tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33389601275004514232024-02-06T19:34:24.971-08:00Dialogue of Civilizationsmy experiences leading students to Jordan, Egypt, Oman, Turkey, the Balkans, and beyonddenisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.comBlogger144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-33733092064055697812017-06-03T13:06:00.001-07:002017-06-03T13:06:24.681-07:00iftar (breaking the fast) with Syrian refugees in Amman<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Our Project GO and Dialogue students were treated to an evening with three families of Syrians who are in Amman, as refugees from the Syrian civil war. We broke our group of 29 students plus 5 staff and translators into three groups. My group was hosted by a family of 9: 6 children (3 boys, 3 girls), their parents, and their aunt (mom's sister). Of course we provided the funds so that the families could prepare food without the expense of feeding our group; we arranged this with a friend of mine (Ms. Dema) who works with Syrian families all over Jordan. And of course, we also left a donation to the families for whatever purposes they see fit. <br />
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It was a beautiful night, according to all three of our different groups. I found tonight both heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time. Hearing the stories of war, families split apart, mothers disappeared, fathers shot and wounded and unable to work, children unable to attend schools for whatever bureaucratic or financial reasons that prevent them, yet also the smiles, the love, the laughter, the joy, the appreciation they all exhibited. AND I, who have little to do with Facebook, ending up as "new friends" with Muhammad the 17-year old Syrian boy/young man who hosted us. and yes, there was face painting in one of our groups (see "Batman" below :-)<br />
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denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-520908030200735232017-05-27T06:45:00.000-07:002017-05-27T06:45:20.058-07:00Amazing week in Amman - and now, Ramadan Karim!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today is the first day of Ramadan. It's also the end of a very busy, beautiful week for our students and our team. I'll try to capture some of it with words and the rest with pictures.<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Monday - pretty much "all Arabic, all day", including Language Partners for all students.</li>
<li>Tuesday - after 4 hours of Arabic, and some Arabic dancing (see picture), we went to the ILO (International Labor Organization) here in Amman. ILO is a UN organization that focuses on workers' rights and labor laws, but once the Syrian refugee crisis developed and intensified, the ILO here had little choice but to also start working with Syrians on issues related to work. And once the Government of Jordan agreed to allow Syrian refugees to get work permits (which is a very rare event, for refugees anywhere to join another country's labor force), then the ILO became more involved in that effort also. Our own Maisam alAhmad, NU graduate of 2016, is currently working for ILO here in Amman. Our speaker was her boss, Maha Kattaa, Syrian response coordinator for ILO.</li>
<li>Wednesday - again, "all Arabic all the time", plus a banquet of Arabic food, in anticipation of Ramadan</li>
<li>Thursday - Jordanian Independence Day! so no Arabic classes. Instead, Charles and I led a session on the Syrian crisis generally, the refugee crisis specifically, and how the crisis in the region also became a "crisis" (in the eyes of most Europeans) for the EU, the Balkans, and beyond. </li>
<li>Friday - wow, a near-perfect day! and a 13- or 14-hour day also. We started our day "north" by stopping at the Jabbok River, where Jacob "struggled" with an Angel, and then <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob" target="_blank">Jacob's name</a> was change to Israel, "he who struggles with God". From here, we went to Um Qais for lunch and a tour of this Greek-Roman-Ottoman city (ruins thereof). We are not allowed within 10 KM of the Syrian-Jordanian border, but still, we were within a few KMs of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. From Um Qais, we could see the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberias) and Golan. Then, a drive along the Jordan Valley/Jordan River, and within just a few hundred yards of the Israeli border. Our destination for that drive was the <a href="http://abrahampath.org/path/ajloun/ajloun-sites/jesus-cave/" target="_blank">Cave of Jesus</a>, where Jesus is said to have rested with 72 followers and the 12 Apostles. </li>
<li>Friday night (deserves a "bullet point" of its own!) - the home of my brother Nidal, meaning the home of his mother and father, who together bore 12 children, of whom Nidal is the oldest. This was the night of nights in my 24 years of Dialogue history! Amazing food, amazing music and dancing, and a "tribe" of love -- quite literally, the Ben Issa Tribe, the "Sons of Jesus" Tribe, which Nidal and his family belong to. These <i><b>Muslim sons and daughters of Jesus</b></i>, "<b><i>Issa</i></b>", are so full of love for one another and for all of us ... our students and all of us were so moved by their generosity, their love for one another, their traditions, their talents as musicians, and so much more.</li>
<li>Saturday - a short day, an optional visit to a center for Syrian refugee children suffering from psycho-social trauma. The center is called <i>Happiness ... Again </i>and they focus on children ages 6 through 12 who have been physically or psychologically traumatized, directly or indirectly, by the Syrian crisis. The Center also works with teenagers and women, to help the whole family, and especially the youngest and most vulnerable. </li>
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denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-26979225653270674922017-05-21T10:52:00.003-07:002017-05-21T11:06:48.200-07:00Jordan Dialogue & Project GO 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Nearing the end of Week 1 of the Dialogue/Project GO program, all students are well, in their appropriate Arabic classes, settled into their apartments, and have already started their history, politics, and foreign policy lectures as well. <br />
