MESSAGES TO THE SERBIAN UNITY CONGRESS His Holiness Patriarch Pavle I cordially greet the work of the Serbian Unity Congress and pray to God and St. Sava, our spiritual Father, to strengthen all of you in the fatherland and Diaspora in faith and suffering so that we would to carry the name of Orthodox Christians. Bishop Jovan Jesus said, "Where there are two gathered in my name, then am I also among them." Thus we believe that you also have gathered together with that concept of Christ's in view so that in these difficult and dark days for the Serbian people you may do all that you possibly can to bring the truth to light ; indeed, Christ has said "the truth shall make you free." We long to see great success from the work of the Serbian Unity Congress, standing united-work which will be fruitful and much blessed. HRH Crown Prince Alexander "Work together for a better future of the Serbian people. We cannot afford to waste any more precious time, nor continue without proper meaningful objectives and hope. The Serbian people need positive and affirmative action. The Serbian people deserve to be part of the brotherhood of nations. The objectives are: democracy, prosperity, unity and human rights. We must set our differences aside so that we will enter the next century as a people with wise leadership, moral values, dignity, respect and sense of purpose." Radovan Karadzic I am addressing you after six years of struggle for political and military freedom, dignity and statehood. I know that you were with us all the time. That was a tremendous encouragement for us because the Serbs living in the free world are in an excellent position to judge if our path leads to freedom and democracy or back to communist tyranny. You witnessed conclusion of the war and how we were forced to accept injustice. Nonetheless, we believe that peace has its redeeming values and, hence, we intend to keep it in conjunction with our freedom and our interests. Republika Srpska is a reality which represents culmination of our six-year struggle. If it were not for the tragedy of the Serbian Krajina, we could not defend without the help from entire Serbdom, we could have been satisfied with the results accomplished in this century. As it is, Republika Srpska represents a consolation for all of our sufferings and losses caused by our disunity and lack of a national program and resources necessary to make it happen. Despite being surrounded by enemies and misunderstandings, Republika Srpska is developing as a modern democratic country. Throughout the war we neither had a single political prisoner nor a political process. The people are freer than in the last six centuries. Traditions are being renewed, property is being returned, privatization law has passed. Vojvoda Djujic Hope that the Serbian Unity Congress will make a firm stand in defense of the Serbian people and condemn appropriately the grave diggers of Serbdom: the Communist Party and Tito's successor Slobodan Milosevic, the greatest monster and traitor of the Serbian people since Kosovo. Bora Dragasevic Serbian National Defense in Canada cooperates with all organizations and individuals who are dedicated to the cause of salvation and progress of the Serbian people. Your organization is amongst those in the forefront of this cause. Matija Beckovic The seventh Serbian Unity Congress is taking place during the most tragic hours of the Serbian history. There is little doubt that we were never in a more precarious situation. We have never been confronted with a worse image of ourselves. Perhaps it is even more tragic than our calamity that even today we have no unifying program which could lead to us to salvation that we could trust. Even in peace, the Serbian nation is still under sanctions which are not only economic. Under sanctions is not only our logic but our ethics, our visions as well as our truths, even our name. If we continue to be unaware of our status, then it is unlikely that we will find remedy and strength for the reversal and revival. Dusan Batakovic Today we have not only lost the war because of our enemies, we have been defeated because the communists, who have become war profiteers and criminals, betrayed us. They have divided our peoples and lost the wars we won in the past as well as this one we had to win. They betrayed our great culture and political traditions and made senseless our two hundred year efforts and sacrifices for national unity by virtue of portraying the defeat as a final victory. Cogressman Randy Duke Cunningham Over the past year, the people of the Balkans have seen both war and an uneasy peace, the implementation of the controversial Dayton Accords, the continued presence of American and NATO military personnel, the further infiltration of mujahedeen, and the elections this month. No observer of the Balkan region of the world can be comfortable with the situation there. The Serbian Unity Congress, made up of Americans of Serbian descent and other Serbs, brings a useful and important perspective to the challenges faced by the peoples of the Balkans. The history of that part of the world must be preserved, else we are destined to repeat it. And the best success to your incoming president, Vojin Joksimovich, one of my constituents from California's 51st Congressional District. 7th Convention, President's speech Copyright © 1996 Serbian Unity Congress All Rights Reserved.