| Abstract: | I would like to start this essay with three quotes, from three respectable figures on their concept of Nationalism. Helen Caldicott, a physician, author of many books, as well as an anti-nuclear advocate once said “Patriotism is nationalism, and always leads to war.” Arundhati Roy also an author and political activist wrote “Nationalism of one kind or another was the cause of most of the genocide of the twentieth century.” (Roy, 2003, f. 47) And lastly George Will, a newspaper columnist and political commentator said “Nationalism is blamed for this century’s wars, but nationalism need not mean militarism. And the nation-state has been the laboratory of liberty.” There are many quotes a person can find just by searching the internet, most of what you would find on nationalism are negative, similar to Helen Coldicott and Arundhati Roy. But there are also positive thoughts on nationalism such as George Will. I decided to start of this introduction writing about nationalism, because it has become aware lately even in the Balkans that there is much confusion on the term Nationalism, it is seen as something negative, that is bringing discrimination and ethnic conflict not only in Macedonia, but throughout all the Balkans. Is it good? Is it bad? Who does it benefit? These are just a few questions that I will try to answer in this work while focusing on Macedonian politics. The topic of Nationalism in Macedonia is an important topic today, in fact it has been since the independence of Macedonia and before. Nationalism affects not only the state in international relations, not only in internal political policy, but also effects the citizens of the country directly. I have chosen two terms that briefly explain the importance this thesis; Political Importance and Social Importance. Political Importance: Politics tells us how a society must be set up and how one should act within a society. The citizens within this political system must be allowed to fully function according to the “nature of man” , if this doesn’t happen, the citizens will either rebel, as seen in the 2001 conflict, or the system will eventually collapse. Unfortunately the situation in Macedonia, even today, is anything but natural. The essay will be full of examples on how the system in Macedonia does not allow the citizens to fully function according to their nature. Social Importance: Using the same thought as Aristotle, a person survives and flourishes based on their ability to exercise and use their reason. The appropriate role of government is important to improve the lives of the people. If the government does not defend and uphold the individual rights of the people, the people will either protest or flee from Macedonia. This unfortunately has been happening for a long time now, and the Ohri Agreement hasn’t stopped the people from protesting or from fleeing the country (Pajaziti, 2016). When the people start seeing a healthy future for themselves and for their family in Macedonia, only then will the protests and fleeing stop. In order for this to happen, it is important for the government to change its priorities. The importance of this thesis paper is that it will help us better understand the mistakes or actions our government is making, how to undo these mistakes or actions and find a solution that will help the people live naturally in a safe protected life with purpose for a future in their own land. In order to better understand the current complex situation Macedonia finds itself in today this thesis will discuss analyze and try to understand the following three main sections. The aim of the first section is to have a better understanding of the history and identity of the country and its people. The section will be divided into four main and different histories of Macedonia; by Macedonian historians, Albania historians, Greek historians, and Bulgarian historians. Part two of this section is to have a better understanding of the role of Macedonia in ex-Yugoslavia, and finally a narration of understanding Independent Macedonia. The aim of this section is to analyze and better understand the political activities from both ethnic Macedonian politics as well as ethnic Albanian politics in Macedonia today. The aim of the second section will be on understanding the concept of nationalism and its unending role in Macedonia. This section will be divided in two main parts; Nationalism before and after the 2001 Conflict. This section will help us better understand the change, if any, that the uprising in 2001 had and is having on the country. The aim of the third section will be discussing analyzing and understanding the current hot topics in the political arena today such as; the name conflict between Macedonia and Greece, Skopje 2014, and the New Nationalisms (ethnic hatred re-expressed). Understanding that in this type of field of study there is rarely ever just one clear solution in any given problem, and taking into consideration all the documents shared, analyzes made, and topics that will be discussed in this essay, four different solutions will become clear in the final chapter, one more likely than the other, but all four solutions worth discussing exclusively.
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