Carmina Balcanica a publication covering the dialogue between the West and the Balkans

Asist. Univ. drd. Cristina DOSULEANU

The notion of Balkanism, in fact, has its origins in the Balkan mountains and its meaning has been altered considerably according to the geographic, cultural or political context in which it has been discussed. There is a common understanding of the term based on clich and various cultural perspectives, which, inevitably treats Balkanism as inferior to other European cultures. Sometimes, even intelectual discussions contain pejorative elements. This can be explained by the parallelism existing between the cultural direction and the very fate of Balkan peoples, which was noted for its turmoil. However, this pejorative perspective has been disproved by recent history. Whit the start of the Cold War, the Balkans became the prey of various spheres of influence. Greece and Turky would remain outside the Iron Courtain, while Jougoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Hungary and Checkoslovakia were inside it in Europe. After the fall of communism, the closer ties whit the West dreamed of by the Balkans turned into greater isolation. The reactions of the Balkans, different from those of the West, to the some stimuli, led to an attitude of superiority to them and this gave the word Balkan its pejorative connotation. The failures of the Balkan people, as well as violence and sometimes extreme nationalismled to a linking of Balkanism whit chaos, unpredictability and eccentricity. The lack of dignity and coherent moral values, together with instability became identified with balkanism. This perspective went beyond the Balkans to become a dissmissive adjective, used to describe an explosive political situation, or uncivilised behaviour. The Balkans want to escape the mislabelling, to prove that there is an alternative view of Balkanism, as a solid, ancient or attractive culture. Now these small nations, harassed by conflicts, scarred by communism, laking the financial resources to maintain their culture, have come up whit the solution of improving their image through the magazine Carmina Balcanica. Although the ideea is not original, Greeck, Bulgarian and Serb representatives received it enthusiastically. This could help a more balanced dialogue between Western and Balkan literature, for the sake of a generic alterity encouraged and promoted by the others culture.