Transitional justice and the Hague cases
In the second episode of the “Balkan Perspective” podcast, we discuss the role of international courts in restoring peace in the Balkans after the conflicts of the 1990s. What impact have these institutions had in addressing war crimes and building trust among citizens? Are these courts perceived as a mechanism of justice by the affected communities?
Special attention is given to North Macedonia, analyzing the level of peace and inter-ethnic relations following the 2001 conflict. Our guest is Imer Selmani, a prominent political figure who has held significant positions throughout his career and has been a witness to key developments in the country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2LvhyoeY7w
Hot winter in the USA: Fires ravage Los Angeles – Senators question Trump's elected officials
Interview with journalist Jalisa Dugrot
Fires ravaged the center of the film industry, Los Angeles. Danger still exists. On the political front, the Senate hearings of President-elect Donald Trump's nominees are underway.
We are talking about the situation in the USA with journalist Jalisa Dugro. Watch the full conversation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaHDypF1klI
Shchedrik – For the world it is a Christmas song, for Ukrainians it is a battle for freedom
This Christmas we bring you the story of the most popular Christmas song of all time – Shchedrik or as the world knows it, Carol of the bells. The Ukrainian song that conquered the world was composed by the legendary composer Mykola Leontovich, and for Ukrainians it is not just an ordinary song, but also a struggle for freedom, language and identity. It was first performed in the distant 1916, and just three years later it conquered the European and American continents, to today become the song that warms hearts all over the world during the Christmas holidays.
Take a look at the story of the song with a very rich history, which for Ukrainians has become a symbol of the struggle for freedom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wULBeH775zM
Dolidze: Georgians are not giving up on the fight for a European future – There will be protests even during the holidays
Georgians will welcome the New Year with protests and will not give up on their European future – says the Leader of the For the People party, Anna Dolidze. Dolidze is an expert in international law, until 2018 she was the legal advisor to the President, and then a member of the Judicial Council.
In Labyrinth we talked about the stolen elections and the Russian hybrid influence that managed to divert the country from the European integration path. The protests escalated, and the use of water cannons and violence by the police did not change the Georgians’ minds to continue fighting for their rights. About 500 protesters, including some injured, will spend the holidays in detention. We also discussed with Dolidze the international support and the sanctions imposed by the US and the UK on some of the Georgian authorities, but not by the European Union.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMSfP0UH5tw
Women Leaders for the Reconstruction of Ukraine – Students for Justice in Serbia
Report from Kiev and a conversation about Serbian student blockades
Ukrainians will welcome the third New Year with war. The situation on the fronts has little chance of changing without a political solution, but therefore the activities for making plans for the reconstruction of the country in the post-war period are becoming more prominent. From Ukraine, we include Iryna Drobovych, founder of the The Day After Foundation, with whom we discuss the need to plan and inspire the reconstruction of Ukraine in advance.
In Serbia, however, the protests became massive after students from all faculties went on a blockade. They received support from professors, and after them the High School Students' Union also started to block. Our film director Leonid Velkovski, who studies at the Novi Sad Faculty, is also a guest in today's edition of Labyrinth. We discuss the activities and demands of Serbian students.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9jKQEEE0bs
What is Transitional Justice?
In the first episode of our new podcast series, Balkan Perspectives, we talk about Transitional Justice, what does it mean, and how have countries in the Balkans dealt with it? Why don’t we learn about it as a subject in schools, even though it’s so important? To answer these questions, we talked to University Professor Blagoj Conev, who explains the basics of Transitional Justice and why it is important for our region.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIHYms-xwMU&t=2s
Syria freed from dictator, but terrorism is still a threat
Interview with war reporter Bud Wichers
After 13 years of civil war, the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria has fallen almost without a fight. The
rebel HTS (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) has taken power and is trying to make a peaceful transition. In the
meantime, the US, Israel and Turkey are bombing places that are strongholds of ISIS, the Kurdish party
or places that are suspected of having remnants of chemical weapons used by Assad. In this episode, we
talk to war reporter Bud Wichers from the Netherlands who has been reporting from Syria since the
very beginning of the uprising in 2011. Wichers has extensive experience reporting from the Middle
East, and in Syria he reported from the biggest hot spots and was in contact with almost all the factions
fighting in Syria. He says it is good that the regime has finally fallen, but he is still suspicious of possible
terrorist hot spots, that is, he suspects that HTS has severed all ties with its previous “umbrella” Al Nusra
Front, which was practically the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda.
огранок на Ал Каеда.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TytMuklzSKE
Tencions in Serbia: Citizens do not give up – the government does not give in
Interview with the MP, Srdjan Milivojevic
Tensions and protests in Serbia are not subsiding. Citizens are not giving up on demanding responsibility for the accident in which 15 people lost their lives. In the meantime, the government is arresting protesters, and the opposition is trying to get them out of custody. Students from almost all faculties across Serbia have also started blockades. We talk about this and the opposition's future steps with the MP from the Democratic Party, Srdjan Milivojevic.
Watch the full interview.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfFjDcZQjqU