a copy of the book please write
to: macedonia_skopje@yahoo.com
In case that you want to contact directly the author of the book:
e-mail: veton2000@yahoo.com
tel: ++389-(0)-70-258-909
++389-(0)-70-509-414
