IT Equipment II
Reference: EuropeAid/127278/C/SUP/BA
Status: Open (until 22.10.2008)
Documents:   forecast tender 22.08.2008

Construction of the sewage collectors in Zivinice Bosnia and Herzegovina
Reference: EuropeAid/127506/L/WKS/BA
Status: Open (until 10.11.2008)
Documents:   tender 25.08.2008

Admittedly so, if he has indeed killed or participated due to his leadership in genocide of Muslims, justice should await him.  However, justice is not served to Muslims globally.  There are two questions I'd like to pose:

1.  How many Muslims have so far been killed, maimed, uprooted from their homes by way of the collection of other powers?

2.  At what point are Muslims (rather would anyone) consider themselves authorized, or legally justified to defend themselves and their people from facing the same fate as the Bosnian Muslims?

Another example of this not being solely a Muslim issue; but one that is shared by most religions whereby they are speaking out collectively against something they deem wrong or provocative is becoming more visible globally. From the start, secularists themselves are exploited to keep the other masses busy fighting them while those exploiting both groups have more time to re-design the power structure of their respective sovereignty.

Bahamas, The - Commonwealth of The Bahamas - Whoo hoo. Not in the Caribbean, but a nice place nonetheless. I have an aunt and uncle that spend a lot of time here. I hope to retire in this area someday.

Bahrain - Kingdom of Bahrain - I have read that Bahrain is relatively liberal. Relatively. Like, oh, Mussolini was relatively friendlier than Hitler. Bahrain is an Arab island in the Persian Gulf. They would just be a few Bedouins fighting over an oasis or two except they sit on some oil. So, here they are. Liberal, my ass. Paris is liberal. Bahrain is a repressive little Arab enclave. I should be impressed they have skyscrapers and allow women to wear Western dress? Freedom impresses me, freedom.

Bangladesh - People's Republic of Bangladesh - Holy shit, this is a poor country. Located on the Bay of Bengal , sandwiched in between India and Burma, this little Muslim country is broke. Only thing keeping this place afloat is the proliferation of microcredit. Oh, and they just ain't stable politically, which is par for poor countries.

Barbados - Another sweet Caribbean paradise. A friend of mine has visited a few times and cannot sing enough praises of the place. Been smacked around by storms of late, which is odd due to its position being the most eastern of the Lesser Antilles. Rum, rum and more rum!

Belarus - Republic of Belarus - What the fuck is wrong with these people? They elect a dictator (and love it), abuse their own people, piss off every other European neighbor, and are working on joining BACK with Russia. Holy SHEEET. This country is full of FAIL. Avoid it like the plague. Evidently, they still wish they were Soviets.

Belgium - Kingdom of Belgium - Alright, a nice European country. A little heavy in the government owned and controlled aspect, but not bad. Would love to visit. Used to work with a Belgian and he was cool as the other side of the pillow. And these folks know how to eat! Belgian food is awesome. Founding member of the EU, but keeps to their own business.

Belize - A little Central American country just south of old Mexico. Poor, but what country down there isn't. Tourist haven, so watch out for thieves and murderers. Coastal areas are supposed to be a paradise. Long ass reef and numerous cays invite lots of tourists. Have friend that will have home on Ambergris Cay soon. Go before popularity ruins it.

Benin - Republic of Benin - Hmm. Took me a while to find this place on the map. A country on the western part of Africa, it doesn't produce or do much else. Used to be one of the biggest slave-producing areas (yuhp, those slaves). Still has slavery in some forms. Place has mainly subsistence agriculture to keep folks busy. In other words, it's a shithole.

Bermuda (UK overseas territory) - Visited the island briefly in 1996. Wish I could have stayed, but time was extremely limited. I want ot go back and bask in Bermudan hospitality. Nothing bad to say at all about this place.

Bhutan - Kingdom of Bhutan - Pretty much an agrarian nation, this little Buddhist country will probably be absorbed into China by force. Outside of a large hydroelectric project, there just is not much to this place in the Himalayans.

Bolivia - Republic of Bolivia - Evo Morales is a little commie shit. Bolivia got tired of being the US's bitch (for good reason) so they elected this asshole (bad move). Expect them to rewrite their laws to make him president for life, much like Chavez was trying to do in Venezuela. Saw a TV interview of Morales once. Scared the buhjeezus out of me, mainly because he's less crazy than Chavez, more intelligent, and has backing of the native population without question. Expect civil unrest there in 3-5 years followed by a coup or two. Re-nationalized the oil, so add being a crook to Morales's resume'. Epic shithole of a country.

