Future Renaissance
Future Shines Bright A project by Veronica Nojac
ENJOY
Big thanks to my beloved ones, tutors and everyone who contributed, participated and helped in this endeavor.
A
n introduction to the fact that the way we structure our system and lifestyle is so limited and so last season.
The concept of nation-state and belonging / identification to/with a nation and nationality has become so firmly fixed in the daily socio-political discourse and general epistemological framework, that it is extremely hard to imagine any other possible socio-political form of structure and organization without any immediate reference to it. The challenge of the present day is not mainly the ambiguous nature of national constructs, but the fact that national identity is often artificially build and resurrected when a country rallies against an (imagined) external or internal enemy and ideology, propagating ideals of isolationism, protectionism and nationalism. Murray Edelman, who was a political scientist, cogently demonstrates in his work Constructing the Political Spectacle (1988), how socially constructed stories crafted to attract the interests of the audience rather than to provide a realistic portrayal of events, contribute building a political spectacle. This spectacle consists of a set of symbols that continually construct and reconstruct one’s self-conception, the meanings of the past and present, expectations of the future and the role of the politicians. For a couple of years now, we are witnessing the political arena being transformed into a reactionary, counterculture resisting the liberal values that struggle to be allocated space in the social domain. Considering the antagonistic nationalist waves covering a great part of the global political discourse today, with far-right nationalist parties like Alternative fur Deutschland (Germany) , Party for Freedom (The Netherlands), Jobbik (Hungary) , Front National (France), Bharatiya Janata Party (India) gaining sizeable support, the question of national identity and relevance of the national state operating model is of an urgent matter, and thus it is important to investigate these concepts in relation to the past and current socio-political setting.
O
n why there is sense in us being post-national, and why there is still some tiny little bit of hope of us being that, as we have all the prerequisites, but guts and sympathy. In the context of a migrant crisis and general political distrust resulting in the revival of the radical right, it is crucial to analyze the conditions of the national construct and current socio-political structure in relation to the geopolitical and globalization status. The nation-state model is no longer operative, nor regulatory as the globalization process prompted the disembodiment of social, economic and political means from their local context and facilitated their global expansion and performance. As international integration and interchange has reached its apotheosis due to multiple critical advances in transportation and telecommunications, today we are experiencing the after effects of what we may call post-globalization. Considering and following the chronological and cause-effect logic of post-globalization, it would also make sense for us to live in a post – national narrative, and to think of ourselves beyond the national construct. From a deeper historical perspective, post-nationalism can be viewed as a symptom or condition of larger globalizing patterns of development. As such, it is helpful to think of post-nationalism not simply as a condition but as an extended process whose trajectory can be traced back to what has been framed as the early modern period and to Western European colonial expansion, beginning in the late fifteenth century following Columbus’ arrival in the Caribbean. The subsequent integration of the Western Hemisphere into the incomplete, pre-existing world order challenged dominant epistemological frameworks with significant, long-lasting ramifications in the political and economic spheres of imperial domain. Throughout the long colonial process, starting with the four centuries of Spanish domination in the Americas followed by the gradual displacement of the latter as a global power by the British in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the establishment of transoceanic and transcontinental commercial networks and markets not only coexisted with but facilitated the rise and success of modern states. Hence we can clearly see how the historical trajectory should now should enable the post-national social form of existence, yet up until this day the post-national apparatus reckons resistance in favor of the self-contained national pursuit. Despite the fact that post-nationalism is not precisely considered the antonym of nationalism, both terms and their associated suppositions are contradictory as post-nationalism is an internationalist process. The main concern regarding the, at the first sight, opposite terms national and post-national is the speculation of the end of nationalism as we know it. Analyzing nationalism as a political structure and a form of local consciousness in response to the processes of internationalization, one can grasp its profitability to the governmental and corporate capitalist establishments, as it becomes lucid as an ideological apparatus, regulating multiple economic and financial operations. We may notice the nationalist dissemination on a popular, local level, whilst the post-national keeps evidence on a larger scale, being present in multinational corporate-governmental spheres. National and post-national constructs are therefore not utterly separate, but rather interrelated, analogical gradations in a system where globalization and nationalism are opposed elements that concurrently construct and determine the coherent system. Thus post-national as a theoretical and practical construct does not announce the end of nationalism, but on the contrary proves its ability to coexist within the national in the present setting. Franz Fanon who was a critical theorist, philosopher and revolutionary, stated in his seminal essay The Wretched of the Earth (1961) - “National consciousness which is not nationalism, is the only thing that will give us an international dimension.” Emphasizing the importance of internationalist thinking, that takes national culture and consciousness into consideration as a departure point, and therefore sets dimensional difference as a relational scope. As for the present day, globalization has mainly been the process that fostered cross-cultural awareness and international cooperation, and therefore induced communication that employed difference as a relational marker. With some of benefits that post-globalization has brought us, we are now, more than ever, able to form and understand our national and cultural identity in relation to that of others, and consequently question how do we identify ourselves, and where do we belong. The effects of this process are specifically interesting to witness in the vital period of adolescence and emerging adulthood as being the times of substantial personality and identity change.
AL FA N IO T A
AL ON TI
FANTASIE
S PO S TN
a global public invite
FANTASIES POS T NA
NTASIE S
N
POS TN AT
L NA IO
FA
AN INVITATION TO THE POSTNATIONAL VOYAGE TASY
EMBARK ON A TRIP THAT WILL BENEFIT HUMANITY
take an active part in
NEVER SEEN
GL O
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IZED
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Planet Earth flag of postnationalism and internationalism
T hr ve r o ough cat c s i d e harsis we r Planet Earth coat of arms with the global motto
I
n the process of conceptualizing the research and project, we got highly engaged with the case of a country named Moldova. The choice of investigating the situation of Moldova is not only rooted in its puzzling set of events and its consequences, but also in the fact that this is our place of birth. Therefore our stake in this project is that of someone who can make use of the embedded knowledge and inherited understanding of that culture in order to try to disentangle current issues.
Moldova is a patch of land situated in between Romania and Ukraine, an independent but peripheral part of Europe. Considering it’s relatively small territory, Moldova is a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities, which has always been of a strategic and geopolitical importance for the ‘west meets east’ relationship. The many political, social and political permutations that Moldova has undergone have resulted in a strong identity crisis and fragmentation within its population. This year will mark 26 years since the country proclaimed its independence, yet, up until this day the many people of Moldova are conflicting in their search for the national truth and belonging. Throughout its striking modern history, Moldova has witnessed a succession of constructed and de-constructed identities imposed on the people of its land. Becoming a part of the Russian Empire in 1812, a century later in 1918 taking advantage of the Russian Revolution and uniting with Romania, and finally being proclaimed the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1940 – is certainly depicting the process of a highly contested national identity. Nowadays the identity game resulted in two major nationalist waves: the Moldovan identity crafted by the Russian authorities for longer than a century, leaving traces of post-soviet nostalgia in the present discourse; and the Romanian identity that managed to develop in between the World War years, and has its strong roots in a shared culture in prehistory and modern day. Today the Romanian nationalists claim that Moldovans are ethnic Romanians, whose Romanian consciousness does not have a clear outline due to the Russification process of the empire and soviet period, and that the Moldavan identity is an artificial construct. Moldavan nationalists on the other hand claim themselves to be a definite nation, with a clear identity and historical experience as being formed separately from the Romanian discourse but nonetheless not denying the commonly shared cultural aspects. Most importantly these two contrasting and hostile occurring nationalisms are sustained by the fact that there are mainly two spoken languages in the rhetoric of Moldova: Romanian and Russian; causing numerous daily confrontations and discontent amongst the population. Benedict Anderson, a historian and political scientist, has multiple times drawn attention to the value and significance of languages by remarking:
“It is a mistake to treat languages in the way that certain nationalist ideologies treat them – as emblems of nation-ness, like flags, costumes, folk-dances, and the rest…Much of the most important thing about language is its capacity for generating imagined communities, building in effect particular solidarities” Imagined Communities, Benedict Anderson (1991) At this moment in time, the national identity and culture of Moldova, does not constitute a homogenized entity, in a sense that there is no consistent opinion or understanding of what that currently represents other than an aggressive mix and accumulation of reminiscent probes of the past identity battlefield. This condition is partially anticipated by what Emile Durkheim, has defined anomie. Emile Durkheim who was a sociologist and philosopher concerned with how societies could maintain their integrity and coherence in modernity, has introduced anomie in his work Suicide (1897), as being a condition in which society provides little moral guidance to its individuals, and being a breakdown of social bonds between an individual and the community. In the context of a society like Moldova, where the socio-political administration provides little guidance to its population, by not inducing any projects aimed to aid the integration of its population, I question how is a body with fully independent existence, but a non-established and coherent national and cultural profile capable of immersing itself into a post-national structure? Here we might turn to Franz Fanon once again in order to consult his concepts regarding national culture:
‘A non –existent culture can hardly be expected to have bearing on reality, or to influence reality. The first necessity is the re-establishment of the nation in order to give life to national culture in the strictly biological sense of the phrase’ On National Culture essay, Franz Fanon (1967) Besides Franz Fanon, in this regard we may also recall what Benedict Anderson and his canonical Imagined Communities (1983) invoked – and that being that nations are nothing else than communities resulted from our political imagination and fantasy, and therefore they are to be “distinguished, not by their falsity or genuineness, but by the style in which they are imagined” (Anderson 1991, 6). The polarity of the alternations that the concept of national identity and culture has undergone in the period of modern and contemporary history of Moldova, has resulted in an unconscious transmission of collective trauma from one generation to another, and today the youth have nothing else than to rehabilitate or articulate their own vision of the past from different dissociated fragments of information in order to take it to the future. Or put in other words, imagine and fantasize about their own community in order to shape a uniform new identity. This exact communal approach aimed to re- formulate and re-create the non-existent homogenized culture within the post-globalized setting is what will help the further generations engage themselves into the post-national narrative with less dysfunctionality.
Central to this inquiry was wandering around the streets of the capital city of Moldova, Chisinau, to collect evidence of holistic graphics. Holistic graphics in this case are the inscriptions and the graffiti to be found on clothing, walls and many more erratic places, bearing messages, which are indispensable from the political, social and economic context of the country and its people. Along with “Russia” tracksuits, most often seen inscription “Unity” symbolizes the desire for union or rather, re-union with Romania. Therefore capturing the “holistic graphics” was essential to establish an understanding of what is happening within the sociopolitical context of the country, as the messages concerning popular issues and dilemmas are delivered and formulated by the population itself.
Revolution! Unity
Unity
Love Moldova
Unity is Power Moldovans therefore Romanians
Youth loves Moldova Against everyone
Romanian and European flags in a public toilet in the city center
The literal meaning of Field study should be perceived in order to understand the aim of this endeavour. Lucian Blaga, one of the most influential Romanian philosophers, poets and novelists, an inspiration for this project, has once said “Eternity was born in the countryside� (Eu cred ca vesnicia s-a nascut la sat). Following his poetic thought we have indulged ourselves into a trip to the countryside in order to discover the perpetuity of the fields and what so many Moldovan writers, artists and directors such as Grigore Vieru, Nicolae Dabija, Liviu Damian, Igor Vieru, and Emil Loteanu considered to be the grounds of the national culture of Moldova. Analyzing the whole body of efforts, which formed the existent Moldovan culture, such as art, literature and cinematography, we can clearly see how the countryside was elevated and almost fetishized as being indispensable of from whom Moldovans are. Therefore in this phase we have engaged ourselves into the search of what are the ephemeral national probes, by capturing the scenery evocative of the countryside spirit, and by approaching the vision of the national costume in a contemporary manner. We initiated a dialogue with what resides in its essense. The objective of this endeavour was the attempt to present, remind and re-imagine in a familiar manner what once was considered the essence of the currently vague national culture and identity.
W
e have captured the faces representing the youth of Moldova and conducted structured and semistructured interviews with a series of set questions aimed to collect general opinions regarding such areas as identification and belonging, as well as their opinions and solutions for the future.
Globalization - a process that has facilitated and exposed the flow of economic and cultural ideas on an international scale, has also drastically influenced the social and psychological modus operandi of our identity formation. But before we start analyzing how globalization and identity are interrelated and affecting the young generation, we may resort to what Stuart Hall, a highly influential cultural theorist and political activist, has warned us in regards to how we perceive identity:
“Identity is not as transparent or unproblematic as we think. Perhaps instead of thinking of identity as an already accomplished fact, which the new cultural practices then represent, we should think, instead of identity as a “production” which is never complete, always in process, and always constituted within, not outside representation.” Cultural Identity and Diaspora, Stuart Hall (1990) As adolescence (ages 10-18) and emerging adulthood (ages 18-29) is the time of life with a noticeable openmindedness to values and ideas and search of belonging and identification, I am keen to explore the dynamics of national and cultural identity of this specific group. In this context it is essential to point to Erik Erikson, a prominent psychologist, who is mainly of interest for Fragile Identities for his pivotal theory of psychosocial development, personal approach to the psychoanalysis of group and collective dynamics and explorations of the mechanisms impacting our identity in the early periods of formation. To a great degree, cultural identity was something that Erikson emphasized as being paramount to the formation of an adolescent’s identity. This pivotal domain concerned ideology (beliefs and values), love (personal relationships) and work. Erikson centered his research on how adolescents make choices about ideology, love and work, in order to form an autonomous and lucid outline of their personality and self within the culture they live in (Erikson, 1950, 1968). Nonetheless, the emergence of a cultural identity concerned making choices about the culture with which one identified. Fundamentally the Eriksonian model elucidated the process of distinct identity formation within one’s cultural community, whereas the process of shaping a cultural identity entails deciding on the cultural community to which one belongs. Considering Erikson’s questions of formation and belonging as being hinge to his research, as well as the consequences of globalization, we can notice that nowadays in the salient period of adolescence (ages 10-18) and emerging adulthood (ages 18-29), persons are more prone to be exposed to a plurality of pathways, generating the fragile identity. Therefore the development of cultural identity within a national system in a post-globalized world becomes a more perplex process, involving increasing interactions and interchange with individuals with different cultural backgrounds, either directly or through various media. The confusion and crisis of national and cultural identity that the young generation might experience in this context can also follow an unexpected and unpreceded direction of development and eventually result into a bigger scale postnational phenomenon. Yet we are discussing this feasible scenarios in the global narrative witnessing nationalist re-emergence, whereas we are interested to present a more specific and non-linear instance to investigate, of which we would like to introduce the reflections of the Moldovan youth.
How do adolescents and emerging adults embrace the concept of postnationalism in the contemporary discourse of a country like Moldova? We spoke to some of the bright minds representing the Millenials and the upcoming Genration Z, ready to take the stage in the heart of Moldova, Chisinau. Giving voice to the youthful peeps we were eager to find out what’s the deal with national identity, how do they experience the concept of post-nationalism in their setting, and what does the future mean to them.
PASSPORT
Type
A
SURNAME
IRINA NATIONALITY
THE FUTURE SEX
FLUID DATE OF ISSUE
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MINISTRY OF POST-NATIONAL AFFAIRS
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Issuing country
PLANET EARTH
Passport No.
I23155781
POSTNATIONAL DATE OF BIRTH
POSTNATIONAL
AUGUST REGISTERED DOMICILE
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Who/how do you identify yourself?
Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m the citizen of the planet.
What in your opinion constitutes the national identity?
It’s a sentiment that makes you feel home.
Considering the historical past of Moldova, what could be its future?
Personally, I have Romanian spirit. I was educated with this values. I also have a lot of friends who are pro the union with Romania. Nonetheless I believe it’s a mistake to ignore people of Russian descendent, or Russian speaking. I think we need to concentrate more on what’s happening here. I believe that it’s possible for an identity to be formed.
How does the fact the Moldova is a mostly bilingual territory, affect you in the daily context? I do not really encounter daily situations in Russian. But most Russian speaking people do not speak Romanian, and somehow you feel inferior by speaking it.
Do you think the Moldovan youth is divided in (ethical/linguistic) groups? If yes, what could possibly unite the youth?
Uniting people here is not easy. For many people the Soviet period meant deportation and death. The memories are linked and accompanied by too much pain. So I believe that artificial interventions are not possible and effective in this case. A different approach is necessary.
