Trust - the most expensive Serbian word

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In terms of the expensiveness of some words, their essence, Serbia is not lagging behind the world at all. Trust is a word that is very expensive on the domestic and global market, because the time has come when no one trusts anyone; that cannot be bought with money. Well, that age has come in which trust is more expensive than money and equaled in value with health, which has always been an exception.

The whole world is swaying because of a lack of mutual trust. Can the Americans trust the Europeans and vice versa, do the Chinese trust the Russians, the latter the Turks, the Turks-Serbs, the Serbs-Albanians, the British-Germans, Brazil-America... As expected, the focus is on the most significant geopolitical questions about old and new alliances, about "soft" and "hard" power. Also, but to a lesser extent, the third, most needed today, "smart" power - the one that uses various different mechanisms to create, improve and preserve partnerships and alliances. The discussion on trust, although no one officially calls this process, has placed itself in the heart of geopolitics, especially after the victory of Donald Trump in the USA and the beginning of his influence on all players on the world political scene. That game, which to me looks more and more like the old game of "mouse", rather than Brzezinski's chessboard, could become a complicating factor considering that not everyone can play it, because many of the players have forgotten that old game, and many of them never even learned to play.

I believe that the majority of young people do not even know what I am writing about, although perhaps that is also a misconception, as do many who, as young people, were influenced by various actors in society. Maybe it is they who know (somehow, through their collective, archetypal memory) how to play those old geo and other political games. It is very likely that the world will show itself to us in a completely different edition precisely because of the decision of young people to actively participate in social trends. Here in Serbia, their decision and determination is more than visible on the streets, squares and colleges throughout the country. And it's not that they haven't warned us elders long ago that we are not leading the world in a direction that means the well-being of all people and the preservation of their dignity. That kind of "awakening" of young people, or rather (because they have always been awake), the decision - to clearly and very loudly express disagreement with phenomena and things in society brought another concept back into focus - dialogue. The need for dialogue is also emphasized very frequently by almost all political and social actors. I myself have written and spoken about the healing and effectiveness of those processes many times over the past years, so it is unnecessary for me to repeat them.

There are, of course, other words, besides dialogue and trust, that would enter the competition for the most expensive Serbian word, such as rasanica, normality of youth, truth, freedom, justice. But, yes, I dared to write that in the Balkan and Serbian contexts, where the patriarchy still reigns, it seems to me, sometimes more viciously than at some point in our history, that trust is the most expensive Serbian word, a word more expensive than Kosovo. I allude, with reason, to the verse of one of the greatest Serbian poets - "Kosovo is the most expensive Serbian word" - because that too is indisputable. Because Kosovo is more than words, Kosovo is the soul of Serbia. And the soul cannot be taken. Kosovo - the place where everything began and where everything will end, and the place where Serbs and Albanians will live together, next to each other, reconciled, because that's the only way to live. Perhaps, when that day comes, some will trust the rainbows more, perhaps they will understand each other better precisely because old enmities hardly change their patterns and therefore require careful listening as a condition for understanding.

But the topic of this text is trust. Without it, there is no normal, stable and, therefore, healthy society. And there is no dialogue. The one we cry out for. And there is no real, honest dialogue if you know, or suspect, that the other side is calling you to talk to convince you that they are right and/or just for the sake of form, to create the appearance of debating. Nor, on the other hand, if you start from that yourself and approach the conversation with that intention. Nobody has time for idle talk anymore. We all cry out for those kinds of conversations after which we feel fulfillment, calmness or a solution, or at least a semblance of a solution, about some of our personal or social problems and/or restlessness. Such are increasingly rare. Understanding silence and pauses is an important segment of dialogue. In general, communication skills are the most sought after today. That's why it's so expensive. The most expensive.

And finally, which means - very important. It is the most important subject of debate. There are topics that are not debated because any discussion about them implies that something is wrong with us. Basic human rights and common sense principles are not discussed, because they are, or should be, woven into our being and social fabric. Among those principles are the equality of people before the law, so that power, gender, race, property status and political affiliation should not give advantage to anyone. It goes without saying that institutions perform tasks within their jurisdiction - social services talk to and help citizens overcome current life difficulties, doctors treat, postmen carry mail, prosecutors prosecute criminals, courts judge according to the law, the army defends the country from an external enemy - and I will not list further things about which there is no need for dialogue.

We do not even discuss invented, imposed, spin topics, such as, for example, various conspiracy theories, which are used by some political elites to offer people simple solutions and culprits for outrages, injustices, rational and irrational fears. On the other hand, we have to discuss the way of education reform, a sustainable system in energy, critical raw materials, the positioning of our country in the current global circumstances, the impact of artificial intelligence on human rights, the labor market and the economy.

Therefore, in order to talk or have a dialogue, as one prefers, trust and respect are needed. This also implies that the honor and dignity of the interlocutor is always preserved and that they do not ask questions, the answers to which could embarrass us (both us and our interlocutor), to paraphrase Boro Pekić. It can happen that you even need an enemy in your life, let alone a dissenter. And like bread. You should think about it in time.

Trust is hard to gain, it takes years of acting in accordance with words, admitting mistakes and correcting them, apologizing for mistakes and ill-measured (let alone harsh and offensive) words, predictability in actions, not turning your back when it is necessary to plant them, not using words that in a divided society sow fear, emphasize differences and support prejudices about others, not undermining trust in educational and democratic institutions and not to mention what I learned about trust of people and books. We have all been convinced during our lives that no one is trustworthy once and for all. No one's authority is given forever and can be challenged, often precisely because of a loss of trust. We are all constantly on the exam.

The author is the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality