Children need peace, love, And stability to blossom into happy adults

On Orthodox Easter this year, instead of happy and holy words, the children in the town of Borovo Selo, Croatia heard a group of people chant and sing hateful rhetoric targeting Serbs. For those who missed the live event, the widely circulated clip dominated social media.

Imagine a child or young teenager witnessing this scene. Living with lingering trauma from the 1990s war, such displays reinforce deep generational wounds. This impacts both Serbian children and Croatian youth—normalizing hatred for the next generation and perpetuating cycles of anger.

Is this what we want?

Surely people across ethnic lines desire peace and happiness for their children. Croatia, as an EU member state, must work diligently to provide a peaceful environment where all can live and prosper with equality.

Children in orphanages face particular vulnerability. Without parental guidance and already grieving lost families, they cannot contextualize such events or understand what constitutes normal behavior.

We must break this cycle of hate from gaining momentum. This requires every citizen to embrace love and understanding as our common national language.

We are one people; we cannot permit othering to take root.

We must choose unity.

The alternative cannot even be envisioned.