Dialogue of Civilizations

It has been a busy week, and we're nearing the end of our Dialogue.  Highlights of the week include: Day trip to Novi Sad; Visit to Museum of Nikola Tesla - including getting shocked (literally) by some of his great inventions on display; Meetings at the Office of War Crimes Prosecutor ; Meetings at the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs 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.   Tomorrow will be a full day of final presentations (what Dr. Will calls "Disputations") plus a final dinner with the students and us all.   Foreign Ministry Will and Mladen "accused", Office of War Crimes Prosecutor Catholic Cathedral, Novi Sad

We met with Predrag Stojicic, one of the principal "change agents" of Srbija u Pokretu today.  Their motto:   We are building movers, not movements ! Their website tells you more than I can tell ... especially about their active campaigns, which include: What is your doctor like? (see below) Raise the ramp! (about improving public access for people in wheelchairs, parents with small children in strollers, etc.) Green April - a recycling initiative Predrag spoke at length about  Kakav je Doktor , 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. The bizarre thing is:  the so-...

We were warmly received by the 2 separate military institutions we visited today: 250th Air Defense Missile Brigade (which was busy in 1999 fighting against us) the Serbian Military Academy (combination West Point & US Army War College) 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...

(click to enlarge) 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. We met with a number of US Embassy personnel today - topped off with a surprise visit by the US Ambassador to Serbia, Michael Kirby .  Our speakers included: Drew, Cultural Affairs Officer Judith L., Political Officer/Human Rights Matthew G., Economic Officer Peter W., USAID Catherine ...

Since we arrived here in Beograd (Belgrade), it has been non-stop work. Walking tour of Beograd, "scavenger hunt" of places (plus monuments and foods!) around the city (Day 1). 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 ... 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 Chur...

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. Tuesday, we traveled from Mostar to Banja Luka (with a stop in Jajce, where we had lunch and enjoyed the amazing waterfalls). 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. 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 ...

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. 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. 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 ...

A busy day and we're not done yet ... We began today with a tour of the "tunel", the tunnel of Sarajevo that served as THE LIFELINE for the city during most of the siege.  It was built over 4 months in 1992, and it ran UNDERNEATH the airport runway.  The tunnel served as a 2-way highway, with 3,000 people per day using it (on especially busy days).  Food, medicine, and other supplies came into Sarajevo; soldiers came out of Sarajevo and into the "Free Bosnian Territory" (see map below; the man providing the explanation lived in the house where the tunnel begins; that house is now a museum).   After the tunnel visit, we spent an hour at the " spring of Bosna ", the natural springs that are the origins of the River Bosna, from which the country Bosnia gets its name.  This is a breathtaking park/nature reserve/spring.  None of us had ever been here ... it is now a "must" for any future Balkans Dialogues! And then it was a mad-dash ba...

When we met with the Grand Mufti (after our meeting with the Jewish Community leader, Mr. Finci), the Grand Mufti had to leave without us being able to take any pictures with him. Solution is here - the website of the Islamic Community of Bosnia-Herzegovina . also, from that website, here are 2 group pics - PLUS - the "group shot" we took when we meet (yesterday) with Cardinal Puljic, the Catholic Cardinal of Sarajevo/Bosnia-Herzegovina. Meeting with Grand Mufti

Every year around this date, the annual procession of the newly identified remains of victims of the Srebrenica Genocide takes place.  It begins, officially, outside the Office of the Presidency of BiH here in Sarajevo, just down the street from our hotel.  Officials gather - religious leaders (you'll find the Grand Mufti in the crowd below), members of Parliament, and TWO of the THREE Presidents of Bosnia-Herzegovina.  No surprise, the President representing Republika Srpska failed to show up today (as he has failed in previous years) - why?  He can't come out, like most Sarajevans and Bosnians and Herzegovians to honor the dead?  No.  He can't.  (Presumably it would be tantamount to acknowledging that SOME Bosnian Serbs once upon a time were horrible creatures and committed Genocide, which Bosnian Serbs cannot acknowledge even occurred.) Politics aside (is it ever aside??), humanity did indeed come out today to honor the 409 sets of remains that h...

Our primary meetings today were with Mr. Jakob Finci, head of the Jewish community of Sarjevo, and Sheikh Husein Efendi Kavazovic, Grand Mufti of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Jakob Finci is one of Sarajevo's most famous personalities.  He has led the Jewish community for years, and had a prominent, "James Bond-like" role in breaking the siege of Sarajevo (1992-95).  (He was the one who mentioned "Bond" in his talk today.) Mr. Finci is leader of La Benevolencija , the benevolent and humanitarian society of the Jewish community here; La Benevolencija served as hospital, pharmacy, shelter, food bank, post office, dentist, international operator, day care center, elder care center - i.e., anything that was needed for the whole Sarajevo community, Jews, Muslims, Christians alike - during the siege. Prior to Mr. Finci's presentation and the Q&A/discussion, we watched an extended version of this video, " Survival in Sarajevo: Friendship in a time of war ...

Well over 8,000 Muslim men and boys were massacred in mid-July 1995.  There are still over 2,000 of these men and boys who have yet to be unearthed, identified, and laid to rest.  Srebrenica is the city where the massacre occurred; Srebrenica area (specifically, the memorial center at  Potočari ) is the resting place as well as the Memorial center where the stories are told of the Genocide at Srebrenica. I've visited this Center, this Cemetery, this area three times now.  There is no "getting used to it" for me.  Each time, I am affected in ways I won't attempt to describe.  I can only do what I've done in the past - provide a few pictures of the gravesites.  This year, my discovery is that of one Christian victim of the Genocide (an unintended victim for sure, since it was Christians who massacred the boys and men of Srebrenica).  Otherwise, the pictures below show the cemetery, one of my students reflecting at the site, and the preparation of...

Here's a radical shift - Amman, via Cairo, back to Amman and now in Sarajevo.  Then again, not so radical.  Sarajevo is a city that has survived, despite losing 110,000 souls in the 1990s wars.  Cairo is undergoing its own upheaval, and will (insha'Allah/God willing) avoid the chaos and massacres of this beautiful city, chaos that is inherent in a collapsing political system. Our "Team Balkans" has been here for 5 days.  They have been treated to numerous lectures and site visits; a tour of Sarajevo; their own "hunt" (as in scavenger hunt) for cool and interesting things about this beautiful place.  Today, we had a great discussion of political philosophy, "state of nature", a "treatise on government", and the collapse of the Yugoslav state in the 90s and the various perspectives held by Serbs, Croats, and "Bosniaks" (aka Bosnian Muslims).  Fresh from the "Arab spring front", and Cairo plus Amman, I also could bring...

"mish mumkin" = impossible! or "how can it be?!" I just can't believe that today was the final day for "Group One", our 23 students from NU who are on the "regular Dialogue" to Jordan (Group Two being our 8-week, extended program for ROTC). Today was one of the busiest days all "semester":  final exams (both written and oral); group presentations for all classes; a mad-dash for cabs at lunch time; quick turnaround back to SIT for our guest speaker; and the guest speaker herself, Prof. Rula Qawass; a short break until dinner; and our final dinner in less than 2 hours - a final dinner to wrap up with SIT faculty/staff.  Students leave in about 48 hours - so they have the next day and a half to also spend time with their host families, Jordanian friends they've made, and of course with one another. Here are some photos to "capture" the day: