Founding of the Serbian Unity Congress 1990 (review)

Badly needed, the Serbian Unity Congress was formed in 1990. The constituent assembly took place in Cleveland, Ohio on the 7-9th of December of that year. It was preceded by long preparations and consultations among leaders of the Serbian diaspora including the author of this book, as well as Princes Andrej and Alexander Karadjordjević, Alex Dragnić, Dragoslav Ðorđević, and others.

Respected American Serb and financial expert, Miroslav Michael Ðorđević, the president of the Congress, presented the history of the idea and preparations for the organization of the Congress. After a long discussion in a meeting with prince Alexander and his own father, he suggested the formation of a new organization, on new foundations and with new ideas of work in accord with the needs of a new time. It was to unite all factions in the divided diaspora. At the same time, the new organization would seek younger people, new faces among those successful in their profession who would bring the energy, knowledge, work ethic, and experience that they had acquired in the West—experience which would be of great help in the revival of Serbia. In that way Michael Ðorđević wanted to overcome the old Serbian malaise—disunity. During his meetings with the Serbs Ðorđević realized that the Serbs made decisions on a personal basis, in the spirit of the singer being more important than the song, and that they unwillingly gave money for the general cause.

In his forward to this volume, Dr. Samuel J. Mikolacki underscores the extraordinary importance of the Congress. He sees its mission as defending and preserving democratic and Christian ideals as the essence of the Serbian heritage, for the benefit of all Slavs and other nationalities in the Balkans. This, quite ironically, at the time of demonization of the Serbian people, while others, traditionally enemies of the West and democracy, are allegedly their allies now.

The book is in English and Serbian, accompanied by documentary material concerning the founding of the Congress, including lists of the founders and delegates to the assembly, the bill of the organizational committee of the assembly, and the detailed program of the Congress, as well as the photographs from the constituent assembly. The book serves as a valuable document of the activity of the Serbian diaspora in the entire world, but mostly in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain at the end of the 20th century.