What do you think about the concept of postnationalism?
To me it’s the science of everything that’s living – biophilia. In this world animals and plants are the most exploited. People who posses the power always abuse the weaker ones. But we need values that would unite people. Open – mindedness and awareness is what we acutely lack generally, and in relation to the concept of nation and nationality.
What is the future to you, expressed by one word?
Love.
the future is LOVE
embrace the everpresent possibility of imminent change
PASSPORT
Type
U
SURNAME
COSTEA NATIONALITY
THE FUTURE SEX
FLUID DATE OF ISSUE
NOW DATE OF EXPIRY
NEVER AUTHORITY
MINISTRY OF POST-NATIONAL AFFAIRS
TR<POST<<NATIONAL<<FANTASY>>>>>>>>>>>> H43TU65424321BHTRY6541LHJKU<<<<<<<<<<<<
Issuing country
PLANET EARTH
Passport No.
C54127885
POSTNATIONAL DATE OF BIRTH
POSTNATIONAL
AUGUST REGISTERED DOMICILE
MILKY WAY GALAXY
POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL
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Who/how do you identify yourself?
Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a Moldovan.
What in your opinion constitutes the national identity?
Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something that differentiates you from all other nations around you.
Considering the historical past of Moldova, what could be its future?
Someone certainly has a political interest in Moldova. We are positioned very central, which geopolitically makes us a valuable strategic territory. So I think that being a part of someone, is a relatively utopian thought many of us have.
How does the fact the Moldova is a mostly bilingual territory, affect you in the daily context? Positively. I actually like it.
Do you think the Moldovan youth is divided in (ethical/linguistic) groups? If yes, what could possibly unite the youth?
I believe that the youth is divided. I feel different in different language surroundings. Even what people talk about is different. Russian to me is somehow deeper and dramatic.Education is the source of everything. So I guess investing more in education, could make a change. Also I think that nightlife is something that unites, the party brings people together.
What do you think about the concept of postnationalism?
I think its already happening, little by little. Nowadays everything is a remix, merged, fused and mingled.
What is the future to you, expressed by one word?
Inevitability.
the future is inevitability
dicovering beyond the misery of today
PASSPORT
Type
K
SURNAME
CATALINA NATIONALITY
THE FUTURE SEX
FLUID DATE OF ISSUE
NOW DATE OF EXPIRY
NEVER AUTHORITY
MINISTRY OF POST-NATIONAL AFFAIRS
GI<POST<<NATIONAL<<FANTASY>>>>>>>>>>>>> KU5RU65421878MMHTRY3LKPNF<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Issuing country
PLANET EARTH
Passport No.
CI6857891
POSTNATIONAL DATE OF BIRTH
POSTNATIONAL
APRIL REGISTERED DOMICILE
MILKY WAY GALAXY
POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL
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Who/how do you identify yourself?
I am an inhabitant of Moldova. A citizen of Moldova and Romania. And I speak Romanian.
What in your opinion constitutes the national identity?
It’s a space where I grew up, it’s the values that evolved in me. I think it’s something very personal.
Considering the historical past of Moldova, what could be its future?
I think that at least in the 10 following years, it will stay independent. But considering the global trends, by which I mean globalisation, expansion and the geoplotical aspect, I don’t think that Moldova will exist in the following 100 years.
How does the fact the Moldova is a mostly bilingual territory, affect you in the daily context?
I speak Romanian, but as a child, I studied in Russian. Being in different language mediums, makes me learn it again and again. But have to say that I do not perceive negativelly the situations in which I’m not being responded in the same language that I’m asking something.
Do you think the Moldovan youth is divided in (ethical/linguistic) groups? If yes, what could possibly unite the youth?
I would say yes. On a level of influence / friends. This devision is what gives some less oportunities. For instance the possibility to participate and volunteer for certain events / organisations. The communication is weak. I think that media is generally focused on certain groups and niches. The online medium is something that could be chaged, and could possibly unite the youth more. Creating more bilingual websites for the youngsters. Platforms that wouldn’t be local and focus on specific territories. I for instance know nothing of what is happening in the North or Gagauzia (an autonomous region of Moldova).
What do you think about the concept of postnationalism?