Bosnia and Herzegovina - What religion and ethnicity will get you: nowhere! B&H used to be part of Yugoslavia, but when the iron curtain fell, so did any semblance of sanity. B&H consists of three groups: Bosniaks (Muslims), Serbs (Orthodox Christians) and Croats (Catholics!). I got to sit off the coast in 1994 trying to teach these folks to play nice. Croatia and Serbia tried to wipe out various ethnic groups during the wars. Needless to say, this place is "war-torn", although it seems to be recovering well. Goes to show that people killing other people over religion is monumentally stupid. Oh, yeah, they still have tensions today.

Botswana - Republic of Botswana - You thought I was going to say shithole, right? Well, not really. This place has been relatively nonviolent, has had prudent and wise government economic policies, and has pulled itself from being one of the poorest countries to one of the better economic countries in Africa. Only major dings are that 1) there are no ports as it is landlocked 2) economy is mainly diamond fueled, but it is well regulated 3) 37.3% AIDS RATE! That's right, one third of the adult population has AIDS. HOLY SHEEEIT. Memo to self: Do NOT fuck a Botswanan!

Brazil - Federative Republic of Brazil - Whoo hoo! Carnival! Actually, Brazil has a lot more to offer, and I don't mean only rainforests and 2 girls 1 cup videos. Brazil shows what a Latin country can do with the right mindset. Not perfect by any measure, but close enough to make it a strong contender in the field of places I would want to visit. Has its problems, especially orphans and a real separation between middle and lower class. And they slightly fail due to the strong Roman Catholic affiliation. Not a bad place to be, though.

Brunei - Negara Brunei Darussalam - I really do not know what to make oif this little fortress of solitude on Malaysia. I just watched an Olympic woman from Brunei run an event, completely covered except for the face. Yeah, she came in last. WTF Islamo-facists? Every OTHER woman on the track is running in basically oversized panties and sport bra, yet your athlete is running in an oversized jogging suit and head scarf. Jeebus. Stupidty. So, FAIL there. No freedom of the press? FAIL. I don't necessarily mind the sultanate, but I do mind that it's run like its Ünderland. Wheres Catclops and Girl Hitler when you need em?

Bulgaria - Republic of Bulgaria - A former Soviet bitch, this slab of corruption is trying to do better. Unfortunately, I am not sure they'll ever get there. Bulgaria used to be the butt of a ton of Soviet-era jokes, but now, its just sad. Country seems to keep to itself and not meddle with anyone, which is good. On the Black Sea bordered by Greece, Turkey, Macedonia, Romania and Serbia. Has had a significant brain drain in the 90s. Brits are buying up land there like crazy. May become the Colorado of the Balkans.

Burkina Faso - A poor West African country. Um, has the Mossi and gold. Whoopee. Has had multiple military coups since the 60s. Yes, it's a shithole. A shithole of shitholes.

Burma - Union of Myanmar - Absolutely one of the worst nations on earth. The gods tried to destroy it with Typhoon Nargis, but that didn't work. Someone please kill it with fire. Located in Southeast Asia next to Laos, this place is the epitome of fascism and military fucknuggetry.

Burundi - Republic of Burundi - And to close out the B's, another landlocked little African country completely full of fail. High AIDS rate, rife with civil war. Not a lot of hope for this little shithole. *sigh* Perhaps the C's will have a better selection of countries.

Stay tuned for more Mikestermike takes on Countries of the World. Whoo hoo.

People who wish to learn more about the conditions that limit the mobility of people with disabilities in South East Europe--and what can be done to improve their situation--can consult a report entitled "Free movement of people with disabilities in south east Europe: an inaccessible right?" (PDF format, 1 Mb) This report addresses the mobility and accessibility needs of people with mobility impairments; people who are blind or have vision impairments; people with intellectual disabilities; and deaf people. The 124-page report was published by Handicap International in 2006.

The first part of the report discusses the current situation, and barriers, faced by people with various disabilities in South East Europe. The second part describes good practices that have successfully made the environment more accessible for people with disabilities throughout the region. The third part discusses the importance of awareness raising; the laws and policies needed to improve the situation; the need for training in universal design; and the importance of including people with disabilities in planning all new construction. The report closes with a series of recommendations.

The full report can be downloaded for free in
http://www.disabilitymonitor-see.org/documents/dmi2_eng/dmrII_webeng.pdf

People interested in creating accessible environments, and in the principles of universal design, may also be interested in learning about a free, on-line book on Universal Design and Visitability.



