CMHS Lectures & Events: "Three countries, two lakes, one future" with Prof. Loring Danforth 2021

"Three countries, two lakes, one future:" The Prespa Lakes and the signing of the Prespa Agreement by Loring M. Danforth is a chapter in the book, Macedonia and Identity Politics After the Prespa Agreement" By Vasiliki P. Neofotistos Loring's chapter explores issues of national identity, history, and language in light of the 2018 Prespa Agreement. Designed to resolve a protracted and bitter dispute, the agreement signed by the Macedonian and Greek foreign ministers on the banks of the Prespa lake stipulated that the Republic of Macedonia change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia. It also examines the social, political, and economic conditions and events that led to the agreement and the implications and consequences for identity politics in the region. Consideration is given to the ways in which, and the reasons why, identity/identities, difference/differences, modes of belonging, and experiences of injustice and discrimination have been mobilized. By focusing on the Prespa Agreement, the collection also offers valuable insight into the processes involved in (re)making boundaries, (re)defining ethnic and national identities, (re)inventing citizenship, and (re)writing national histories.