TWO SIMULTANEOUS CHALLENGES OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

Abstract

Citizens and leaders of the Republic of Macedonia have two simultaneous tasks and
challenges: preserve and strengthen its unique culture developed through thousands of years,
and to develop and implement the role of a sovereign state in an interdependent and rapidly
changing integrated global world. Republic of Macedonia was and is at the crossroad of
cultures and civilizations, it is a bridge between South and North, as well as East and West
and it naturally is the major migration route. These simultaneous challenges demand
emphasizing and strengthening Macedonian culture, its education and research pillars. A lot
has been already done: a trilingual South East European University in Tetovo/Skopje, many
successful public and private universities and a special young leaders program. Immediate
future programs will be outlined.

Keywords

Two simultaneous challenges of contemporary Macedonia. Culture. Global interdependent

world.

1. Crucial Numbers

Fifteen years ago, Lord Martin Rees, astronomer royal and the President of the Royal Society,
wrote a book “Just six numbers” (Rees, 2001) listing six crucial numbers characterizing our
physical universe. And of course, it took several billion years for our universe to develop
including our planet Earth and us – humans 1. Our contemporary civilization and its successful
development are characterized by additional seven numbers: 1) several millions different
biological species (Mora et al, 2011), (Kolbert, 2014), 2) seven billion people (and that
number will increase to close to ten billions within this century and then by the end of this
century it will start decreasing and in about 100-200 year it will drop to about 3 billion
(Kapitsa, 1996), (Kapitsa, 1992) (Luts et. Al, 2001),3) about 5,000 different cultures, 4) about
200 sovereign states most of them members of the UN system (UN, ILO, UNESCO, WHO,
etc), 5) several millions academies, universities, civil society organizations, 6) many
transnational companies accounting for about 30% of the world GDP and 7) one global world.
While Rees’ numbers are quite exact and restricted within a very narrow limit, e.g. if the ratio
of electromagnetic to gravitation force or the strength of the strong nuclear force would be
different just by 1%, or put differently, if the mass of the electron or the speed of light would
be different by a very small amount, our universe - stars, planets, galaxies and humans -
would notexist. On the other hand, all except one (one global world) of the seven
numberscharacterizing our contemporary civilizations have a large margin of acceptable
values. For instance, the world population has changed within few centuries from less than a
billion to ten billions. About 70,000 years ago, the eruption of Toba volcano in the Indonesia
1
For further info, please see: Planck Collaboration: Planck 2015 results XIII: Cosmological Parameters, arXiv:1502.01589, Astronomy and
Astrophysics manuscript (February 9, 2015), Joint Analysis of BICEF2/Keck Array and Planck Data, P.A.R. Ade et al, Phys. Rev. Letters
114, 101301 (March 9, 2015)
caused the total world population to drop to about 10,000. The number of sovereign states has
also significantly changed, just look at the number of UN members caused by decolonization.
The wide margin of “acceptability”may suggest that these numbers are not sensitively
determining our contemporary civilization. This is not correct. For instance, destruction of
biodiversity is one of the most serious threats to our survival (Wijkman and Rockström,
2012). Few decades ago many were discussing the population explosion and indeed though
our Earth can accommodate ten billion people, it obviously cannot accommodate hundred
billion even if our economy would be significantly modified. Could we do what we always
did: move, colonize outer space? As S. Hawking, Egon Musk and many others argue,
colonization of outer space will soon be a reality. Nevertheless, that is a much more difficult
task than when our ancestors moved from Easter Africa to Europe, Asia and America.

Just as biodiversity is essential for our existence, so is cultural diversity an important

component of our capacity to face and overcome numerous contemporary threats. However, a
careful analysis is required. First, one has to appreciate that cultures form, develop, evolve,
disintegrate and integrate, that many persons throughout their lives “change” their culture
and/or depend simultaneously to more than one culture. There is a very large difference
among populations associated with various cultures. Among 5,000 different cultures most
have a very small number of persons and they are endangered to disappear. One has to notice
that there is a large differencebetween a number of different cultures - about several thousand
- and a number of sovereign states - about 200. This clearly shows that the responsibility to
maintain and develop various cultures rests on sovereign states but also on all other
components of our contemporary world: academia, universities, civil society and the entire
UN system not just UNESCO.

2. Uniqueness and Integration

Each sovereign state is unique stemming from its history, geography and current political,
economic and social position. Simultaneously, it is a part of a global world and of various
regional integrations. Each sovereign state can be a part of more than one regional
association. The USA is simultaneously part ofthe Atlantic integration and of the Pacific
integration. Similarly, the Balkan countries are simultaneously part of the European
integration, specifically of the EU and of the Mediterranean integration bringing each Balkan
country in close collaboration of the Muslim world.