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There is a lot of talk here and elsewhere as to whether or not microfinance (or any kind of aid for that matter) works.  Is what anyone says the truth or just perceptions and opinions?   It would be nice to have a definite answer, but it always seems a little more complicated than that. 

In my past experience working with volunteers and in nonprofits, I noticed how this lack of certainty over results can trigger cynicism pretty quickly.  Most people in this line of work want to prove that what they do leads to something good happening, and they also want to feel good all the time about what they do. It’s probably just natural, but it’s also not possible, at least not all the time. The need for instant gratification can be a hard thing to escape, and can lead many people to become bitter, quit, or just stop trying very hard. 

I wanted to share this story of Safija, not a microcredit client but a woman who participated in Žene za Žene’s job skills training program, in part because it's one that many here would not have heard otherwise.  Sometimes you never know what your time, donation, or gesture will mean to someone else.  It’s great that results can be shown on places like Kiva, but there will always be lots of stories we don’t see.  We may just have to assume that good things are more likely to happen when we try to do something rather than nothing, whether we know the final outcome or not.

There are people in the world who need access to money and an opportunity to get somewhere. Some of their stories end happily, but some don’t.  We can try to help each other out, or not.  We can be hard on ourselves, but keep trying to do better.  What else is there to do?

Safija’s Story

Safija is a 56 year old woman, originally from the town Srebrenica.  Srebrenica was the site of the largest genocide of the war in Bosnia, where in one day over 8,000 Muslim men and boys, including Safija’s two sons, were murdered by Serbian forces.  After the war Safija returned home only to find her house destroyed.  She felt haunted by memories of her sons, who she felt she could see and hear everywhere she went, playing football, asking her to make them their favorite sandwich.

Life for Safija was intolerable for those first years in Srebrenica. She was planning on leaving town when she found out about the training & educational programs at Women for Women International.  Joining the program gave Safija a chance to connect to other women in a way she had not been able to in years.  Since the war many communities in Bosnia remain strictly divided on ethnic lines, and this is especially true of Srebrenica. During the training program Safija met many Bosnian Serb women from her town, who she thought she would never be able to speak with.  But after hearing their stories she learned that they are women and mothers, just like her, who were as powerless to stop the fighting as she was.

Between her meetings with the Žene za Žene program and her new business ventures, Safija’s days were suddenly filled with activity.  Through her sponsor she was given financial support to learn a new trade, and she decided to focus on breeding poultry and turned this into a profitable business.  She also now makes marmalade to sell to the kids in her village. 

Safija was also grateful to receive a donated cow, not just because it helps with her income, but because it gives her something to come home to.  It makes her happy, she says, to have this cow, as she feels that she has someone who she can care for and talk to again, just like a child.  Safija admits she still has bad days, but she has learned that while she may still suffer from all that she lost, she is not alone anymore.  She knows now that there is always a way to find the will to go on.

To lend to a Bosnian women, click here (NOTE: more businesses to be posted daily.  Check back!)

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Since there is a lot of Bosnia in the news these days, here is a frontline piece done that gives a pretty thorough background on Karadzic & the conflict itself.  For those who want to learn more see below.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/karadzic/

A huge thank you to Jeb Sharp for her wonderful story on Damir Imamovic and sevdah.  Not only did Jeb shine a light on a deserving artist and musical form, she also gave voice to Kristina Coric who is working with so many young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina to preserve the pre-war multicultural society.  

Sevdah takes on an even more important role within diaspora communities.  I sing sevdah in communities all over North America and can see how deeply it touches the refugees’ hearts and souls.  It takes them to a time before their lives were shattered.  It is also an important bridge into Bosnian culture for the children who were born and/or raised in North America.   Stories like Jeb’s and the work Damir is doing help affirm immigrants’ and refugees’ sense of themselves when they live so far away from their roots.  Bravo to Jeb and Damir!!!!

Sevdah is a source of healing and reconciliation since it was beloved by Bosnians, Serbs and Croats alike before the war politicized the music.  Sevdah can provide common ground in a field where that is very scarce and wounds of war are still open.  Here in Seattle we held a concert called Evening of Sevdah last November at which local artists from the various Balkan communities performed sevdah.  Artists included Bosnians, Serbs, Croatians, a Macedonian, Americans, Catholic, Jew, Moslem.  The audience, a standing room only crowd of over 600, were 100% supportive of each and every artist.  It gave such great hope!

