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Usually a self-portrait of the society
gives some clues about the potential forthcoming changes
in the social system. What we face in a post-war Kosova
at present is a social and political reality, which develops
very dynamically. While in the morpho-social aspect house
reconstruction and building are fairly visible, the socio-political
fibres of the community are ever more characterised by tensions
and antinomies. As it has been before, and much more nowadays,
the International Community has played significant role
in the social and political reality of Kosova. Its attitude
towards different Kosovan ethnicity was the topic of a survey,
conducted in July by INDEX KOSOVA, joint venture with BBSS
Gallup International. Similar to previous polls, survey
covered 1000 respondents, grown-ups of 18 and over years,
selected from all over the Kosova and figures are representative
for the Albanian portion of the population.
Question posed to the interviewees
reads:
Now that a year has passed since
the end of the war, do you think that the attitude of International
Community towards Kosovan Albanians has changed or not?
Respondents were subsequently asked to measure up International
Community's attitude towards Kosovan Serbs, Kosovan Turks,
Kosovan Bosniaks, Gorans, Roma and Hashkalia. For those
answering Yes to each of mentioned ethnicity, the following
question was addressed: What direction in your opinion has
this change taken? Has it become much more positive, more
positive, more negative or much more negative? Closing the
subject was question, which invited to share the main reason
for so perceived changes.
Findings reveal that while Kosovan citizens'
opinion of International Community's attitude towards other
ethnic minorities has not come to some clear vision, perceived
attitude towards Kosovan Serbs and Albanians has changed
a lot. One third of respondents (33.1%) say that International
Community's attitude towards Albanians has changed and almost
one in four (24.3%) say that the attitude has changed towards
the Serbs also. What do citizens think - has this change
taken a positive or a negative direction - can be seen from
the following data. There is a polarisation in citizens'
opinions, addressing the direction that the change of International
Community's attitude towards Kosovan Albanians has taken
(13.1% answer that the change has been on the positive side
and 17.4% answer that this change has taken a negative direction;
others don't know or refuse to answer. Respondents assess
the International Community's attitude towards Kosovan Serbs
three times more positively (16.3% answer that this change
has taken a positive direction and 6.2% think that this
change has taken a negative direction; others refuse/don't
know).
Although the percentage of those who
think that International Community's attitude towards other
ethnic minorities is not so big, their opinion however adopts
a movement in positive direction.
Responses to the query What do you see
to be the MAIN reason of this change? (for change of the
attitude towards Kosovan Albanians), give different grounds.
The breakdown of reasons as structured in a typified set
of answers present the following:
Of those who see the change to be taken positive direction,
most of the answers read International community knows better
now the reality and Kosova problem (2.6%) and Kosovan Albanians
have shown themselves as co-operative and hard workers (2.3%).
There are also answers like: As a result of manifested potential
of the Kosovan Albanians to govern, to establish and build
civil society (1.9%) and Kosovan Albanians proved to be
civilised and peaceful people (1.6%), etc.
Out of those who think that the change
has taken a negative direction, the most frequent answers
are: Killings, thefts, crime and corruption (4.5%) and International
community is in favour of Kosovan Serbs (3.5%). With a less
frequency, there are answers like: Bad behaviour of Kosovan
Albanians - revenges (2.2%) and Divide among political parties
and dirty, messy politics among Kosovan Albanians (1.8%),
etc.
Following on the lead of cross-ethnic
perceptions, the issue of local definitions has been touched.
To outline the distances and potential basis for future
mutual understanding between specific ethnic groups, respondents
were addressed with the question: How do you personally
estimate Kosovan Albanians relationship with the following
ethnic minorities in Kosova - as very positive, somewhat
positive, somewhat negative or very negative? When respondents
give answers on relations of Albanians with other minorities,
except for Serbs and Romas, they do not use the extreme
categories like very positive or very negative, but they
evaluate with a dosage of moderation, although results are
characterised by visible biases, sometimes on the positive
and sometimes on the negative side.
Only 5.3% of respondents positively
estimate relations of Albanians with Serbs, while 86.9%
estimate these relations as very negative or negative. 7.8%
refuse or do not know.
Relations with Montenegrins are positively estimated by
17.0% of respondents and negatively by 70.5%. 12.5% refuse
or do not know.
Relations with Turks are positively estimated by 68.3% of
respondents and negatively by 16.8%. 14.9% refuse or do
not know.
Relations with Muslims are positively estimated by 75.4%
of respondents and negatively by 10.7%. 13.9% refuse or
do not know.
Relations with Gorans are positively estimated by 44.8%
of respondents and negatively by 35.8%. 19.4% refuse or
do not know.
Relations with Romas are positively estimated by 17.9% of
respondents and negatively by 65.5%. 16.6% refuse or do
not know.
Relations with Hashkalia are positively estimated by 34.3%
of respondents and negatively by 45.0%. 20.7% refuse or
do not know.
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