Thursday started on Wednesday. Going to Korčula, to school. To a meeting of women, leftists from all over Europe, who will debate on the topic: where is the left going? Last year in September, young-philosophers and old-Praxisians met, those who remained, both in life and on the public philosophical scene, to evoke the scope of the former Korčula philosophical school, the former magazine Praxis and the former system, which is both first and the second he successfully stopped and drove into oblivion. Or is it not? Will we talk at the women’s edition of the political school, or will political women engage in pamphlet speeches, which most often do not have a subject but only the starting verbs “we must”, “want”, “initiate”, “protest”, “condemn”? I don’t think so, but still, I have to be ready for a confrontation. Why not, after all, well, I’ve been doing nothing else all these years but blowing the bubble of the left…and the bubble burst a long time ago. Or is it not? On the occasion of that last year’s gathering, and “impossibility to attend”, Predrag Matvejević sent his text, and from a distance, as much historical as in nautical miles, he wrote a rather thoughtful and quite accurate Requiem for the Left. Requiem was about the praxis left then, and about everything else now. Read it, it’s instructive. This Thursday is great, because of two things: old Korcula and Vida Tucan. In her monograph in the making, it is written (it is not printed due to a misunderstanding of the authorities):…”born in Zagreb, exhibited her works and woven from wool, prize winner…” and from the photographs and illustrations, as well as from Vida herself, the energy of a curious and with a creative heart. and in the “impossibility to attend” Predrag Matvejević sent his text, and as it was, from a distance, as historical as in nautical miles, he wrote a rather sedate and quite accurate Requiem for the Left. Requiem was about the praxis left then, and about everything else now. Read it, it’s instructive. This Thursday is great, because of two things: old Korcula and Vida Tucan. In her monograph in the making, it is written (it is not printed due to a misunderstanding of the authorities):…”born in Zagreb, exhibited her works and woven from wool, prize winner…” and from the photographs and illustrations, as well as from Vida herself, the energy of a curious and with a creative heart. and in the “impossibility to attend” Predrag Matvejević sent his text, and as it was, from a distance, as historical as in nautical miles, he wrote a rather sedate and quite accurate Requiem for the Left. Requiem was about the praxis left then, and about everything else now. Read it, it’s instructive. This Thursday is great, because of two things: old Korcula and Vida Tucan. In her monograph in the making, it is written (it is not printed due to a misunderstanding of the authorities):…”born in Zagreb, exhibited her works and woven from wool, prize winner…” and from the photographs and illustrations, as well as from Vida herself, the energy of a curious and with a creative heart. Requiem was about the praxis left then, and about everything else now. Read it, it’s instructive. This Thursday is great, because of two things: old Korcula and Vida Tucan. In her monograph in the making, it is written (it is not printed due to a misunderstanding of the authorities):…”born in Zagreb, exhibited her works and woven from wool, prize winner…” and from the photographs and illustrations, as well as from Vida herself, the energy of a curious and with a creative heart. Requiem was about the praxis left then, and about everything else now. Read it, it’s instructive. This Thursday is great, because of two things: old Korcula and Vida Tucan. In her monograph in the making, it is written (it is not printed due to a misunderstanding of the authorities):…”born in Zagreb, exhibited her works and woven from wool, prize winner…” and from the photographs and illustrations, as well as from Vida herself, the energy of a curious and with a creative heart.

Vida says, I’m not quoting, I’m paraphrasing: “Praxisovci and the Korčula School of Philosophy were, then, for us free and creative, left-oriented people, the brightest spot and simply a guide for critical reflection of Marxism, they were a recipe for an intellectual, a leftist.” If only it were today which school was a guide… and only if knowledge was the brightest point… Friday was extraordinary, again for two reasons, one is called Vinka Lozica, the other, the balcony of the Renaissance palace vis-a-vis the cathedral of St. Brand. Vinka is a leftist, since, I didn’t ask, but I estimate no more than 24 years old, from Korčula, beautiful, smart, classy…dedicated, with the character of a leader. I thought, what a requiem for the left, then there is Vinka! There is hope! The balcony opposite the cathedral at the opening of the first Baroque Music Festival. I’m on the balcony, from there you can see the Moreška, the traditional sword game and… people.
I didn’t give a fiery speech, although all the conditions were met: a large balcony made of Brac stone, a pointed spotlight, the mass below…it will be that Handel was not thinking of a revolution when he composed his baroque beats. Kitsch and revolution do not go together. Unless the very thought of revolutionary changes, today in the time of global “liking”, is more kitsch than anything else? Personalities are important: Daša Šilović, the initiator of the event, whose biography is like a manual for a successful career as a political and diplomatic professional: she measured while leading the discussion, skilfully avoided the more passionate and quite coldly dismissed the routine debaters.
Well done, Dasha knows. Long live the left! Sonja Lokar: the history of the women’s movement in the former South, now in the region and in Europe. Also the initiator of the meeting. Sonja has the energy for an ocean liner, this to Korčula is like frolicking in the shallows. He says: it’s a great discussion. There are such good ideas. Only, we have to work… (Sonja is Slovenian, let me clarify, if you are surprised by the invitation to work!) Sonja is never tired: ever since AFŽ, ever since the breakup of SKJ, ever since the disintegration and dismemberment of our former homeland, ever since its formation Sonja has been working on women’s political networks since Slovenia joined the EU. There is Besima Borić, then Emina, a friend, colleague and interpreter. Essay on friendship. Hope! My, our Nada Drobnjak. Monique, a socialist from France, Judith, a professor from Barcelona, ​​Ana Karamanu, Mia, Janna, Karolina, Metka, Marja…all of Europe! Routine and Furious, Zita Gurmai, the female president of PES “told” where the left is going in Europe. Please, don’t expect that she contemplated theoretical and political ideas, but in the manner of a “principal of a school for young ladies” told an inventory of the activities of the members of the European Parliament who make up the left. Okay. What did Matvejević say? Saturday: conclusions… words, words, slogans, words, letters, words, …