Here in North America a group of Bosnians and I have started a non-profit organization called Sevdah North America:  
http://www.sevdahnorthamerica.org/

As president, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to Jeb, Damir, Kristina and all the people working to bring sanity back to one of the most beautiful places in the world, physically and culturally. 

  

Mary Sherhart
President
Sevdah North America
P.O. Box 99667
Seattle, WA  98139-0667  

The last thing Europe needs is another destabilizing situation in the Balkans.  This may be what is in store if we are to believe Paddy Ashdown's somber assessment.  In light of the man's reputation and experience, it would be foolish to ignore him.  See Ashdown's full appraisal of the Bosnia issue in The Guardian - Europe needs a wake-up call:  Bosnia is on the edge again.

Bosnia is going backwards again. The EU must stop running its policy for Bosnia for the benefit of its policy for Belgrade and Kosovo. Brussels must toughen up its conditionality, support its instruments on the ground, resist attempts to undermine the Bosnian state, insist on constitutional reform to make Bosnia more functional and tackle corruption which is becoming ever more embedded. It should also tell Belgrade that a key condition for progress towards Europe will be to support the Bosnian state and give no succour to those who seek to undermine it.

Radovan Karadzic, agora detido, e Ratko Mladic, aínda fuxido, son os presuntos criminais máis buscados polo ICTY, dados os postos que ocupaban na cadea de mando, pero non son os únicos.

A nota de prensa de HRW leva por título "Bosnia: Karadzic Arrest a Blow Against Impunity. EU Should Push Now for Detention of Mladic". Copio un extracto do seu contido:

The arrest of Radovan Karadzic, the former president of Republika Srpska, marks a major blow against impunity for the egregious crimes committed in the Balkans, HRW said today. Karadzic is charged with genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, including the massacre of up to 8,000 Bosnian men and boys after the fall of Srebrenica in July 1995.

Despite the gravity of the alleged crimes, Karadzic was at liberty for 13 years after his initial indictment. [...]

Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb army commander, remains at large. Mladic has also been indicted twice, along with Karadzic, on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. He is currently in hiding. The previous Serbian government had claimed that it had no information about Mladic’s presence in Serbia; however, ICTY prosecutors and independent Serbian media have alleged that Mladic was in Serbia under the protection of elements of the army outside the effective control of the civilian authorities. In addition, authorities in Belgrade acknowledged that Mladic received a Yugoslav army pension until 2002, and they have detained several people accused of helping hide Mladic.

Karadzic and Mladic were first indicted by the ICTY in July 1995 on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes alleged to have occurred in several cities across Bosnia. In a separate indictment in November 1995, the ICTY charged both Karadzic and Mladic with genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes based on the mass execution of civilians after the fall of Srebrenica. [...]

Varios medios, entre eles o diario madrileño El Mundo, informan hoxe da protección que as autoridades de Serbia deron a Karadzic:

"Serbia admite ahora que su servicio secreto protegió a Karadzic durante años"

El presunto criminal de guerra serbio Radovan Karadzic, que fue detenido el lunes, fue protegido durante varios años por el servicio secreto serbio, aseguró el ministro del Interior serbio, Ivica Dacic, según informan los medios de prensa en Belgrado.

"El servicio secreto lo protegía y el servicio secreto lo ha entregado ahora", afirmó Dacic, quien sostuvo que la policía serbia no tuvo nada que ver con la detención de Karadzic.

Como líder del Partido Socialista Serbio (SPS), Dacic había rechazado una eventual detención de Karadzic y sólo estaba dispuesto a aceptar la entrega voluntaria del ciudadano serbio más buscado. [...]

Farming is not a business, it’s at least 10 businesses wrapped into one.  These women manage everything, from the planting of seeds to the final selling at the market. What they don’t sell they use to feed their families and keep their animals alive. They share barns & supplies with their neighbors, trade food, and keep each other afloat.  There is a lot of talk about sustainable living these days, but the only time I have witnessed it is here in Bosnia.

It’s tempting to glamorize the life of a farmer, but since it’s anything but I should stop that right here. 14 hour days are the norm. The weather can be unkind, and there go your crops.  A cow dies, your flock of sheep are wiped out by disease, and there goes all your income.  It’s a job in the end, like any other, but a lot less forgiving. I don’t know how they cope with that ongoing disappointment, with the fickle nature of fate.  I wonder if they get any kind of joy out of their work, like many city dwellers imagine they would.  But these women have a lot to deal with. There is not a lot of time for all these questions.

