The ability to set standards, create norms, and develop values that are deemed legitimate and desirable, without resorting to coercion is called social power. Or more clearly the ability to influence a social environment. We can say that social power is a complex phenomenon that manifests itself in a wide variety of ways and circumstances. This is particularly apparent in culture, institutions, law, and the media. Political power enables people or groups to control the policies, functions, and culture of society, and that’s what Rusyns also need in order to establish themselves.

There are a lot of meaningful sources of different types of power, and in this article, I want to focus on some of the most influential and important institutions among Pannonian Rusyns which can make the biggest steps and decisions for a more perspective future. In essence, see this as a guide to understanding who influences Pannonian Rusynia the most. Before we can attempt to change an environment for the better, we must know how it is today.

Institute for culture of Rusyns in Vojvodina/Завод за културу Войводянских Руснацох

“Our mission is to achieve and affirm excellence in the widest area of ​​the culture of Ruthenians Vojvodina through research, mapping, evaluation, vaporization, memorization, archiving, systematization, production, promotion, education, counseling, and mediation in culture. In this sense, we cooperate with minority, majority, and foreign professionals, organizations, and institutions in such a way that we profile and empower human resources, institutions, resources, and recipients of culture.” – says their official website.

This organization is focused on preservation and keeping the tradition known while being conscious of today’s trends, and needs. A strong sense of the development of the project intended to keep good communication between authors and audience is present too, which is very important as a source of media influence. The Institute finances its regular activities from the funds of the provincial government, but also raises funds from donors and by applying to open calls by domestic and international funds.

Newspaper publishing institution Ruske Slovo/Новинско видавательна установа Руске Слово

The newspaper and publishing institution “Ruske Slovo” started its activity on June 15, 1945. Today, “Ruske Slovo” is a modern Institution, registered for publishing newspapers, magazines, books, brochures, music, and video editions. The result of eight decades of cultural development from Ruske Slovo is the children’s magazine “Заградка”, the multimedia magazine for young people MAK, the color weekly “Руске Слово”, the magazine for literature, culture and art “Шветлосц”, the editorial office of books and online editions, such as are the Institution’s web portal and the “Рутенпрес” News Agency. This institution, as you can tell by its collective ambitions, could be the most meaningful and most influential institution for Pannonian Rusyns in Serbia.

As the most effective Rusyn media and the major source of news and valid information, we can say Ruske Slovo holds more than just a bit of power. Folks are being influenced in huge numbers by the news that is considered to be objectively written so that people could create their perception of things, but the border between subjectivity and objectivity sometimes can be too thin, and the wishes of one individual can periodically result in not some great actions. Using media like this for personal sake is very easy, but very risky too. Considering that, people should look into the depth and importance of media – their actions and goals. On another hand, RS is giving opportunities to people to publish their works, and with that, they are creating a new path of literature, art, and a way of increasing the level of our education, intelligence, and personal values.

Radio Television of Vojvodina/Радио Телевизия Войводини

RTV is similar to RS, just in a different structure (Television and radio). It is intriguing that in Serbia we have the main media public service RTS (Radio Television of Serbia), and then we have RTV (Radio Television of Vojvodina) which contains media programs from all of the national minorities in Serbia, while RTS is focusing only on Serbian program. We know that minorities are surely more welcomed in Vojvodina than below the Danube, but still, we can’t be totally pleased with this kind of decision. Only one media public service for all of the minorities in Serbia is not so great. From this, we can conclude that we’re still limited and under precarious conditions regarding our own cultural, educational, and entertainment programs.

National Council of Rusyns/Национални Совит Руснацох

The National Council is the highest body of minority self-government in the Republic of Serbia, established on the basis of the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Freedoms of National Minorities in 2002, was appointed and verified by the Assembly in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and the organizational and other documents of the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights. The national council has gotten the opportunity, but also the obligation to promote the rights of minorities in the field of education, culture, information, and the government’s use of language and writing. The huge problem that I can’t ignore is the meaning of the organization’s goals, their meaning in theory, and their results in practical situations. The purpose of an organization like this should be focused on Rusyn’s national identity, its improvement, shaping, changing, etc. but the vibe they are giving off is more related to power games than legitimate organizational action, and I’m not talking about the power within the community, but within the members as individuals. People are not satisfied with certain actions, but I can look at this only from the point of view where we can experience uniting and fighting for the council and the future we deserve and want.

Power is given only to those who dare to lower themselves and pick it up. Only one thing matters, one thing; to be able to dare! – Fyodor Dostoevsky

We should be all aware that our national identity and its value and path are determined by a few people at the top of society. That fact is scary in some way, but as soon we become conscious of that and about the fact that we can make big changes too, it will result in a good way for the majority. Maybe it’s a “worldwide” trend or something, but it looks like that in positions where people should give themselves to their nation are people who only look up to their interests, and in place of the audience are people who would make some greater changes. One’s of the greatest power above all I mentioned, are people themselves. Everything goes step by step – awakening, awareness, uniting, taking actions, and taking over what should be. If people awake, the rulers have no one to rule from above, and that’s how they lose their power. So, in this situation: the audience has most of the power!