It may appear that this dual task - uniqueness and participation in integrations - is mutually
contradictory and that it cannot be accomplished simultaneously. Nevertheless, it should be
and it can be. Culture, science and education are vital to assure maintenance of uniqueness of
each sovereign state and to facilitate integrations. Culture assures uniqueness, science and
education introduce a common “language” among all nations. Today we are witnessing two
opposite tendencies: some European sovereign states wish to become part of the EU, some -
as the UK - vote to leave the Union, and in several European countries there is a strong
Euroscepticism. Idea of the European integration has a long tradition. Abbot Charles de St.
Pierre proposed in 1728 creation of League of 18 states: an economic union with no borders.
After the American Revolution Marquis de Lafayette and T. Kosciuszko proposed to establish
the United States of Europe. Saint Simon and A. Thierry argued in 1814 for an European
parliamentary federation, Giuseppe Mazini in 1843 proposed a federation of European
republics, and L. Trotsky in 1923 formation of Soviet United States of Europe. Contemporary
idea about the European Union goes to Altiero Spinelli who together with Ernesto Rossi
wrote in 1941 the “Ventotene Manifesto”:“Towards a Free and United Europe”. Jean Monet
(“There will be no peace in Europe if states are reconstituted on the basis of national
sovereignity.” and “Nothing is possible without men, nothing is lasting without institutions.”)
and R. Schuman played a crucial role in initiating European integration process which was
characterized by many innovative, out-of-the-box ideas and processes. Schuman proposed a
gradualist approach starting with his plan of April 18, 1951 to establish a steel and coal union
of six countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxemburg and the Netherlands. The
Treaty of Rome was signed on March 25, 1957. When he was president of the European
Commission, Jacques Delors (he was eighth president of the Commission) said “European
Union is a construction in progress”. In a fast changing and more and more interdependent
world it is necessary to ask a question: is a “construction” of the EU changing accordingly,
fast enough and in a proper direction? Even phrasing this question is beyond a scope of this
paper, but it is a vital question at the core of conflicting tendencies we stressed above and it
has to be at least approached. Our contemporary world is characterized by interdependence,
fast changing and the need for mindset and paradigm change. We realize that many
economical laws are human invented and can and should be changed to assure the paradigm
which is human-centered and humanity-centered. Even standard “measures”, e.g. GDP, are
not adequate (it was stressed already by its “inventor” Kuznets and repeated by most
economists). Our dominant economy destroys human and natural capitals, “This economy
kills” (Francis, 2013). The UN General Assembly has unanimously accepted on September
25, 2015 the UN Agenda 2030 - Transforming our World, the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs)2calling for end of poverty, full employment, increase of human capital, preservation
of natural capital, peace and prosperity. The European Commission asked and expert group to
formulate an action plan to achieve the SDGs. This plan is formulated in “Science, technology
and innovation for SDGs”: STI4SDG(Giovannini et al, 2015).

It is clear that science should be placed “at the heart of progressive international
agenda”(Brown, 2010). The 21st century requires that science, policy and politics should be
more integrated (Royal Society, 2010)3. “The tools, techniques and tactics of foreign policy
need to adapt to a world of increasing scientific and technical competencies.” (Royal Society,
2010). Joseph S. Nye distinguishes two approaches in conducting international relations: hard
power and soft power, and defines “soft power” as “the ability to persuade through culture,
values and ideas, as opposed to hard power” which conquers or coerces through military
might” (Nye, 1991). Note a similarity with Mencius approach in ancient China! In a changing
world, the European Union (EU) should become a smarter power by once again investing in

2
“Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” was agreed by consensus on 2 August 2015 at the informal
meeting of the UN General Assembly plenary and adopted on 25-27 September 2015 at the UN Sustainable Development Summit. The full
text is available at:
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/7891Transforming%20Our%20World.pdf.
3
UK Foreign Minister David Milliband at the IAP conference in 2010: “The scientific world is fast becoming interdisciplinary, but the
biggest interdisciplinary leap needed is to connect the worlds of science and politics.”While Aristotle calls politics master science, John
Avery published a book “Space-age science and stone-age politics”, (2005)
global goods - by providing things that people and governments wants but cannot attain
without the EU leadership.

The EU which is at the same time a collection of sovereign state and an integral political
factor must take the leading role in transforming our world by 2030 implying a paradigm
change and mindset change, and therefore contributing toward a realization of the UN Agenda
2030 - Transforming our World.

3. Macedonia

Macedonia was and is at the crossroad of cultures and civilizations, it is a bridge between
South and North, as well as between East and West and it naturally is the major migration
route. The Republic of Macedonia, part of former Yugoslavia, is composed of Slavs and
Albanians with currently very different fertility rates causing constant change in population
structure. The historic concept of Macedonia extends considerably beyond the borders of the
Republic of Macedonia and consequently Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia had historically and to
some extent still have special “relations” with the Republic of Macedonia. If properly
integrated in the European Union these problems could and should be transformed into
advantages, and it will facilitate to face the migration issues. Since Europe is in general
characterized by fertility rates considerably below 2.1, while North Africa, Middle East and
Indian subcontinent have considerably larger fertility rates, it is natural that major migration
are forthcoming, and they will be augmented by possible political conflicts and even more by
environmental changes.

These simultaneous challenges demand emphasizing and strengthening culture, education and
research pillars of the Republic of Macedonia. A lot has been already done: a trilingual South
East European University in Tetovo/Skopje (SEEUT/S), many successful public and private
universities and a special young leaders program introduced several years ago by now
President Ivanov. However, much more is needed. The international initiative behind the
formation of the SEEUT/S can and should be repeated in establishing international science-
technology- innovation centers. Obviously, the Republic of Macedonia should be accepted as
a member of the Euro-Atlantic integrations, notably of the EU and of NATO. Integration
should be added to subsidiarity. In both organization scientific research, education and culture
should be considerably strengthened making the European Union and NATO smarter powers
by once again investing in global goods - by providing things that people and governments
wants but cannot attain without the EU and NATO leaderships.