It is awkward to be the outsider here, this strange intermediary between the lender and the borrower, and my awareness of this gives me pause whenever I meet with clients and try to explain what I’m doing here.  Many get a kick out of seeing their business profile, but I wonder what they really think about all that goes on behind this. What continues to amaze me most about Kiva is what it has created—an amazingly dedicated lending community, a force of nature itself. I want to tell clients that there are many people so interested in hearing everything they have to say. That they send their hopes & wishes to them, via comments on a website.  It's hard to explain this phenomenon at all, even in English.   

I feel lucky to be in this strange & wonderful position, to be here at all, to be able to meet these clients.  But the distance between any two people can be small yet great at the same time.  There’s a lot I wish to know about these women, but not a lot I can know.  I just wish they could all just speak to you for themselves, and tell you what they really thought.

 Here at least is what I think.  The women I meet are strong and they are fighters. They find new ways to make the most out of their land every day.  They have better business sense & work ethic than you can imagine. They take care of their family, and they look out for each other. They are kind & gracious despite all the bad luck they’ve had. And they all deserve better luck than they have had. Though I may not be doing a good job in communicating anything here, I hope they know that they have a lot of people on their side, and that the world has not forgotten them.

To fund a new business from Zene za Zene, click here (if these run out more will be posted soon!)

[caption id="attachment_752" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Emira, Kiva Client, with her husband"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_753" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Redžiba and Namka, Kiva Clients, also neighbors & distant cousins"][/caption]

Indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague. Presidential and government sources in Belgrade reported that he had been arrested in Serbia and brought before Belgrade's War Crimes Court.

There had been an outstanding international arrest warrant against Karadžić for more than a decade following Rule 61 of ICTY which concluded that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accused has committed war crimes including genocide. The United States government had offered a $5 million award for his and Ratko Mladić's arrests.

I suppose a border crossing should be fairly uneventful, but ours lasted about 35 minutes.  Mind you, we were entering Bosnia and Herzegovina at Trebinje which is located in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia where feelings of hatred still run deep between the three main ethnic groups.  I can only image what it must have been like during the conflict.  Still, we're 15 students (Yale students at that which was all explained on a document given to the patrol guard), plus Professor Banac, my wife and myself, but the show of authority in this case was a bit absurd.  A couple of the more memorable moments was when the check-point guard asked Prof. Banac if Yale was located in Dubrovnik or Zagreb and when a guard inquired which student (to be nameless) left a 10 Euro bill in his passport, perhaps indicating a bribe.

After checking each under-carriage compartment and verifying that the fire extinguisher had not expired, we were off...  Well almost.  The bus driver neglected to take the passenger list from the guard and remembered about five minutes after leaving the post.  The list is important, because it accounted for everyone on the bus and the exact same number of people needed to be accounted for on our return.  After finding a "safe" place to turn around on the jagged hill-side we retrieved the document and were finally headed for Sarajevo.

According to our calculations, the trip should have taken about four hours, but because of our unexpected delay and and inexperienced driver (he was literally asking us for directions), we arrived in just over six hours.  Our first order of business was to check into the Hotel Bosnia.  I must tell you that the interior must have looked exactly the same during the 1984 Winter Olympics.  Despite it's convenience to the city, there were several complaints, including cockroaches, broken window blinds, and non-functional shower fixtures.  To be honest, however, these are the things that make a trip memorable.

Our next order of business was lunch at Asdz restaurant which was about a 15 minute walk from our hotel.  The meal consisted of traditional Bosnian dishes and, of course, Turkish coffee with dessert.  After gorging ourselves on Bosnian cuisine, we walked to the International Forum Bosnia where we where hosted graciously by Rusmir Mahmutćehajić for a brief presentation about his organization and the current status of Bosnia in regards to human right violations today.

We were then off to see the city, first stopping to see the location where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated which triggered the beginning of WWI.  After passing through the old market place (Baščaršija) we came upon one of the most famous mosques in Bosnia called the Gazi-Husrev Begova Mosque built in the 16th century, which was ravaged during the war but has fortunately been reconstructed.  Wounds of the war were still present on building walls, although somewhat camouflaged with the new construction.

The day ended with dinner on a hill-side restaurant looking over the city called Sedem Suma (Seven Forests) where we were served lamb from the spit, burek, ustipci and kajmak.  What's more, the owner even serenaded the group while accompanied by a two-man band (guitar and accordion).  Dean "B" couldn't help herself but to sing along with the Bosnian folk songs.  A nice way to end the day.

