Nice to see that the rails of peace project has its own weblog. I think the project is a great initiative, for all Europeans should have the same rights to travel through Europe! I’m very curious how things will go!

I’m currently working for InterRailNet.com team and managing the weblog http://www.interrail-station.eu. InterRailNet.com is particating in the project of Europocket of which you might have heard. The two reporters will be going to see the Rails of Peace Project during their travels! I wrote about the Europocket project at http://www.interrail-station.eu

I’m also thinking about posting a piece about the Rails of Peace Project on InterRail Station. If you have important updates or anything just let me know. I’ll also put a link on InterRail Station to this blog.

Good luck with the project!!

Kind regards,

Sheena

I just found this blog and I think it is great you are going to report on the ERP project here!

Later this month, Esther and Marta from EuroPocket.tv will join the RailsOfPeace group to shoot some video and do some interviews.

Back at InterRail HQ we have launched a more general weblog for InterRail called InterRail Station (http://www.InterRail-Station.eu).

We will post the videos on InterRail Station via YouTube. Of course you are free to embed these videos here as well. The videos will become available begin august.

We would be happy to link here when you have some updates. Let me know if we can help.

Best,

- Stephan

More, we have to consider how difficult was to reach the the level of intergation that Europe has now. The history of the European Union was a history of success but gained through compromises, strives, crisis and agreements among all the actors involved.

What we are now is directly connected with all of this and also reflect all the difficulties overcame to find a way to reach the targets set.

Coming back to point of the “united europe” I am convinced that looking at the present, unfortunately, Europe is under a crisis started with the rejection of the Costitutional Treaty in France and Holland, treaty that would have implemented useful reforms especially in the field of the external reletions.

Said that and wishing that well’ be able to overcome this crisis as soon as possible (voices say that, under the german presidency next year, should be important changes) I think that the will of the majority of the europeans is to work for a stronger Europe that could face all the menaces coming from the globalization era. I believe, as already siad, the we can’t divide the economic power from the political one, so, honeslty I don’t see other possibility that unify, always more, the forces to struggle in the international scene.

bye
Marco

But, don’t you think that if we start including this kind of comparions in our discussions about the actual reality and the short-term future, we will almost always end up with an all-answered situation, thus preventing us from thinking deeper to what we are right now, right here aiming and promoting??

cheers!

So try to compare now the situation of the “divisions” in Europe respect to 50 years ago. Well it’evident how many steps forward we did thank to the European Union how is evident that this process has not ended. In my opinion tis process is irreversible and it will continue in the next years involving always more actors.. (see enlargement!)

The economic union was the first objective of this project and I agree about its success but we can’t divide the economic power to the political power while acting in the always more challenging international market. Simply, the great job done with the economic union risks to be useless if not supported by a strong political power and European Union is not only an economic free area, is not an international organization but something more. What exactly is not clear

I am conscius we are very far from having a strong political power, from having one voice in the external policies but I think we need to work on it, it will take time, maybe a lot of time but I am sure we cannot limit the integration process to the economic aspects.

So I don’t want to convince you but I suggest you do not concentrate your analysis only to the current situation in Europe, look at what it was and what it will be.. I am sure you will find out how necessary is to complete the process .

That’s all.

bye
Marco

Hey people,
How are you, all? Have you come back from Euro Trip safe and sound?
I must mention once again that I am really sad about your trip back to Kosovo and Metohija over Greece.

And, of course, the aim of this project was to be the first trigger for us, Albanians and Serbs, to stop for a while with our ordinary lives, and to start thinking that there is also the life out there, not only in nearest surrounding. To think for a while that maybe, or for sure I recon now, the “truth” that our TV stations in Serbia as well as in Kosovo exaggerate everything. Maybe now, you would say that I am insane, or out of my mind, but I am convicted that on this or that way, any way our politicians set our future, we, ordinary students now days – tomorrow programmers, doctors, lowers, architects…, Albanians AND Serbs, could live, work and cooperate TOGETHER! This is our only one future… No matter what has happened in the past! You have to admit that both Serbs and Albanians did wrong, but there is one sentence in Serbian “Ne zaboravi, ali oprosti!” = “Don’t forget, but you MUST forgive!” So we are the generation that holds that burden to persuade our neighbors at our home cities to forgive, let the past be past, and all together, hugged, start walking towards future!

Finally, I am really glad that I met you all, Kosovo colegues! And I do hope that we will stay in touch, and some day, sooner or later, wherever, we will see each other in NiÅ¡, PriÅ¡tina, Đakovica or Belgrade… And over all, I would love, more than everything else, to visit again Kosovo and Metohija, Serbian part or separate republic Kosovo, no metter whose is it now and whose it will be tomorrow. I would like to visit that hundreds of ancient ortodox temples there, to see Mitrovica, PriÅ¡tina, meet new people, and more that everything visit the friends I met on the wonderful trip through Europe!

So, people, in the name of past Euro trip, and in the name of future friendship and cooperation, I wish you as I wish me, all the best: lucky, health and peace.

Marko Ivanović,
Faculty of Electronics student from Niš

PS First, I had sent this e-mail to the friends from Kosovo and Metohija, I got the e-mails, but then, Sokol persuaded me to send it on our blog. Thanks very much, Sokol!