Yesterday, a new radio station, Radio KUL, was launched on the new premises of the Committee of the University Left [KUL, pronounced cool]. The station will broadcast on the frequency of 90.5 MHz. Prof. Dr. Mira Markovic, the president of the Directorate of the Yugoslav Left, Prof. Dr. Milovan Bojic, the president of the Committee of the University Left, Prof. Dr. Jevrem Janjic, the Serbian Minister for Higher Education, as well as a large number of the young and friends of the Yugoslav Left attended the ceremony.
Prof. Dr. Mira Markovic, the president of the JUL Directorate, addressed students, members of the Committee of University Left [KUL, pronounced cool] and future creators of the program of Radio KUL, as well as the youth of Yugoslavia:
"I want to briefly talk about an obligation, two assumptions, a hope and a truth.
"As far as the obligation is concerned, I am referring to your participation in the process of the definition of the new left, the left for the twenty first century. That obligation stems from the fact that you are members of a leftist party, which since its founding has tried to address the contemporary role of the left in its program, in its organization and by its presence in our society. However, the obligation of participation in the redefinition of the left also stems from the fact that the last decade of the twentieth century, especially in Europe, has demonstrated that the existing leftist parties are in a huge crisis; that their policies are very conservative; that they do not have answers for the challenges of today nor a vision for the future. Furthermore, most of European governments are leftist governments and all of them participated in the aggression against our country and that, of course, is not the only such aggression supported by the European left. Therefore, I think that all those who decide to become leftists take upon themselves the obligation to participate in the definition of its new face.
"As far as the assumptions are concerned, the first one is that the twenty first century will probably start with a need for an intensive development of social sciences. The enormous expansion of natural sciences and especially technology does not have to necessarily be placed in the service of good and improvement of the quality of life. For a while accomplishments of these sciences and technology have been used for domination, discrimination, isolation and violence. The redirection of these achievements towards humanization of human life cannot be accomplished without an intervention coming from social sciences, humanistic disciplines and especially ethics. The electronic civilization, which is being prepared for us, can be a source of suffering and humiliation, and it can also improve and facilitate our life. The direction of the development of that civilization mostly depends on the development of social sciences and their capability to influence the choice of that direction.
"The second assumption is related to the first one and has to do with my conviction that in the future the role of social sciences, as a corrective for the application of the results of technological development will so much increase in significance that it will take over some, most important, aspects of politics. Therefore, I believe that social sciences will have the crucial role in the next era in the determination of social goals, both on a macro and micro level, as well as mechanisms for their accomplishment. Until now, these goals were defined by politics and were as a rule improvised. That made sense having in mind the low level of development of social sciences. With the increasing development of social sciences, the degree of improvisation in politics in the definition of social goals has been reduced, but improvisation is still present. I assume that the development of social sciences will make politics dependent on the discoveries of social sciences and deprive politics of its decisive role in determination of the fate of society and an individual.
"As far as my hope is concerned, it is related to the connection between politics and morality. Since the beginnings of politics, it has been agreed that it is contrary to morality, that politics must be immoral to a certain extent and that that cannot be avoided by all those active in politics. Starting with Aristotle and his ideas about politics and ethics all the way until today, theoretical, philosophical, and scientific discussions (this topic is also frequently addressed by amateurs) regarding whether a different approach is possible have proliferated. Is it possible to somehow harmonize politics and morality? I personally never believed that politics always must be opposed to morality, nor do I believe that I have participated in immoral politics for a single day. I assume that I am not alone in my perception of my political activity. But, in principle, that does not seem to be the case, and it seems that science, and even public, tolerate that discrepancy. My hope is that in the future, the time of great material and spiritual prosperity, differences between morality and politics will be resolved and that morality will triumph.
"Finally, a truth. Everyone is talking about the arrival of the third millennium, the twenty first century as an era of progress. That may be the case. But not for everyone. The twenty first century will not be greeted by all. Probably not by the most of humanity. Some will only enter the nineteenth century, while a large part of the world will continue to live in the fifth century and even further past. Developed countries are deliberately ignoring that truth. However, it cannot be expected that others shall also ignore that truth. The eyes of educated, humane and progressive people must be open. The eyes of the future left!
"Lately, at Universities in this country, it is possible to detect efforts of some individuals to explain to Yugoslav students events in our country and abroad. These interpreters have most frequently not completed any sort of higher education. Some have, but abroad, and while doing that they have undertaken obligations to one day, whenever necessary, return the favor to those who funded their studies abroad. They maintain secret contacts with Yugoslav students, far away from the public scrutiny. Instead of theoretical, scientific and philosophical discussions, they offer foreign currency and drugs. All instructions for their contacts with students and funds for those contacts come from embassies of certain foreign countries and from intelligence services and other similar services from abroad. They do all of that under foreign flags.
"I appeal to you to always emphasize in your contacts with colleagues at the colleges where you study that everything decided about this country under foreign flags is against this country and its citizens.
"We in the Yugoslav Left appreciate all flags and are looking forward to the world without borders. However, while other countries protect their flags as sacred objects our flag will be sacred to us, at least to the degree their flags are sacred to them. However, to be honest, there are many reasons why it should be even more sacred than their flags are to them.
"I wish you a happy next century. Since I believe in you, I wish that the twenty first century resembles your vision of a happy world," said Prof. Dr. Mira Markovic.
Aleksandra Joksimovic, the secretary of the Committee of University Left, thanked Prof. Markovic and Prof. Bojic, "mentors of builders in war and poets in peace", for providing conditions for work of the new radio station in such difficult conditions.
"The leftist movement has always had the strongest influence on the youth. Our task is to be in the first ranks of the defense of our country, to be good students and future experts, the new core of the defense of the country," said on behalf of the youth Aleksandra Joksimovic.