Monday, began with breakfast in the Hotel Bosnia lounge and then off for a quick errand to buy some souvenirs before the bus departed at 9:30 for Mostar.  Of course it was not before 10:00 that we actually left the city due to a gas stop and getting directions.  The ride to Mostar was fairly melancholic with most catching up on sleep.

Upon reaching Mostar, the recent war was very obvious just driving through the city.  The number of buildings still in ruins (at least on the Eastern side, or Bosnian Muslim side) was tremendous.  A good example is the Cultural Center that still stands vacant with broken windows and mortal shell remnants.  Even in front of one of the Franciscan Church bell tower(a bit outrageous in an of itself) wall where the bus parked was evidence of the mortar fire.  These ruined building really struck a chord and I think really gave me (an probably the rest of the group) a true sense of destruction that occurred here.

The main attraction in Mostar is, of course, Stari Most or Old Bridge, which we made a beeline for upon parking.  The walk was about a half mile to the bridge and was quite a magnificent sight.  The other impression left on me was the craftsmanship of the bridge reconstruction.  It was even more evident after watching a video of the actual destruction of the bridge at the Old Bridge Museum.  Mind you, it took several days for the total collapse of the Stari Most.  What's more, the reconstruction was done using the same method as the original bridge, i.e., no concrete.  The blocks are held together with clasps and spikes; amazing!  In case anyone is wondering, about ten percent of the original stones were used in the reconstruction.  One silver lining of the bridge destruction, was the discovery of the first wooden bridge remains built in Medieval times that had been lost in history.  The archeological dig of the original bridge footings can be seen by touring the Old Bridge Museum.

The last leg of the trip was to the town of Stolac which has come to be known as one of the more successful towns in terms of resettlement of displaced refugees.  Touted by the Croats as an "ethnically cleansed" town during the war, the high resurgence of Bosnian Muslims after the war has been overwhelming in claiming back their property.  It has not been an easy process, however, as discrimination, segregation, torment and cultural symbolism is still very prevalent.  One example is how the Muslim elementary school children are required to enter the school building through the back door, while the Croat children enter through the front door. Another is how flag poles sporting the Croatian flag have been erected atop Muslim grave sites and how large stone crosses look over the city on a mountain top as a sign of Croatian dominance in which local Croat political officials and Catholic Church officials hide behind the Catholic religion as a way to preserve the symbol's existence.

These atrocities are being addressed by the Youth Forum Stolac Organization which is headed by Narim Dizdar.  The 80 member, multi-ethnic human rights group has been responsible for calling-out such wrong-doings and bringing attention to the international community.  Hats off to Mr. Dizdar and his fight for justice in the area.

After getting some background of Stolac and the Youth Forum Stolac from Narim Dizdar at a local restaurant, our first stop in the town consisted of a tour of the reconstructed Čaršija Mosque which as been painstakingly rebuilt to its original form.  This was done in order to not only keep with tradition, but also not to provoke the oppressors in any way, i.e., even to their advantage.  The last stop of the day was to visit Rusmir Mahmutćehajić's house that has also be reconstructed and now serves as a museum to show a tratitional Bosnian Muslim house.

All-in-all it was a short, fast trip with a lot to take in, but I was very glad that I had the opportunity to see such places that I probably would never visited on my own.  With a country steeped in so much history it was even more meaningful to have a renowned Yale history professor tour us, but what's more, we should never forget the most recent war that ravaged the region and the human right violations that occurred.  Luckily there are human right groups that continue fighting injustices that still prevail; food for thought.

Please visit this page for pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/trumbulldean

One can always rely on The Onion to deliver the most illuminating political analysis and commentary...let's just say they don't follow BBC's news reporting standards. Have a laught at their corruption "coverage" in Bosnia-Herzegovina

SARAJEVO, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA—The recent discovery of corruption within the Bosnian government is being overshadowed by the even more shocking discovery that a Bosnian government actually exists in the first place, U.N. sources reported Monday.

"The misappropriation of $2.1 billion in United Nations relief funds by Bosnia's leaders has stunned me and my fellow countrymen," Sarajevo resident Emir Odobasic said. "We were completely unaware we had any leaders."

Bosnian citizens are accustomed to corruption, regarding bribery, extortion, graft and money laundering as facts of life in their chaotic, war-torn nation. However, few had any idea the corruption was governmental in nature.

"We have a government?" said Jasmin Vrsac, a Prijedor farmer who has worked his family's landmine-strewn fields for most of his 72 years. "I am surprised to hear this."

Bosnian government officials themselves were taken aback by the news of the government's existence.