Did the transition and social and economic reforms affect the position of women? They did. They made them economically miserable, socially retarded, culturally deformed, intimately…? Where is the man, what happened to the dream of freedom in a just society? I remind you of the wise words of Dunja Knežević: “There is double exploitation at work, … it happened that concentrating on the segment of civil and political rights determined, and in fact significantly narrowed, the activities of the women’s movement, so their dealings were limited to individual cases of discrimination and to various types of violence against women versus men, in the family. This dominance is not from yesterday and it is not an invention of capitalism, but it is about the cultural heritage, subordination and subordination of women from the earliest history as in every respect of the weaker sex. Capitalism is only grafted onto the given gender relations and keeps them that way, found in the division of labor as long as it enables greater efficiency and productivity. If it happens that the female labor force is more suitable for exploitation – …. – capitalism will gladly adapt to it. It would be said that it is already in action, which can be linked to the increasing parading of the ideology of equality at all levels of government”. Is this gathering of ours also a response and a protest against “parading with the ideology of equality at all levels of government”? Sunday: I have to leave the island. Is this gathering of ours also a response and a protest against “parading with the ideology of equality at all levels of government”? Sunday: I have to leave the island. Is this gathering of ours also a response and a protest against “parading with the ideology of equality at all levels of government”? Sunday: I have to leave the island.
It’s been ringing like a chorus since dawn. The island is a dare and a privilege. Last night I sat on a punta until late with Ivana, a woman from Belgrade who came to Korcula twenty-something years ago and stayed. Now she is privileged. Although he says: I read so I don’t go crazy. Exactly. Those who don’t read are crazy. Monday has this constant problem of being the beginning. And then I have a problem if the niche does not start. I ask my business and other friends, when do we start? All in unison: what? Bless my child. She is starting classes today, progressing at that distant and exciting Berklee College of Music. He conquers the world of music and poetry giftedly and convincingly. I’m proud. Tuesday is the day when the decree on compulsory learning of the Russian language in schools should be passed. Who knows, a blessing for him or her. Who doesn’t know, book and notebook in hand, so learn, learn… Because if we don’t “like” mother Rosia, she won’t like us. And that means, what a day! Wednesday: emails and photos arrive from all the friends from Korčula. And excitement that we met, that we talked and that we agreed on something. News in the media is less encouraging. My optimism can barely defend itself in the face of headlines about murders, the public and debt of each of us individually, another earthquake, bomb explosions, mutual non-recognition between Kosovo and Serbia, the hypocritical attitude of the investigative team from the EU towards the testimony of trafficking in human organs in Kosovo and in northern Albania, to the dethronement of the city government in Novi Sad, bribery for enrollment in schools, graffiti of hatred towards minorities, another mysterious murder on the streets of my hometown, the simpleton and mundaneness of the political and entertainment establishment. And then, under the rubric “entertainment”, the last words of a Russian, who left this world in 122. year, leaving us his recipe for longevity: “No alcohol, tobacco and women!” WITHOUT WOMEN?! Baćuška, Daragoj, how wrong you were!

Nataša Milojević *post scriptum.
The debate is organized by the Foundation for European Advanced Studies and the Women’s Network of Southeast Europe-European Forum for Democracy and Solidarity. The theme and intention of this Korčula school is to open space for discussion and debate, especially between organizations of the European left, about today’s economic and political challenges from the point of view of gender politics and equality, in the hope that these discussions will give birth to innovative solutions in order to achieve a society of progress and stability , equality and social justice for everyone, and above all for young people, women and minorities as the most sensitive social groups.