I think that Moldovans are generally very agreeable people when it comes to people of different nationalities. People don’t hold on with country but rather something personal.
What is the future to you, expressed by one word?
Interest.
the future is interest
becoming as well as being belongs to our future as much as to our past
PASSPORT
Type
F
SURNAME
IRA NATIONALITY
THE FUTURE SEX
FLUID DATE OF ISSUE
NOW DATE OF EXPIRY
NEVER AUTHORITY
MINISTRY OF POST-NATIONAL AFFAIRS
FR<POST<<NATIONAL<<FANTASY>>>>>>>>>>>> KU4EWRTY1878UYTGF5RY87PJUF<<<<<<<<<<<<
Issuing country
PLANET EARTH
Passport No.
R43257882
POSTNATIONAL DATE OF BIRTH
POSTNATIONAL
SEPTEMBER REGISTERED DOMICILE
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Who/how do you identify yourself?
Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just an inhabitant of my country.
What in your opinion constitutes the national identity?
People infiltrate diverse things and concepts. I don’t think there is a precise answer here.
Considering the historical past of Moldova, what could be its future?
It would be nice to stay an independent state. But considering the political situation, and the general mood of the Moldovan population, I can’t imagine us being independent in the future.
How does the fact the Moldova is a mostly bilingual territory, affect you in the daily context?
It doesn’t affect me negatively, neither does it bother me in my daily life. I actually consider the bilingual setting a strong benefit. The more languages you know/speak, the better. The other problem is obviously that people are conflicting because of it.
Do you think the Moldovan youth is divided in (ethical/linguistic) groups? If yes, what could possibly unite the youth?
I personally have friends from both linguistic “camps”. But on a general note, I do feel that people are divided. I think that art, exhibiions and cultural events are something that could bring people together.
What do you think about the concept of postnationalism? I am not exactly sure.
What is the future to you, expressed by one word?
Possibility.
the future is possibility
we need to go back to catch the future
PASSPORT
Type
V
SURNAME
VICTOR NATIONALITY
THE FUTURE SEX
FLUID DATE OF ISSUE
NOW DATE OF EXPIRY
NEVER AUTHORITY
MINISTRY OF POST-NATIONAL AFFAIRS
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Issuing country
PLANET EARTH
Passport No.
S43257412
POSTNATIONAL DATE OF BIRTH
POSTNATIONAL
JUNE REGISTERED DOMICILE
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POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL
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Who/how do you identify yourself?
Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a Romanian from Bessarabia. You cannot change the history and the past, no matter how hard are always trying, Russian occupants and provocateurs.
What in your opinion constitutes the national identity?
It’s your attachment towards the nation, part of which you are. It’s a slippery term, which can be interpreted in different modes and manners.
Considering the historical past of Moldova, what could be its future?
Since almost 3 decades, of which Moldova is an independent country, we can observe how it doesn’t succeed in resisting pressure from the outside. Propaganda and tension, will always exist, so the best scenario would be to reUnite with our brothers across the Prut (ed. a river on the border in between Moldova and Romania). To become a whole, a unity, and work hard together for the development and creation of a strong and prosperous state.
How does the fact the Moldova is a mostly bilingual territory, affect you in the daily context?
On a general note, in the context in which we currently find ourselves, it still provokes some tensions. Whereas on a global level, wherever you would make a step, two or more languages are spoken. In our case when those who do not speak and are stubborn enough to not learn Romanian, it automatically provokes fired up discussions. You need to respect those who live here.
Do you think the Moldovan youth is divided in (ethical/linguistic) groups? If yes, what could possibly unite the youth?
We cannot affirm that only the youth is, the very society is. “Moldovanists” who intentionally to not learn Romanian, and not recognize the fact that the official state language is in fact Romanian. We need to provoke our culture and show the beauty of it, for the sake of others to love and respect it.
What do you think about the concept of postnationalism?
Globalization can be positive: you get to know many new cultures, especially in this era of information, whereas many new things are a click away. You can learn and adapt many methods, which have proven to be successful, and therefore apply them in your practice without having to invent a bicycle. Nonetheless some of the powerful states can benefit from this structure and try to influence you for the sake of domination, dictate the rhythm and their preferences. We do not need to forget, to preserve and appreciate our national identity, our past and traditions.
What is the future to you, expressed by one word?
Information.
the future is information
communities are to be distinguished not by their falsity or genuiness, but by the style in which they are imagined
Benedict Anderson
PASSPORT
Type
M
SURNAME
MASHA NATIONALITY
THE FUTURE SEX
FLUID DATE OF ISSUE
NOW DATE OF EXPIRY
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MINISTRY OF POST-NATIONAL AFFAIRS
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Issuing country
PLANET EARTH
Passport No.
MI7854391
POSTNATIONAL DATE OF BIRTH
POSTNATIONAL
MAY REGISTERED DOMICILE
MILKY WAY GALAXY
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Who/how do you identify yourself?
Moldovans are the people of the world.
What in your opinion constitutes the national identity?
I think we are tired of looking for who we are and what is our identity. We somehow resigned to find it as well. It makes room for the feeling of inferiority, because it’s hard to feel proud of who we are or aren’t. It has to deal with the fact that our feeling of belonging to something or someone has always been imposed or just absent. To me it seems that we exist outside the concept of nationality. But nonetheless I think we managed to stay “human”, preserve the humanity and actually this lack of culture is what unites everybody.
Considering the historical past of Moldova, what could be its future?
We are moving to a vector, which is hard to understand and predict. Seems like things are changing, but in a very linear manner.
How does the fact the Moldova is a mostly bilingual territory, affect you in the daily context? Very unpretentious. I mean it’s not easy to find your place, but it does not infringe me. It just cause – effect situation.
Do you think the Moldovan youth is divided in (ethical/linguistic) groups? If yes, what could possibly unite the youth?
Unfortunately yes. Sometimes its just not easy to communicate. Art. Visual language and representation. That’s where the language you speak becomes trivial.
What do you think about the concept of postnationalism?
Very subjective. I think that eventually individualism will take over and our global future will have to surrender.
What is the future to you, expressed by one word?
Unknown.
the future is the unknown
identity is always constructed through memory, fantasy, narrative and myth
Stuart Hall
PASSPORT
Type
S
SURNAME
SERGIU NATIONALITY
THE FUTURE SEX
FLUID DATE OF ISSUE
NOW DATE OF EXPIRY
NEVER AUTHORITY
MINISTRY OF POST-NATIONAL AFFAIRS
HO<POST<<NATIONAL<<FANTASY>>>>>>>>>>> KUGTR53EWD8MHTRYYUTRNCF<<<<<<<<<<<<
Issuing country
PLANET EARTH
Passport No.
S65432104
POSTNATIONAL DATE OF BIRTH
POSTNATIONAL
JULY REGISTERED DOMICILE
MILKY WAY GALAXY
POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL POSTNATIONAL
POST<<NATIONAL<<FANTASY>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> TGR43I89HJ89LJMHY874GHT432F<<<<<<<<<<<<
Who/how do you identify yourself?
I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like dividing or choosing. I was born on this land, in this culture. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all.
What in your opinion constitutes the national identity?
It’s very multifaceted in my opinion. It can be whatever, and often perceived the wrong way.
Considering the historical past of Moldova, what could be its future?
I think that Moldova will always be carried away by the wind, as it has always been.
How does the fact the Moldova is a mostly bilingual territory, affect you in the daily context?
I work in a café. I stub upon different people and situations, and obviously its best to speak both languages. I really don’t like conflicts based on the pure fact that someone doesn’t speak one language or another. I think its stupid. But on the other hand, I am a Moldovan, and I’m not obligated to speak Russian. I just don’t like it when people don’t think its necessary to know Romanian.
Do you think the Moldovan youth is divided in (ethical/linguistic) groups? If yes, what could possibly unite the youth?
I don’t exactly think that the youth is divided, as I have friends from both linguistic groups. But nonetheless, music is something that unites people. I got to know much about life from it. I also love our national music. I think it’s very deep, it invigorates and exalts.
What do you think about the concept of postnationalism?
I’m trying to direct my life towards concepts like this. We all feel the same at the end of the day. But I think that everything should be done step by step. We need to find ourselves, and try to reach goals we sincerely believe in. Each of us should be an impetus.
What is the future to you, expressed by one word?
Life.
the future is LIFE
SMART KIDS CLUB We visited a Romanian and Russian taught schools, and had a chat with the peeps in their last year. We asked these innocent minds indulging the juicy fruit of early adulthood, about what is the future to them, expressed in one single word. This experiment was not exactly aimed to find out if there is any difference in the young peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aspirations, but rather to eventually prove that they all dream about the same future.
Central to answering the research question of this project: How do adolescents and emerging adults embrace the concept of post-nationalism in the contemporary discourse of a country like Moldova? - was the phase “Giving voice to the youngsters”, consisting of conducted structured and semi-structured interviews. The eventual results of the questionnaire have nonetheless given us more food for thought. Most young people of the focus group have answered the question “How do you identify yourself?” in a relatively neutral manner, by which they avoided specific and explicit answers, such as “I don’t like dividing or choosing. I was born on this land, in this culture. That’s all.”. Whilst people answering in a post-national/global manner such as “I’m the citizen of the planet” and people identifying themselves clearly as belonging to a specific nationality – “I’m a Moldovan”, have equally shared the stage. Nonetheless most of the young people have expressed and encouraged optimistic and hopeful feelings in regards to the concept of post-nationalism claiming that: “We need values that would unite people. Open – mindedness and awareness is what we acutely lack generally, and in relation to the concept of nation and nationality. “or “I’m trying to direct my life towards concepts like this. We all feel the same at the end of the day. But I think that everything should be done step by step. We need to find ourselves, and try to reach goals we sincerely believe in. Each of us should be an impetus. “ To sum up the results of the interviews, we may grasp positive non-linear dynamics on a general note - the youth of Moldova is embracing post-nationalism with relative excitement and aspiration, and considers it a solution for global peace and something that could generate utopian ideas and lifestyles. Yet the lack of national culture and identity is perpetuating complex neutrality in regards to national identification and belonging, which is mostly caused by the political instability and confusion, but also is a result of the yet present generation trauma. “I think it's a logical step in our mental evolution considering that we're such a mix of nationalities in such a small country, like globalization for example. But at some point I like the idea of keeping the concept of "nation" alive till we're not ready to refuse it. It shouldn’t be a forced measure”. It seems that the young people of a country such as Moldova, are not yet ready to let go the notions of national identity, as we know them, as this exact notion lacks a homogenized circulation and visibility in the socio-political discourse of the country. The absence of a clear understanding of what is the national culture of Moldova is what constructs and delimits the possibility of moving into a post-national narrative. As mentioned previously in this research, the current situation is stimulated by the condition of general anomie. In this context, in the Moldovan society, where the governmental administration contributes with little honest direction to its population, more attention should be allocated to imaginative projects that would enable and produce a cultural integration and unite people, which will later on facilitate a smoother immersion into a post-national structure. The question “Do you think the Moldovan youth is divided in (ethnic/linguistic) groups? If yes, what could possibly unite the youth? - which was part of the interview, was aimed to empower the young people, to fantasize about how could they aid the creation of a bonded community. Their answers motivated investments into cultural activities involving art and music, as well as new online initiatives aimed to young people from all around the country. Respectful attitude towards both spoken languages, and introduction of bilingual activities on an educational level, is also something worth considering, as that would foster cultural interchange, and therefore would bring the youth together. Hereby we would like to return to our hypothesis, in which we elaborated on how Benedict Anderson’s idea of imagined communities and Franz Fanon’s thought on the re-establishment of a nation should be applied in the case of Moldova in order to rebuild its identity. To conclude, I would like to sustain my hypothesis with ideas of the contemporary anthropologist Arjun Appadurai 5and sociologist Jurgen Habermans6, who both claimed that the people of a post-national world are someone who can critically reflect upon and therefore transcend their particular national traditions in favor of universal values, and who can be loyal to an nonterritorial transnation, a nation whose home and place of residence is the world. But before we become those people and arrive at the mindset, which will be beneficial to the whole body of humanity, we have nothing else left than, just fantasize. But before we become those people and arrive at the mindset, which will be beneficial to the whole body of humanity, we have nothing else left than, just fantasize.
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