Language, education and conflicts in the Balkans: policies, resolutions, prospects

The issue of the languages and education in the Balkans is heated, despite the fact that in the last twenty years many epochal events have occurred that have radically changed the scenario in each country and in the region. The dissolution of former-Yugoslavia, the agreements of Dayton and Ohrid, the Stability Pact, the process of EU enlargement have had a significant impact on the Balkan populations also from the cultural and educational point of view. The Balkan languages are on one hand reacquiring their dignity, uniqueness and personality, on the other hand they are becoming a way of asserting the identity of an ethnic group over another, in an eternal game of prevaricators and prevaricated that perpetuates a latent tension and endangers stability. The importance of the legislative and constitutional measures that protect minorities, as well as the constant confrontation with the international community – in particular the EU – with its shared values and approaches, ensures that there is no escalation of tensions and conflicts. Nevertheless, the educational system is still the emblem of identity policies based on nationalism. History textbooks are an interesting example. The prospects are related to mutual recognition, overcoming the painful past. This essay explores all these aspects and takes the reader on a analytical journey in this intricate issue, providing a complex view of the situation and of the conflict resolutions strategies, with a vision for the future.