Čedomir

Čedomir is 34 years old. He works as a project manager at the Association of Dystrophy of Zlatibor and the Association of Cerebral Child Paralysis in Užice. He graduated to become a philosophy professor.

In the future, Čedomir envisions a younger Serbia. ‘Definitely a younger Serbia. Until I went to Scandinavia, I had no idea how dire and dramatic our situation was on two fronts: birthrate and unemployment. When you are accustomed to seeing people not working, when you’re used to packed cafes at 12:30 p.m., it becomes the norm. But when you visit Holland and witness hordes of people heading to work, you become as shocked as I was. I thought, oh my God, nobody works in my country. While strolling down the streets of Holland, in any part of the city, at any time of day, you can always spot strollers. Then you realize we have a very elderly population.’

Čedomir highlights authenticity and multiculturalism as positive characteristics of Serbian society. ‘Authenticity can carry both positive and negative connotations, depending on its subject. I appreciate our audacity, which drives us forward. Some might call it stubbornness, but I prefer not to, as it’s more encompassing than that. Stubbornness often has negative associations, while audacity doesn’t necessarily need to. Audacity can represent determination, and I admire this quality in our people. Additionally, I appreciate the multicultural aspect of our society. I haven’t seen many societies that bring together such diverse ethnic groups.’

On the negative side, Čedomir observes that the positive energy of the people is often directed toward negative things. ‘We tend to channel our resilience, defiance, and energy into negative pursuits. Focusing on negative aspects doesn’t require much effort. When you want to be destructive, you can turn on a bulldozer or a car and crash it into something for instant destruction. But when you’re constructing a house, you must be constructive, which is far more complex than being destructive.’

Another negative aspect he identifies is the acceptance of reality without taking action to change it. ‘The problem is that we’re starting to accept our current situation. If someone had said this 40 years ago, 50% of the people would have disagreed with the notion that we’d end up like this. Today, if you tell young people the same thing, they might agree but say, “It doesn’t matter; we’re just used to it.” I also believe there is external influence. Apathetic people are easier to manipulate, and this apathy generates a cheap workforce, fertile land, natural beauty, all almost for free.’

Čedomir acknowledges that some of his ideas may seem extraordinary, but he believes that the craziest ideas have led to the world’s most significant inventions. He remains committed to seeking new challenges and working towards their realization for the betterment of himself and the society he lives in.

 

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