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Below are some pictures from some of the above activities; first 5 pics are from Mt. Nebo ("Mount of the Prophet" [Moses], where Moses saw the Promised Land) and the last 2 are from today's lecture with Dr. Badr Al-Madi, University of Jordan and formerly with the Royal Court.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxj9BeNFu4htEk7T2P2aT7c8bhfYplSKxBnSe-0XhJkPfTvepBrOEseN0VJWsPvEDzBUESjKyLJrM9tFcyScJsI847pLdPB_hvQd1qNIHb57QJQn87ogRIGaUTApZ9Hydjv06yp5NdP3U/s1600/IMG_2260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxj9BeNFu4htEk7T2P2aT7c8bhfYplSKxBnSe-0XhJkPfTvepBrOEseN0VJWsPvEDzBUESjKyLJrM9tFcyScJsI847pLdPB_hvQd1qNIHb57QJQn87ogRIGaUTApZ9Hydjv06yp5NdP3U/s320/IMG_2260.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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AND BELOW IS MY FAVORITE "BARBERSHOP QUARTET", the Shabaab of the Dialogue: Raed (our faithful bus driver), Nidal (the "Big Boss" and Brains of Bright Star Travel), Charles (the peripatetic Baron of BCARS), and my new brother Rami (driver extraordinaire and otherwise caretaker of us all in his Hybrid Toyota):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlRHmjoJTsVhyphenhyphenpG9oRrsgwL3_1_dGyCJgZMNA1HuhR3-cZA7WMtBly0ywvDhBxku9V2ueTG7sWIA9wfFWVvQXGfbUEQ52tmULzYaWMRBpqRk5W_S8Z6F0smX61TaIhvC5WFxACUJRn7I/s1600/IMG_2221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlRHmjoJTsVhyphenhyphenpG9oRrsgwL3_1_dGyCJgZMNA1HuhR3-cZA7WMtBly0ywvDhBxku9V2ueTG7sWIA9wfFWVvQXGfbUEQ52tmULzYaWMRBpqRk5W_S8Z6F0smX61TaIhvC5WFxACUJRn7I/s320/IMG_2221.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-43040169385613729272016-07-31T07:28:00.001-07:002016-07-31T07:28:11.883-07:00Thessaloniki!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Reminds me of Alexandria Egypt. And there's a great reason for that, since Alex was founded by the hero of this part of Greece especially! -- Alexander the Great. (We visited his father's and his son's royal tombs today in Vergina) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj157kLZmzQJHfmROWYyU0DwO2TMUjY7UAKfVrF1YCqfU45Wd24KVh-AnTGB0k6OC3Ukv0dDmYhpl9hAvL91V-LFdoz-NyOdJubZtVqbzQQCngsZ2liEzzFfPrG9QQmw0TOgc1YsSmrLZI/s640/blogger-image--1837193367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj157kLZmzQJHfmROWYyU0DwO2TMUjY7UAKfVrF1YCqfU45Wd24KVh-AnTGB0k6OC3Ukv0dDmYhpl9hAvL91V-LFdoz-NyOdJubZtVqbzQQCngsZ2liEzzFfPrG9QQmw0TOgc1YsSmrLZI/s640/blogger-image--1837193367.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And yesterday we toured the major highlights of the City. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRABIsonOZaQSIO6R-GnXTbvFjO4xENq-FSlx1eAmznQzIs8LF9E8EP0cfQau_cE45XM1sLlcwyhTNflvb3vF7C919mGfp50g0CVTJzmVKnBM5JiQbom73C8Ev_JYAnX2B3zQtxgaNT98/s640/blogger-image--1942968837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRABIsonOZaQSIO6R-GnXTbvFjO4xENq-FSlx1eAmznQzIs8LF9E8EP0cfQau_cE45XM1sLlcwyhTNflvb3vF7C919mGfp50g0CVTJzmVKnBM5JiQbom73C8Ev_JYAnX2B3zQtxgaNT98/s640/blogger-image--1942968837.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Below, the Rotunda: a Roman temple for a time, which later served as a mosque during the Ottoman period. Now back to serving as a church with regular services on Sunday's. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTun17eKkYybP6MxwOXBXYd6pzW7L76Rk1zdu2LsjF5U11v95aLVUOiorIB4J5-LZ-VRwSi9Zp9R7Wt-aK7g6I_cI1rAjBphALLPF7AOJtP_cvhCFVV1VA0bkrwh-RJnlpOyNjWUeMfbI/s640/blogger-image-629889917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTun17eKkYybP6MxwOXBXYd6pzW7L76Rk1zdu2LsjF5U11v95aLVUOiorIB4J5-LZ-VRwSi9Zp9R7Wt-aK7g6I_cI1rAjBphALLPF7AOJtP_cvhCFVV1VA0bkrwh-RJnlpOyNjWUeMfbI/s640/blogger-image-629889917.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqnTaSqT_4kKRHykrcgSRMprlutu4SNT-uuC_wROgcp_7jblSNHRScRho3lgn7cBgsFUJbqeKcQzkbwSEsT9XOw0OhQa6MeLSNvzd998i31YZ5KCsoGjg3wIXYoEpnTA-x_1mA-dGsG4s/s640/blogger-image-850357095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqnTaSqT_4kKRHykrcgSRMprlutu4SNT-uuC_wROgcp_7jblSNHRScRho3lgn7cBgsFUJbqeKcQzkbwSEsT9XOw0OhQa6MeLSNvzd998i31YZ5KCsoGjg3wIXYoEpnTA-x_1mA-dGsG4s/s640/blogger-image-850357095.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Above: Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) home - he lived here around 12-13 years. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Below: Constantinos, our beloved guide around Thessaloniki. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHBIUKLhK-UtqqxR0qU3-dDExilFs0ZCU0PVWd9-J33Go9iEjZdwakiCjSkQTC8TD9A1oumsxw-CCPyxSFoeBEiV6BPsGrSqSGBi2c8raqC6rs7F7NgMuhULruZt5U4liW7r4Xd_7lpg/s640/blogger-image--2050937078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHBIUKLhK-UtqqxR0qU3-dDExilFs0ZCU0PVWd9-J33Go9iEjZdwakiCjSkQTC8TD9A1oumsxw-CCPyxSFoeBEiV6BPsGrSqSGBi2c8raqC6rs7F7NgMuhULruZt5U4liW7r4Xd_7lpg/s640/blogger-image--2050937078.jpg"></a></div><br></div>denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-90215992634849068152016-07-25T12:55:00.000-07:002016-07-25T13:03:00.036-07:00Belgrade - so much to catch up on!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been over a week since I've posted anything; so much to write about, but too damned busy to do so! instead, i'll put up as many pics as possible.<br>
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Today, we had a tour of the Serbian parliament plus a lecture by a Political Economist at U-Belgrade, Dušan Pavlović, who is also a member of Parliament (and a harsh critic of the ruling party as well as the corruption and unfairness rampant in the political and economic system of his great country).<br>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWg-qxEjv6xguyKCVXOazZfxDzmbs5hniJ9J8zDMjcEI05MtkyDrUpOAjhHF4r-ySYTeTOUJSgMUyr8tQ8cLIqLyuuIs_eIxhTK0pHSztQlOZ4NI-absDxfWF5F2jO0NxJJ8wCbnoBTik/s640/blogger-image-1060216570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWg-qxEjv6xguyKCVXOazZfxDzmbs5hniJ9J8zDMjcEI05MtkyDrUpOAjhHF4r-ySYTeTOUJSgMUyr8tQ8cLIqLyuuIs_eIxhTK0pHSztQlOZ4NI-absDxfWF5F2jO0NxJJ8wCbnoBTik/s640/blogger-image-1060216570.jpg"></a></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTM2I9iw-8iZAUxYwDmywIaPWkSwB38fKhRbrcWPwMzHeGP7b-B_jc1S1hiWnlivOgJOYhUJEA_2MolOI8OL4utb7zbtcVJIzfKtifMyOYMej6YL9MwHXKDH4m03PQYMFksbxCb_-z1H4/s640/blogger-image--131529755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTM2I9iw-8iZAUxYwDmywIaPWkSwB38fKhRbrcWPwMzHeGP7b-B_jc1S1hiWnlivOgJOYhUJEA_2MolOI8OL4utb7zbtcVJIzfKtifMyOYMej6YL9MwHXKDH4m03PQYMFksbxCb_-z1H4/s640/blogger-image--131529755.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">And here's our guide for the morning explaining the national Crest/Coat of Arms of Serbia </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TJ7ea3jd2sXSLv_gUgvuYU50p5Vb5EgYKlPvp_4PLOc9qw4a3ZepoC1WaHLh5C2hrz_pBExtOR8JFbeEnjOJ_6b9gIQJdykYp-Sns2IcSaTtiFVRYyPZrUwS-NMU1CwD0unD8dyguKw/s640/blogger-image-1710150582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TJ7ea3jd2sXSLv_gUgvuYU50p5Vb5EgYKlPvp_4PLOc9qw4a3ZepoC1WaHLh5C2hrz_pBExtOR8JFbeEnjOJ_6b9gIQJdykYp-Sns2IcSaTtiFVRYyPZrUwS-NMU1CwD0unD8dyguKw/s640/blogger-image-1710150582.jpg"></a></div><br></div>
denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-24701633060876949592016-07-18T13:13:00.000-07:002016-07-25T13:20:45.413-07:00Srebrenica - connecting Anne Frank (1945) to Srebrenica (1995)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Enroute from Sarajevo to Belgrade, we made the most important visit of our program thus far, to Potocari Memorial of the Srebrenica massacre/genocide of July 1995. Our visit occurred 21 years almost to the exact day when the killing fields of Srebrenica ended. <br>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6EAvG_zdqqAUGLZSCOnNSHv3u0q9g_9C1flHFYnjpCET6nBdqtTdtb14vPHQQio2DJxGznquYtc3LS2oFbPF9XLZk3nKrph2UkvmxSotOptfKz1Xu_0RW5edf9MrAEBmyu2x9v0xTwlU/s640/blogger-image-1953873416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6EAvG_zdqqAUGLZSCOnNSHv3u0q9g_9C1flHFYnjpCET6nBdqtTdtb14vPHQQio2DJxGznquYtc3LS2oFbPF9XLZk3nKrph2UkvmxSotOptfKz1Xu_0RW5edf9MrAEBmyu2x9v0xTwlU/s640/blogger-image-1953873416.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6nela80NFBgT9mAw-xOanUBwAqtTG7whIwGvv4tnpEStrFAOTb6D0gAVq8F1pl_w0Nsgwf9v0wbto35jDuaxj2QYzpP-iUfktY48-stv4Xc77PWi_1u9iuIfHz-kCiAoOiK1aMYHp40/s640/blogger-image--409995101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6nela80NFBgT9mAw-xOanUBwAqtTG7whIwGvv4tnpEStrFAOTb6D0gAVq8F1pl_w0Nsgwf9v0wbto35jDuaxj2QYzpP-iUfktY48-stv4Xc77PWi_1u9iuIfHz-kCiAoOiK1aMYHp40/s640/blogger-image--409995101.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZ7QVEuS6xXxvEdA0Q4sJxRhq7Y74H7fQaysP2_fVf53kmQfh1pckm7tuWcYEjrheMKQt7sHcOnaSEGtlYbl9i_XZQ69rMYVqyofHUImEObbEwi1ffUIEUZKvsO37h3IIecJIAXdFtms/s640/blogger-image--1951646414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZ7QVEuS6xXxvEdA0Q4sJxRhq7Y74H7fQaysP2_fVf53kmQfh1pckm7tuWcYEjrheMKQt7sHcOnaSEGtlYbl9i_XZQ69rMYVqyofHUImEObbEwi1ffUIEUZKvsO37h3IIecJIAXdFtms/s640/blogger-image--1951646414.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br></div>
denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-63513961123919619242016-07-17T07:27:00.001-07:002016-07-17T07:27:12.188-07:00Haggadah and National MuseumOur last day in Sarajevo. I gave students the day to explore on their own, with a "scavenger hunt" as a guide. Many went up to the 1984 Olympics Bobsled "chute". Others went to the Srebrenica photo exhibit (before we go to the Potocari memorial tomorrow). <div><br></div><div>And others of us went to the National Museum where the highlight is the Haggadah. <div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haggadah </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmRlsTbQAsJ1rd-X1OVEaLVBQJEJqfj_wYHtdFi1dEnAIqM0ABTHjIuOBWysRB2pghcHCnYrE_sClArSJjlQpx0Moc7bdHHuAsv89frK0FDhmV-Ha8VTu81v0bKYpn9PN9ZWUV-gzpfM8/s640/blogger-image-489533541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmRlsTbQAsJ1rd-X1OVEaLVBQJEJqfj_wYHtdFi1dEnAIqM0ABTHjIuOBWysRB2pghcHCnYrE_sClArSJjlQpx0Moc7bdHHuAsv89frK0FDhmV-Ha8VTu81v0bKYpn9PN9ZWUV-gzpfM8/s640/blogger-image-489533541.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiT61uzaBSeZaL4V1Q6Trmrni_ZCH6qTRuMAlbMWzuFhlKZByaGWJY4u5H2myj5ggqjb_2Np3Gbhv38a8M4l03pvBrH4r0EOfbchnoVhX4cDO_Lh6gQ8e3zephL08NEHZQ7P8gCBbq30U/s640/blogger-image-1587835769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiT61uzaBSeZaL4V1Q6Trmrni_ZCH6qTRuMAlbMWzuFhlKZByaGWJY4u5H2myj5ggqjb_2Np3Gbhv38a8M4l03pvBrH4r0EOfbchnoVhX4cDO_Lh6gQ8e3zephL08NEHZQ7P8gCBbq30U/s640/blogger-image-1587835769.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div>denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-11829235401872855902016-07-15T09:22:00.001-07:002016-07-15T09:22:20.129-07:00PSOTC and Parliament visit in Bosnia-Herzegovina<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yesterday (Thursday 14 July), we were hosted by the Commandant of the Peace Support Operations Training Center (PSOTC) in Sarajevo. PSOTC is very proud to have received a quality assurance accreditation by NATO. We visited PSOTC last year as well, and we're very happy to have added this Bosnian military education and training center to our regular Balkans Dialogue itinerary.<br />
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And today (Friday), we had a very busy day in Sarajevo. We started at the World Bank's office in BiH and received an absolutely brilliant economic briefing by the Country Manager for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ms. <a href="http://www.worldbank.org/en/about/people/tatiana-proskuryakova" target="_blank">Tatiana Proskuryakova</a>. (Praying for her power point!) <br />
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Then, we walked one block over to the BiH Parliament and had an equally brilliant political analysis by Mr. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senad_%C5%A0epi%C4%87" target="_blank">Senad Šepić</a>, a self-described "dissident" within the dominant Bosniak party, the SDA (the Party of Democratic Action), led by Bosniak president <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakir_Izetbegovi%C4%87" target="_blank">Bakir Izetbegović</a>. Here we are at the entrance to Parliament (with a couple of US Army folks who just happened to walk by and were happy to "photo bomb" our group shot with the MP!).<br />
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After this visit, we made our way to the US Embassy for a briefing on politics, security, and public diplomacy/public engagement with 3 Embassy staff. <br />
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And after that, we all left and got soaked in the worst rain we've had all week! Still, it didn't dampen our spirits (so to speak :-) <br />
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denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-41644928442387666942016-07-09T23:06:00.001-07:002016-07-09T23:06:23.101-07:00White Fortress above SarajevoA long hike up to a nearby hill/mountain above Sarajevo. <div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnomhOzVniNagagxMIRxRcMkhRtLung_6n6ZYC87KDtO6_4DY8MGDF_oBrMUIOBhCl_TbbvG6MY-S5C2YsgNLIHumd1hyphenhyphenaVBBm0ZGKqO30gUKGza1HT61HAMZlfYH73eEQVsLj3q1lkck/s640/blogger-image--783096136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnomhOzVniNagagxMIRxRcMkhRtLung_6n6ZYC87KDtO6_4DY8MGDF_oBrMUIOBhCl_TbbvG6MY-S5C2YsgNLIHumd1hyphenhyphenaVBBm0ZGKqO30gUKGza1HT61HAMZlfYH73eEQVsLj3q1lkck/s640/blogger-image--783096136.jpg"></a></div><br></div>denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-10011099784218431572016-07-09T03:18:00.000-07:002016-07-09T03:23:03.451-07:00Ma'a salaama Jordan, Dobrodošli Sarajevo!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jordan Dialogue 2016 is "done and dusted". Amman was tough to leave (only for the friends left behind, whom I shall see again!) and Sarajevo was an absolute joy to arrive! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Balkans Dialogue 2016 has begun! Our first full day in Sarajevo started with a walking tour with the amazing Enes, tour guide from Spirit Tours - courtesy of Ms. Maja Osmanagić, our logistics/tour partner here in Bosnia. I'll share just a couple of pictures of our tour, and add more later today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 2 hours, after the "procession of the remains" (where the most recently identified remains of those massacred at Srebrenica are driven to their final resting place), I'm taking the students to the "White Fortress" for the best view of Sarajevo, and the best visual of how this beautiful city could so easily have been like a "sitting duck" to Bosnian Serb forces - those who created "<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;">the longest </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;">siege</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"> of a capital city in modern history, and produced the worst atrocities in Europe since World War II." (NPR, April 2012) The siege last 1,425 days (April 5, 1992 - February 29, 1996), nearly 14,000 people were killed - among these were 5,500 civilians, and among these around 1,500 children were killed. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;">There it is - the siege, massacres, genocide, war crimes ... the underlying history and overarching narrative, even as everyone is eager to go forward, move beyond, build a future, enjoy life. All of this is what we are learning and want to share. </span></span></div>
denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-56798863201405724352016-07-01T11:02:00.001-07:002016-07-01T11:02:22.539-07:00KASOTC - King Abdullah Special Ops Training Center<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3zsNK_ZMI9I4k8CBKqP08I0K2lw_BsLDRcSeivS9stYSeEnNpkr9TsBg5h7izsyaTdNqxdgrIoEpnuS3Uatx8nV0FDkdixyAF-2d_VUYZz9ZDXrH4BBWQBaNUDCgLIdiEMoFWqP0VEY/s640/blogger-image-1994632768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">And this is how we got to spend a day with Project GO students in Amman. </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3zsNK_ZMI9I4k8CBKqP08I0K2lw_BsLDRcSeivS9stYSeEnNpkr9TsBg5h7izsyaTdNqxdgrIoEpnuS3Uatx8nV0FDkdixyAF-2d_VUYZz9ZDXrH4BBWQBaNUDCgLIdiEMoFWqP0VEY/s640/blogger-image-1994632768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdlahUUnY7q2x0NbHdqGNPBGHXm9XnRgScTcNVeFrmX-MpTvnjg3cTtCvKOR3vFkRxs0T7H04X534_Qo80ph3FFr5Z1UyLkRkvfRFj8RcFPySVqNrSyPxMw44lEdc5c0SmiJ9Kf6Ruvw/s640/blogger-image-1541643147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdlahUUnY7q2x0NbHdqGNPBGHXm9XnRgScTcNVeFrmX-MpTvnjg3cTtCvKOR3vFkRxs0T7H04X534_Qo80ph3FFr5Z1UyLkRkvfRFj8RcFPySVqNrSyPxMw44lEdc5c0SmiJ9Kf6Ruvw/s640/blogger-image-1541643147.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3zsNK_ZMI9I4k8CBKqP08I0K2lw_BsLDRcSeivS9stYSeEnNpkr9TsBg5h7izsyaTdNqxdgrIoEpnuS3Uatx8nV0FDkdixyAF-2d_VUYZz9ZDXrH4BBWQBaNUDCgLIdiEMoFWqP0VEY/s640/blogger-image-1994632768.jpg"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-fWSVq5yeLHL1io0MzBYV71JrlyWsWReW4lxeRbHY6ewRw7wb0IO12YY9gsQm1iq-oimukPECz504-hGAtyl3c8lkgdv3jEz8CaYp-BuqoV2VsIZNe3IZqclkZv2d58h_yUZY1ANx8o/s640/blogger-image--1681462367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-fWSVq5yeLHL1io0MzBYV71JrlyWsWReW4lxeRbHY6ewRw7wb0IO12YY9gsQm1iq-oimukPECz504-hGAtyl3c8lkgdv3jEz8CaYp-BuqoV2VsIZNe3IZqclkZv2d58h_yUZY1ANx8o/s640/blogger-image--1681462367.jpg"></font></a></div>denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-66081288526085023062016-06-11T03:16:00.001-07:002016-06-11T03:16:28.179-07:00Petra - Kingdom of NabateansJust before Indiana Jones found "the Treasury", he may have found our able teacher-guide, Mr. Abdullah, in one of the thousands of crevices in the Siq (canyon into the hidden city of Petra). A great hike through the ancient city of limestone temples, which honor many ancient cultures - Greek, Roman, Egyptian, pre-Islamic Arabia, Assyrians ... Talk about respect for diversity and multiple faith traditions! The Nabateans clearly had that. <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3P2WAI4-ecmsVDv27ZGfRTUOzSqFWInasiIUqWolF9z0Z90-Z__SPzf4D9ZQGBiLh_ksUCeLcF5IWqHI4RnXcTMHhFkMD8f5639sJ5o4X-pxgj4gj20z4AxA8-m6oOQ9QsC9KHDEmFaA/s640/blogger-image-412207070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3P2WAI4-ecmsVDv27ZGfRTUOzSqFWInasiIUqWolF9z0Z90-Z__SPzf4D9ZQGBiLh_ksUCeLcF5IWqHI4RnXcTMHhFkMD8f5639sJ5o4X-pxgj4gj20z4AxA8-m6oOQ9QsC9KHDEmFaA/s640/blogger-image-412207070.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1XGBkgNXUwHJDUPK9o3UuXDXerYTZQz8nEL2FPFUNF8nawBJiBY_ELoCYh8O2tn8foFUOK_tC4oMUeRfTtp8rLmDu6fMqxwgf_BEIg9-1MAU1CYzdOQ6WHxAIRDhV48dwLhDnOQ-RME/s640/blogger-image--44865400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1XGBkgNXUwHJDUPK9o3UuXDXerYTZQz8nEL2FPFUNF8nawBJiBY_ELoCYh8O2tn8foFUOK_tC4oMUeRfTtp8rLmDu6fMqxwgf_BEIg9-1MAU1CYzdOQ6WHxAIRDhV48dwLhDnOQ-RME/s640/blogger-image--44865400.jpg"></a></div><br></div>denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-78576930601130718982016-06-05T11:30:00.001-07:002016-06-05T11:30:39.068-07:00Ramadan Kariim!!It was just announced that Ramadan officially starts tomorrow, Monday. Here is a sweet message we received from our host partner, Qasid Institute. <div><br></div><div><div><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Dear Denis Sullivan,</span></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">With the arrival of the month of <span class="">Ramadan</span>, we will preview changes to the daily routine in Jordan (and throughout the world).</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Of the most visible changes will be that nearly all markets and restaurants are closed for most of the day. Eating, drinking (and smoking) publicly also become essentially unlawful in light of the fast being observed by over ninety percent of the people. At sunset, however, city life reawakens in full. Mosques overflow in the evenings. Invitations to festive dinners from neighbors, family and friends are common. </span></p><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Whether you are observing the sacred month or not, we invite you to enjoy the climate of personal purification and social good will and hospitality it entails. <br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Here at Qasid, we will provide a room available throughout the day for those not fasting to eat and drink, comfortably. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Thank you,</span></div><p></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img src="http://qute.qasid.com/QUTE/static/logo_small.png" alt="Qasid Institute" height="50" width="126" style="line-height: 1.3;"><br></span></p></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img width="1px" height="1px" alt="" src="http://email.mg.qasid.com/o/eJwNyzESAiEMAMDXSJkhcAQoKCx8SC5BZbzD8RALX6_br5T-GO-v0VLlmsW04iySJRvQB3ILILpACVKyOcP5Qj5lH0-L3W_w4tEU5Lmbe0GJysEyInuqWTQ6IU1ZI68rsZijKIy5be3D_d97nVB1_gDLqyT9"></span></div>denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-31481776959159810382016-06-03T13:07:00.002-07:002016-06-03T13:07:34.255-07:00A Day with Syrian refugees - outside Za'atari refugee camp and informal farming collective<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Friday, the holy day of the week here in Jordan (as with most Arab/Muslim societies), we filled our day with Syrians (all refugees; some working as farm laborers) in the northern Badia (Bedouin, semi-arid region of Jordan).<br />
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We started outside the famous/infamous Za'atari refugee camp and the "Freedom Wall" that has become a site where many supporters of the refugees come to write their hopes and dreams on the wall. <br />
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Our guide was Ms. Dema Al-Aoun (similar name as our president, Joseph Aoun), a human rights lawyer and someone whose family sponsors nearly 500 Syrian refugees in a system that enables the Syrians to work (legally) as farmers. <br />
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After the Freedom Wall, we went to Dema's family farm, met her father (former Brigadier General in Jordan's army, and a successful pediatrician in Amman), and then went to the farm where we met with the leader of these 500 Syrians (an elderly Syrian woman, a "Sheikha" from a rural area of Aleppo, in northern Syria). <br />
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We heard about the lives of single mothers, migrant laborers, and the burgeoning population of children in this community. In one tent, over 50 small children (ages 2-8) met with our students, all of whom brought toys to give to the children. We also brought face paints (per Dema's suggestion) and sure enough, this was one of the highlights for the kids! Plus of course the "futbols" (soccer balls). <br />
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It was an education; a fun day; a difficult and challenging day, emotionally if not also physically for some. A great success, all around. <br />
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denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-88613398453981279052016-05-31T08:45:00.000-07:002016-05-31T08:45:12.363-07:00Women, Islam, and Politics in Jordan: Professor Abad Al Saud<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_MrYNOiQQRPOs9OG6IllXh2w0NmM3QAy3sy2pGHWS8jsk2NhPyvEIn08hrXo74fVPLkEkvllTv5sm2njqmmz1eVyd2m_yOMbZuLW-J31_iPV-whE-w62sdLZmwalDKKhICiKYH9eZ1U/s1600/IMG_1329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_MrYNOiQQRPOs9OG6IllXh2w0NmM3QAy3sy2pGHWS8jsk2NhPyvEIn08hrXo74fVPLkEkvllTv5sm2njqmmz1eVyd2m_yOMbZuLW-J31_iPV-whE-w62sdLZmwalDKKhICiKYH9eZ1U/s320/IMG_1329.JPG" width="320" /></a>Dr. Abad Al Saud brought her life experiences to our students today in Amman. Dr. Abad was the youngest woman ever elected to the Jordanian Parliament. She is a professor, and a former Dean, at Islamic University in Amman. She spoke about women in Islam, women in politics, women in Jordanian society and as business leaders. <br />
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Dr. Abad spoke entirely in Arabic, with frequent phrases in English; my friend and brother Nidal translated throughout the lecture as well as the discussion. <br />
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Our students were well informed about women's issues (and general political issues), with questions ranging from the quota for women in Jordanian Parliament ("do you favor the quota system?") to her view of Western Feminists and Feminism ("I find a lot of common ground, but also women working at cross-purposes across the globe.") to her view of the role of religion in American politics and questions of violence against women and sexual harassment in Jordan -- what are the reasons behind it, and what are the solutions ("religious or political"). <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPzQcVQpwcbzonMf3MzEs2O4xFMh8rM0YY0j7vihvSDUHClD5kCLhxz-zpnwMdBZikfBJQT12hMukRml__61yFWyVZNGbgaJwdMvwDMwoGxCJlwrF6KAHFthj4_fmkpXQAKzEUY8H_o0/s1600/IMG_1326.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPzQcVQpwcbzonMf3MzEs2O4xFMh8rM0YY0j7vihvSDUHClD5kCLhxz-zpnwMdBZikfBJQT12hMukRml__61yFWyVZNGbgaJwdMvwDMwoGxCJlwrF6KAHFthj4_fmkpXQAKzEUY8H_o0/s320/IMG_1326.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-61100628389851736442016-05-26T08:11:00.001-07:002016-05-26T08:11:18.575-07:00May 25: Happy Independence Day, Jordan! 70 years of Independence from Britain<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In celebration, our dear volunteer, Ms. Aya Nidal Zannad, gave all of us a red "kefiyah scarf" to wear, in solidarity with our hosts, the Jordanian people. Here we are in 'Umm Jimal, "Mother of Beauty", in northern Jordan, near Za'atari refugee camp and outside of the city of Mafraq. This is an ancient Roman city, also part of Byzantine Empire and later the Ottoman Empire. The city was built out of volcanic rock. <br />
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Below, our host Sheikh Khaled (Sheikh/leader of a local tribe in Mafraq) hosted us at his brother's farm, and then at his own house, where his wife prepared an amazing "light meal" (not light) for us to enjoy. the Sheikh also taught us about his role as tribal leader, marriage counselor, dispute resolver, and otherwise problem-solver for issues (large and small) that affect his 18,000 tribal members.<br />
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<u><b>"I can see Syria from my mound!"</b></u><br />
Below, students are channeling Sarah Palin by pointing to the distant Syrian village beyond the northern border of Jordan. <br />
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denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-5719722395053690642016-05-22T12:10:00.000-07:002016-05-22T12:15:41.366-07:00(Remember me?) Back in Amman, Jordan Dialogue 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
'been a long time without posting ... time to get back in the game! <br />
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I'm in Amman with students on my "Jordan Dialogue 2016"! Had to stop in Beirut (thanks APSA-MENA!), prior to joining up with my group here in Amman. I want to give a shout-out to Mr. Charles, Ms. FaHu, and Lt. Briskin plus the inimitable Dr. Shakir for leading the group here ahead of me. <br />
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Now we're all together and my first day with everyone was a trip to Ajloun Castle after they all toured Jerash ... Note - I was standing right in front of this group, but they insisted on using the selfie stick! And I found a kindred spirit with a nearly matching hat. Plus, a non-selfie with the amazing Farhana. <br />
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTAuEhEOihmWA6kxqS1pTJ0VQZF9KW7EMZpD1OGpjXTk-2IVwXocA" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for ajloun castle" border="0" class="rg_i" data-sz="f" height="213" jsaction="load:str.tbn" name="cxOsGxxsSbqL3M:" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTAuEhEOihmWA6kxqS1pTJ0VQZF9KW7EMZpD1OGpjXTk-2IVwXocA" style="height: 180px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; width: 270px;" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ajloun Castle - built by <span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: left;">nephew of Salah ad-Din al-Ayyubi (</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saladin" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;" title="Saladin">Saladin</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: left;">), in AD 1184-1185. </span></span></div>
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denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-63219686295090571732014-05-25T13:18:00.001-07:002014-05-25T13:18:09.902-07:00Syrian refugees in northern Jordan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We've been in Jordan now for over a week; it's been a crazy-busy 8-9 days already: orienting students to Amman and Jordan and their Homestays; starting Arabic classes; guest lectures; and a quick trip to the Dead Sea as well.<br />
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Yesterday, we visited a Syrian refugee community of around 200 people in the north of Jordan, near Mafraq. We were asked to set up a "community center" in the form of a UNHCR ("UN Refugee agency") tent. It was a simple task, given the eagerness of so many NU and Project GO students. We accomplished it in less than an hour - and our students were asking to do more ... "what next?" they asked, hoping that we could contribute even more than we just did. But that was it - the Syrians have so little already, and our efforts were so minimal, yet the end result is a nice tent for young kids to hang out and play, draw, or do whatever they and their parents want them to do.<br />
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After our visit to the informal camp, including several visits inside the "tent homes" of several different Syrian families, we had a debrief at Mr. Jihad Al-Tabini's home outside Mafraq. Jihad is the brother of Dr. Raed, our host at SIT. Jihad is the one who organized the whole day, and we asked him to tell us what more we can do, what more we can give, to this community. <br />
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The students are eager to come back a few times in the next few weeks so that we can establish even more of a dialogue with these families, and so that we can offer our help even more than we have so far. Let us hope we can give them more - and let's hope that it is what they want, not just what we want to give - but what they need us to give.<br />
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Here are a few pics of our efforts:<br />
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denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-15051886452758316822013-08-01T10:33:00.005-07:002013-08-01T10:33:50.907-07:00Serbian Foreign Ministry, Office of War Crimes, & Tesla<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It has been a busy week, and we're nearing the end of our Dialogue. Highlights of the week include:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Day trip to Novi Sad;</li>
<li>Visit to <a href="http://www.tesla-museum.org/meni_en.htm" target="_blank">Museum of Nikola Tesla</a> - including getting shocked (literally) by some of his great inventions on display;</li>
<li>Meetings at the <a href="http://www.tuzilastvorz.org.rs/html_trz/pocetna_eng.htm" target="_blank">Office of War Crimes Prosecutor</a>;</li>
<li>Meetings at the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs</li>
</ul>
<div>
This post won't capture all the great things we did and learned (nor will it critique the visits either). Just want to post some pics, as our days are fast coming to a close. </div>
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<div>
Tomorrow will be a full day of final presentations (what Dr. Will calls "Disputations") plus a final dinner with the students and us all. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foreign Ministry</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will and Mladen "accused", Office of War Crimes Prosecutor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM07ZDttZ3OoxigdibLZZCbhbcjodHOeIYqvNmYlnFfEtX9hDSjcC6CGa0mIOeAYm8UPqM8BkIhp69PJZtd4AU_8bFBfsZT7Xo3JO4DOu5IY0CFQ20yOUeSxqOHx_C-WyRNoILosQOrdc/s1600/Novi+Sad+Cathedral+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM07ZDttZ3OoxigdibLZZCbhbcjodHOeIYqvNmYlnFfEtX9hDSjcC6CGa0mIOeAYm8UPqM8BkIhp69PJZtd4AU_8bFBfsZT7Xo3JO4DOu5IY0CFQ20yOUeSxqOHx_C-WyRNoILosQOrdc/s1600/Novi+Sad+Cathedral+copy.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catholic Cathedral, Novi Sad</td></tr>
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denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-43718602125893532732013-07-26T08:05:00.000-07:002013-07-26T08:05:01.284-07:00"Serbia On the Move!" (Srbija u Pokretu)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We met with Predrag Stojicic, one of the principal "change agents" of <a href="http://en.srbijaupokretu.org/" target="_blank">Srbija u Pokretu</a> today. Their motto: <i>We are building movers, not movements</i>!<br />
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Their website tells you more than I can tell ... especially about their active campaigns, which include:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>What is your doctor like? (see below)</li>
<li>Raise the ramp! (about improving public access for people in wheelchairs, parents with small children in strollers, etc.)</li>
<li>Green April - a recycling initiative</li>
</ul>
<br />
Predrag spoke at length about <i>Kakav je Doktor</i>, basically a "rate my M.D." project. The campaign was financed by USAID, among others. It was very popular after launching in November 2012, but it "ticked off" a lot of doctors, who (not surprisingly) were being called out for malpractice, poor treatment of patients, and other failings. But primarily, it found that people generally liked their doctors and it proved to be a source for people seeking good doctors.<br />
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The bizarre thing is: the so-called "Liberal Democratic Government" (the previous government) banned the campaign!!! It succumbed to pressure from some in the medical community and came up with some reason to stop the campaign. Predrag said that only increased the number of activists who got involved! <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"If you want to get a campaign going, hope for someone to try to ban it!"</i></div>
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denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-87819301386453957812013-07-25T08:31:00.000-07:002013-07-25T08:35:25.925-07:00Serbian Army visit: Military Academy ("West Point") & Air Defense Brigade<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We were warmly received by the 2 separate military institutions we visited today:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>250th Air Defense Missile Brigade (which was busy in 1999 fighting against us)</li>
<li>the Serbian Military Academy (combination West Point & US Army War College)</li>
</ul>
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The 250th's greatest victory may have been its shooting down of a Stealth Bomber (which, I'm told, just isn't done!) as well as an F-16. We saw wings of both of these - they are on display as "trophies". But, it is more the wounds of battle that continue to be the 'heaviest' matter on the base of the 250th. 28 men died in the 1999 battles between the US and Serbia, when NATO pounded Belgrade (and other parts of Serbia) in its attempt to put Pres. Milosevic in line with American policy on Kosovo; in Serbia, this is known as "NATO Aggression". We visited the memorial to these fallen soldiers. And we found that the air defense unit, like the Military Academy leaders (see below), do not forget but indeed they have moved on - to seeking greater cooperation with the US and other members of NATO.</div>
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The other visit was just as welcoming and as professional as the first visit. We learned a lot about the Military Academy, its programs (from high school academy to undergrad, grad, and PhD programs) and its various cooperative efforts with more and more countries around the world. </div>
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As usual, the students asked brilliant questions ... </div>
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denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-17422249475369848362013-07-24T08:41:00.000-07:002013-07-24T09:42:16.750-07:00US - Serbian relations: diplomatic, economic, and cultural<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(click to enlarge)</td></tr>
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We spent 2 hours today at the new American Embassy in Belgrade. It's in a beautiful neighborhood, a few miles outside the city center and among the hills and open-green-space of Belgrade. It's a beautiful new building; the old Embassy may as well be put out to pasture. It's old, small, worn out (including after having been set alight by Serbian protesters after the US recognized Kosovo in 2008). This space - the grounds themselves, the architecture of the building (a "green building" no less!), and the interior - are a great investment for the American taxpayers, and a great symbol of the strong partnership the US is (re-)building with Serbia.<br />
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We met with a number of US Embassy personnel today - topped off with a surprise visit by the <b><a href="http://serbia.usembassy.gov/ambassador.html" target="_blank">US Ambassador to Serbia, Michael Kirby</a></b>. Our speakers included:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Drew, Cultural Affairs Officer</li>
<li>Judith L., Political Officer/Human Rights</li>
<li>Matthew G., Economic Officer</li>
<li>Peter W., USAID</li>
<li>Catherine B., an MA student at Northeastern, interning at the Embassy!</li>
<li>and of course the Ambassador himself!</li>
</ul>
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We heard a lot about how these US foreign service officers (and our own Intern!) are working to improve the cultural, economic, and diplomatic (and thus political) relations of the two countries. The Human Rights Officer, Judith, was one of my personal favorites. She shared with us her passion for promoting human rights among various minorities and persecuted peoples (LGBT, Roma, and others) and her tireless efforts to end human trafficking, with the help of some very brave Serbian police officers. The economic and security discussions were great. <br />
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And Drew's hard work promoting cultural, educational, and "public engagement" work - the "people-to-people" intiatives, improving the relationship both ways - is impressive.<br />
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As usual, our students asked great questions - informed, probing, brilliant. As with every other visit we have had, our hosts praised our students for being well-informed and exhibiting (in the midst of the questions themselves) deep knowledge of the intricacies of Serbian (or, earlier, Bosnian) politics.</div>
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After the US Embassy visit, which we all agreed was an amazing visit all around, we went to the Museum of Yugoslavia/Tito Museum.</div>
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denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-19508100683447945052013-07-23T04:37:00.001-07:002013-07-24T09:44:46.534-07:00Beograd, Serbia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Since we arrived here in Beograd (Belgrade), it has been non-stop work. <br />
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Walking tour of Beograd, "scavenger hunt" of places (plus monuments and foods!) around the city (Day 1). <br />
