Kosovo v. Serbia -- question of a nation's independence

The issue:

As home to a diverse collection of ethnicities and cultures, the Balkans have long been an area of controversy. Since World War I, many wars have torn apart this region, even after the fall of Yugoslavia and its brand of Communism. Kosovo, an area where Albanians occupy the approximately 90% of the population as opposed to the 7% of Serbians, with the remaining population comprising of various other ethnic groups, ethnic hatred has long been a problem. Ethnic cleansing has long terrorized this mixed population, with attacks initiated from both Serbian and Albanian factions. However, there remains the even bigger issue of whether or not Kosovo is an independent nation at all, with Serbia claiming Kosovo as a region of Serbia, despite Kosovo's separation from Serbia with a Declaration of Independence in 2008. Although many countries (69, including USA, and 22 of the 27 EU states) have already recognized Kosovo as a de facto nation, there are notable exceptions within the European Union, including Spain, Serbia, Greece, and Moldova. The People's Republic of China does not recognize Kosovo either, as a result of their claims on Taiwan. As of today, Kosovo is officially known as the Autonomous Region of Kosovo and Metohija, but is it time for them to update that title? What is it that makes a country independent? Or is this merely a power struggle between Serbia and Albania and the EU?

AOK/ WOK/ opinions

The Area of Knowledge at the center of this issue would be History, since this dispute has its roots in a classic case of ethnic differences coming in the way of peaceful coexistence. Throughout history, areas where ethnic tensions are high have been prone to violence, with each ethnic group vying to dominate the land that they claim to be their own, leading to extreme forms of hatred and culminating in war being declared. As is often the case, these differences are irresolvable in nature since their premises are illogical in the first place, being fueled by hatred and emotions of nationalistic solidarity. This also implicates the area of Ethics, since the line between right and wrong is often blurred in times of chaos. From the perspective of the aggressors, they are perfectly justified in committing atrocities for the "greater good", while the other side finds them barbaric and atrocious. This would also branch into our understanding of the ethics of war and peace as well, but that would plunge us into a whole other realm. One way to examine this issue of autonomy (with Ways of Knowing), would be through logical deduction, as had been done by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICJ's advisory opinion, though not legally binding in nature, found that Kosovo's declaration of independence was in accordance with international law, as "general international law contains no applicable prohibition of declarations of independence" (ICJ statement, July 22, 2010). The rationale here is quite simple: since Kosovo's independence is not in violation of international law, it is, therefore, an independent nation. However, this controversy can also be examined from the perspective of Language. How does one define "independent", and what would be the definition of a "nation"? Although there are official definitions out there, these words would still hold different meanings for each individual.

Personally, I believe that Kosovo should be granted the status of an independent nation. Not only did they clearly declare their independence succesfully, the question of ethnicity is not the only question when one investigates a nation's identity. Aside from ethnicity, there are other factors, such as culture, religion, and all the other strong, fundamental beliefs and values that holds this population together as one. In my opinion, having such a unique cultural identity separate from that of Serbia's, along with the "official" symbols of a national identity -- a flag, marked borders recognized by many countries, a functioning government…etc. -- gives Kosovo every right to implement their Declaration of Independence.

Other Examples

An example of an Eastern European country that has already experienced this split of identities would be Czechoslovakia, now divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, as the Czechs and Slovaks both desired a piece of land they could claim as their own due to irreconcilable ethnic differences. Taiwan is also a salient example of conflicting identities, as the struggle between the ideology of "One Nation Two Geopolitical Systems" or "Two Separate Nations" continues to be in the gray area.