Today, We are Kosovans

The Flag of newly independent Kosovo (WikiMedia Foundation)

The people have spoken

Many regimes have rolled tanks over the aspirations of their people and shot bullets into the hearts of a few of the people who yearn for freedom.

Men, women and children they can kill but a hope that has become a movement for the emancipation of the people can be delayed, it can be obstructed and it can be temporarily crushed but it cannot be destroyed.

The Balkans has always been the tinderbox that has set Europe on fire much as peace in the Balkans keeps an uneasy calm in Europe.

This day, the people of Kosovo by their democratic will and earnest desire became a nation – the parliament unanimously declared independence from the Republic of Serbia.

A promise to all

Many have welcomed this realisation and others have rubbished the reality as false.

The leaders of the people have vowed to protect the minorities in their new nation whilst they forge ahead building a new identity and ready to play their part in the commonwealth of global nations.

Any nation that would not recognise the validity of this declaration should reflect of why they would deny a people their aspirations and wonder at their democratic credentials.

A treasure un-cherished

Serbia for instance claims that Kosovo is the cradle of Serbia, if it were that precious and priced as a place of their heritage they should probably have been smarter about treating that heirloom with respect and recognition.

They should have striven to unite their different peoples rather than wage wars (Wars waged in 1389, 1448, 1915, 1944 & 1999) and belligerent rhetoric against the dominant and majority occupiers who have a considerably different heritage.

The deed has been done here and hopefully, we can keep the peace and watch this nation grow into a force for good in the old Yugoslavia, the Balkans, Europe and the world at large.

We are Kosovans

There is nothing illegal about realising the aspirations of a people, the memory of the martyrs whose blood flowed to realise this dream shall not have been shed in vain.

Today, we who seek freedom and liberty with safety are together at one with Kosovo.

Today, we are all Kosovans – Long live the independent Republic of Kosovo, we welcome you.

Reference

The timeline to Kosovan Independence

Eurovision: My hats are safe

Royaume Uni nul points

The review goes; Scooch was characteristically undeterred by the result. As one of them said, "To be honest, this experience has been one in a million".

It was a unique opportunity to ascribe dumbness and ignominy to the name of their country and they did so well, we were 19^th on the appearance list and scored 19 points in total, result; a joint 22^nd out of 24 participants.

Flying the flag for utter embarrassment, they did with aplomb.

The seriousness with which we handle the Eurovision Song Contest has definitely taken on the characteristic inane commentary and banter of Sir Terry Wogan, insensitive, flippant, unserious, ignorant and sometimes just stupid.

Playing to lose

When the selection contest took place a few months ago, we had seasoned artistes that already had commercial success but they were not good enough for the goal - cynical as it may seem, the whole charade is a desperate pessimistic run to the bottom, we deliberate chose songs that we know would never do well and acts that seek the Raspberry Award of performance - the goal, to ensure that we come last and we almost did.

How can 42 countries vote for a performance and we end up with 19 points (5 from Ireland and 12 from Malta) where the maximum points are 12 from any one country? Ireland only got 5 points in all, but somehow, their music was a bit uninspiring, which was a shame.

Yes, there is a bit of politicking with the way countries vote for kindred nations, but who is really a kindred nation with Serbia - a good few - that swept the gold with 268 points?

How on earth?

If effort is put into the music and performance where talent rather than mediocrity is allowed to shine, we can do a lot better, we have won the contest a good number of times, and it can be done, if done well.

It beggars belief that many other countries could not make the final in the light of what we had to offer, again, cynicism makes one feel there was a need for the utterly ridiculous and the UK entry made that grade.

Scooch would not have made a real cabin crew, they were horrible, the stereotypes were crude and the costumes would definitely have made Aeroflot crew look so smart.

The world a rotten oyster

Before Scooch now, their world is an oyster gone seriously off, there was no political or prevailing situation concerning the UK as in 2003 when our involvement in Iraq lead to the infamous nul points - complete zero result - this time we were a rotten performance and I would only have found greater consolation if we had come last and we could not even achieve that with dignity.

Eurovision is kitsch and glitz at its more garish, but we all watch it, which means secretly, we all have a stake in the contest, the format for selection should and must change, Sir Terry could do with a healthy pension and we can really look for creative talent to do the United Kingdom proud - enough of the one in a million experiences, we need that one real opportunity to win.

Meanwhile, my hats are safe as we did not win anything and the cabin crew did open the doors at 35,000 feet.

The Eurovision Blogs