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CANVAS training/workshop - the Center for Applied Non-Violent Action & Strategy (formerly OTPOR!, "Rebel!"). This was a 2-day workshop, led by my favorite of CANVAS trainers (who must remain anonymous). Students were trained in strategic planning, developing their "visions of tomorrow", analyzing power in society (easy-peasy for these mostly Political Science majors!), propaganda and communication techniques, "dilemma actions" (ask me and I'll explain!), and generally - how to manage a non-violent campaign to change/revolt/overturn established corrupt orders ...<br />
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The next day was a "lighter" day - one (great) meeting with a Serbian Orthodox Bishop, Jovan Culibrk, who spoke at length about Kosovo (over which he is responsible, in terms of Church administration), the joys of living in the former Yugoslavia, and the +'s and -'s of US and EU interventions in the former Yugoslavia. <br />
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And today began with a wonderful visit to the Serbian Parliament. We toured the building, including the main assembly hall for the Parliament (pictured below), the Library, and the "club" for the Progressive Party members of Parliament - where we met with some of these members, and had a great conversation with Mr. Zoran Babic, chair of the administrative committee of Parliament. Mr. Babic spoke at length about how the Progressive Party (the dominant party in Serbia, even though it is more of a 'radical conservative' party in US terms than 'progressive') is "bullish" on EU accession, foreign investments in Serbia, military industrial expansion, and tackling the blight of corruption throughout Serbian politics and society. <br />
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Later today, we meet with Dr. Dusan Batakovic, former Serbian ambassador to France, and Dr. Ivan Vujavic, former ambassador to the US. (Fitting, because tomorrow we go to the US Embassy, plus the Tito Museum).<br />
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Stay tuned!<br />
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denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-80511076119420778602013-07-18T11:26:00.001-07:002013-07-24T09:44:09.118-07:00Banja Luka, Republika Srpska - to Belgrade, Serbia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We left Sarajevo (I've lost track of when!), went to Mostar for 2 days and had discussions with Croatian political party leaders and Nansen Dialogue Center, which promotes cooperation and dialogue and trust-building among the divided city's various religious groups: Croatian Catholics, Bosniak Muslims, and even a small minority of Serbian Orthodox.<br />
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Tuesday, we traveled from Mostar to Banja Luka (with a stop in Jajce, where we had lunch and enjoyed the amazing waterfalls). <br />
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Wednesday was a very busy day in the capital of Republika Srpska ("RS"). We received a tour of the government building and met with the Prime Minister, Zeljka Cvijanovic. The Prime Minister prides herself (and the RS) with the fact that there are 6 women in top political leadership roles in the RS, starting with her as Prime Minister.<br />
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After hearing from the Prime Minister, we met with 3 of her top aides: EU Integration, Education, and Foreign Relations/Diplomacy. And then off to the University of Banja Luka for a welcome from the Vice Rector, Prof. Valerija Saula, and a lecture/discussion with Prof. Darko Tanaskovic. Prof. Darko happens also to have been my wife's mentor in the late 1980s; he is the leading academic in Serbia (and now in the RS) on Islam, Islamic movements, as well as Arabic and Turkish languages. Prof. Darko spoke about Turkey's leading role in the Balkans; he based the talk on his book, "Neo Ottomanism", a critical look at Turkey's dominance in certain places in the Balkans (especially Bosnia).<br />
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Today, we drove from Banja Luka (leaving 7:30 am!) for a visit to Brcko District (which requires its own, full blog post another day!). We finally arrived in Belgrade around 6:30 pm ... whew! what a day!<br />
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denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338960127500451423.post-31468560611223068772013-07-15T08:14:00.002-07:002013-07-15T08:14:57.228-07:00Mostar - a city divided<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Mostar is still divided - mostly Croats (on the western side of the river Neretva), mostly Muslims (on the eastern side), with very few Serbs living here and there.<br />
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This gorgeous bridge was originally built between 1557 and 1567 by an Ottoman bridge builder, Mimar Hayruddin, student of the great Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan, during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. At the time it was built, it was the widest man-made arch in the world; it was an engineering "mystery" for years - how was the scaffolding erected? how were the stones transported from one bank to the next? and bottom line - how the heck was it held together?! There were no metal braces or suspension of any kind.<br />
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The old bridge, "Stari Most", served the peoples of Mostar for 427 years until it was completely destroyed by Croatian forces on November 9, 1993. Croatian military leaders said they destroyed it for "strategic military reasons." That of course is bullsh**. There was no primary military use for the bridge, especially given the other more modern bridges at different points of the city. It was pure cultural property destruction.<br />
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The bridge was rebuilt from 2001-04. The Old Bridge area and the Old City of Mostar were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.<br />
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here is one of the rare signs of "co-existence" - the way Croatian, "Muslim" (okay, "Bosniak"), and Serbian beer share the same refrigerator. Of course, even here there is politics. The Croatian beer Karlovacko gets the prominent position, followed by Sarajevsko (the "Muslim beer"), and with Jelen (the Serbian beer) sharing the bottom shelf with some "internationals" ... but it's a start! Ziveli! (Cheers!)<br />
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denisjsullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817619360710702895noreply@blogger.com0