"I knew I worked in some sort of large, bureaucratic office building in Sarajevo," Stolac Brcko said. "And I receive a weekly check for processing a big pile of forms. But neither I nor any of my associates had any knowledge that I was the Minister of Transport."

Newly discovered Bosnian prime minister Alija Izetbegovic, who said he is "as stunned as anyone" by the news of the corruption and the government's existence, has denied any wrongdoing.

"I have done nothing illegal," Izetbegovic said. "In fact, I have done nothing in particular whatsoever."

"This corruption scandal looks bad now, certainly," Izetbegovic told members of the Bosnian parliament, none of whom he recognized. "But I, as well as whoever the rest of Bosnia's leaders turn out to be, will be cleared of these charges very soon. With the help of U.N. investigators, we will reveal to the world just what happened here, as well as what exactly all of you strange people are doing in what I thought was my summer house."

Note: This is from 1999, yet citizens not only in Bosnia but elsewhere in Eastern Europe are still accustomed to corruption. Of course, unlike the fictitious attitude held by those in The Onion's report, real people are acutely aware how "governmental in nature" corruption really is.

O informe leva por título "Still Waiting: Bringing Justice for War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity, and Genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Cantonal and District Courts". Copio un extracto da súa introducción:

Since the end of the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina1 more than a dozen years ago, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has made progress in trying many of the leading figures responsible for the crimes committed during the 1992-95 war. These crimes included widespread and serious crimes against civilians, prisoners of war, and civilian property. Killing, torture, rape, forcible displacement, and indiscriminate and deliberate attacks on civilian targets were commonplace. Though several key indictees still remain at large, the trials at the ICTY have sent a powerful message that leaders who are responsible for the commission of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide must face justice for their crimes.

The ICTY, however, was not intended to “preclude or prevent” domestic trials for crimes under international law. Indeed, by the time it completes its mandate, the ICTY will have tried a relatively small number of the perpetrators. At the same time, for reasons detailed in this report, domestic Bosnian efforts at ensuring legal accountability for the remaining perpetrators have made slow progress. As a result, many years after the conflict, several thousand complaints related to crimes committed during the war remain unresolved in Bosnia. These cases may involve extremely grave crimes and many people who are responsible for directly perpetrating atrocities. Victims of these crimes, and their families, have been waiting for more than a decade to see justice done. The international community made a commitment to victims to bring perpetrators of these crimes to justice when it created the ICTY. It is vital that authorities in Bosnia, as well as the international community, take the necessary steps to follow through on this commitment.

Trials for war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide have been held in Bosnia’s two entities: Republika Srpska (RS) and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (the Federation). But these trials before cantonal (in the Federation) and district courts (in Republika Srpska) have proceeded slowly in the years since the end of the war. This problem was in no small amount due to a lack of political will to try sensitive cases such as war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide, especially where perpetrators were members of the local majority group. [...]

Milky baby puke, from FRY Civil War flick Savior. It's grim stuff, but watchable.

The war in Bosnia and Herzegovina actually led directly to the inception of Women for Women International, after the founders came here in the early 90s to volunteer with the aid process.  While they quickly realized that women would be the most marginalized group in post-war Bosnia, no grass roots efforts were in place to help them recover.  In 1993 Women for Women International officially launched, and has since expanded to bring direct aid to over 153,000 women survivors in warn torn countries around the world, serving today in Iraq, Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, just to name a few.

Zene za Zene is one of two sites (along with Women for Women Afghanistan) to focus on microcredit services, along with the educational & job skills training programs they run to prepare disadvantaged women for the workforce.  Around 60% of their clients on Kiva work in agriculture & raise livestock in the country’s small villages—in a stagnant economy it’s the only option many people have.  Poverty is an issue that affects women of all ages & backgrounds.  Even those who own land can have pretty meager incomes, and most lack real access to capital except through microfinance.  In a little over a decade, Zene za Zene has lent over $32 million to women entrepreneurs throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In my time here I work mainly with our Kiva Coordinator, who collects information from credit officers and keeps up with posting & journaling requirements.  Credit officers spend most of their time finding & interviewing new borrowers, as well as visiting current clients to ensure their success. In these first 6 months of 2008, Zene za Zene has around 4,900 active clients; that number is likely to double by year's end. As simple as it is to lend on Kiva, the mechanisms to ensure due diligence, social impact, and sustainability keep many people here very busy. 

It’s funny how when you travel, there is so much anxiety about everything that will be different, you can be put at ease by the smallest things. I was immediately comforted by the familiarity of working in office again, the regular schedule, the abundance of snacks and coffee offered at all times. Working here has kept me from getting too lost—in more ways than one.   It’s just reassuring to be around some of the millions of people in the world today who work diligently and patiently to help others help themselves. And it’s good to know you can find such things in places you’d never knew you’d be.

I wanted to share something about Sarajevo itself, but to keep from making this too long, I have included some pictures below of the old town near where I live, and will hopefully have more to go around in some later updates.  Cheers...

To see all currently fundraising loans from Zene za Zene International on Kiva.org, please click here.

O informe leva por título "State of denial: Europe's role in rendition and secret detention". Copio o principio da súa introducción:

Police in Bosnia and Herzegovina arrested Mustafa Aït Idir and five other men. An Italian officer aided the abduction of Usama Mostafa Hassan Nasr, usually known as Abu Omar, in Milan. Macedonian officials seized Khaled el-Masri. Swedish police picked up Ahmed Agiza and Mohammed El Zari. Information supplied by German security forces may have led to the arrest of Muhammad Zammar in Morocco, and telegrams sent by UK security forces resulted in the detention of Bisher Al-Rawi and Jamil El-Banna in the Gambia.

What unites all these detainees is what happened to them next. All were transferred to the custody of another state, covertly and outside any judicial process, and transported to another country. Some were transferred from US custody to countries where they faced a real risk of torture or other ill-treatment; others were transferred to detention centres in Afghanistan or Guantánamo Bay. All found themselves locked away in places where the rule of law seemed not to apply, where no one would tell them what was going to happen to them next. Some were victims of enforced disappearance, including in US custody. All say they were tortured or otherwise ill-treated. In short, all were victims of the US-led rendition programme.

The involvement of European states in such cases has long been known, despite repeated denials and obfuscation by individual governments. However, the extent of their involvement has become increasingly clear and disturbing as more and more information has emerged as a result of investigations into European involvement in the US “war on terror”. [...]

Outro aspecto a destacar é que moitos dos detidos cuxos direitos se violaron procedían (vía expulsións / devolucións / deportacións / extradicións), de países como Exipto, Francia, Italia, Irlanda, Bosnia, Luxemburgo e os Estados Unidos. Estes países teñen parte de responsabilidade, xa que non atenderon ás denuncias de AI e outras organizacións.

O informe leva por título "In the Name of Security: Routine Abuses in Tunisia".

Most of the history I read to prepare for the trip focused on the ethnic cleansing the country endured in the 1990s.  After the break up of Yugoslavia, Serbian President Slobodan Milošević instigated the war, using nationalist sentiments to mobilize his people to wipeout Bosnia’s Muslim population.  In the end 200,000 Bosnians were killed and 2 million fled their homes. In concentration camps thousands of women were raped, and innocent civilians tortured.  The terror & brutality of the genocide lasted 3 years.

With all industry and infrastructure in shambles, Bosnia literally had to start from scratch to rebuild, and still has a long way to go. The unemployment rate is estimated between 30-45%, poverty is severe especially in rural areas, and it holds one of the highest rates of income inequality in the world.  Despite this Bosnia (along with most of Eastern Europe) is rarely considered a problem area anymore, and international aid to the country slowed down considerably by 1999. Bosnia has been fending for itself ever since.

Yet the country today is a peaceful place, and Bosnians have certainly proved their resilience. Organizations like Zene za Zene International (where I am working this summer), have helped many regain their livelihoods over the last decade, and microfinance has been key in helping thousands achieve financial stability.  If Bosnia continues to heal and move forward, it can provide hope of recovery to struggling war torn countries around the world.

Today Sarajevo is alive & buzzing, and Bosnians are notably friendly and hospitable.  I feel inspired by their strength, and grateful for whatever makes that perseverance possible.  But these feelings drain away as I wonder how much the past still haunts those who live here. Bosnians are proof that you can get over the absolute worst that can happen.  But this still doesn’t justify or explain why the absolute worst happens, and why innocent people have to suffer the lasting consequences of something they didn’t create.

After I arrived I hoped to say something to reconcile the horrors of the past I read so much about.  It’s difficult to do when for me Bosnia  generates feelings of despair & hope almost simultaneously, as evidence of all that can go wrong in this world and all that can be overcome.  I guess being confused & overwhelmed is to be expected especially in the first week, and I don't need to explain it all right now.  I still have many people to meet, places to go, and much to learn.  With luck I will be able to one day explain some of the many things I don’t understand.