Days 30-31: Last Days of the Dialogue - Zagreb

After the spectacular meeting at the Presidential Palace, I looked forward to Thursday, which was our last days of meetings.  In the morning we ventured to the Croatian Parliament.  The building is situated in St. Marks Square, where the impressive St. Marks Church is situated. 

Inside, the building is very elegant.  It is decorated in a sort of 18th century manner, in which Victorian staircases and chandeliers are present.  Also, busts of Croat historical figures are aligned in the hall leading to the ceremonial chamber.  In this chamber, paintings of the speakers of parliament are hung, and more prominently, one can see a grandiose painting of the Republic of Croatia's first President, Franjo Tudjman, presenting the constitution of independent Croatia. 

We then entered the visitors gallery to see where parliamentary sessions take place.  It looks quite nice, and our guide told us about the windows.  Behind the main podium is a wall, where now there are windows.  Prior to the 1990's, those windows did not exist, and thus concrete took their place.  In Croatian minds, this represented the repression they felt during the years of communist Yugoslavia.  When the independent Republic of Croatia came to be, windows were installed to represent a newborn freedom and transparency that had previously not existed.  She also explained that Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina were extended voting rights, as they were given dual citizenship.  Thus they could elect their own representatives in Bosnia-Herzegovina and in Croatia.

Although I learned a good amount about Parliament, I was disappointing not to speak to any Members of Parliament (MP's).  However, I do understand that we visited in August, and most likely MP's are probably vacationing in the Dalmatian Coast.

After this visit, we went to downtown near Nikola Tesla Street (who is Serbian), to visit a Serbian business community organization named Privrednik, which was founded in 1897.  Privrednik means entrepreneurship in Serbian.  It is a business community of the Serb minority in Croatia that seeks to connect Serb business elite to young students.  More than anything it seeks to improve and advance the education of youth in rural areas.  Historically it gave apprenticeships to youth in rural areas, and trained them business basics.  However, following WWII and the communist Yugoslavia that developed, this organization was shut down, despite many Privrednik youth who bravely fought on the side of the Partisans.  Nevertheless, after the breakup of Yugoslavia, Privrednik reestablished itself.  It's leaders continue to guide themselves by the successful legacy of their predecessors.  However, they continue to face obstacles such as the Croatian government's insistence in not restitution their property lost during Tito's Yugoslavia.  This organization is extremely important.  In a country that is attempting to modernize and innovate and diversify its economy, there exists a need for a new generation of capitalists to take the lead.  Organizations such as Privrednik do such things, and hopefully, under good guidance, they can make a difference in the development of Croatia and the Balkans.

These visits and meetings were our last.  However, we still had some work to do.  On Friday, we all presented our group discussions on EU integration.  Basically, our group of 23 was divided into groups of 3 or 4 to present on academic articles relating to the EU's relationship with the countries of the region.  The discussion session was extremely successful, as all groups comprehened the information in their articles and presented it in a very logical manner.  And, the question and answer periods were quite stimulating as well.  I ended the discussion period (and the Dialogue too) with a lively discussion about EU accession with Professor Livanis.  It was very nice end to an extremely academically interesting field study.

After the discussion, I went downtown to explore the city.  My impressions of Zagreb are that it is a very "European" city in that it has parts that resemble Vienna and Madrid.  The architecture of the city is a remnant of Austro-Hungarian contol, as it is very classical and ornate, like buildings in Vienna.  The main square, Ban Josip Jelačić Square, is located in the heart of the city.  It is a very beautiful square that reminds me a little of la Puerta del Sol in Madrid.

There are other extremely beautiful sites, such as the Zagreb Cathedral and the Serbian Orthodox Church.  Unfortunately though, the cathedral is undergoing construction at the moment.  

St. Marks Square is also quite nice, and is the location of one of the main churches and government.  Each day the Dolac Market takes a lively role downtown, as hundreds of people flock to buy fruits and vegetables.  

The city is also connected by an impressive web of tram lines, which function very efficiently and are very modern.  Ultimately, Zagreb is a very modern, clean, and beautiful city.  Although it doesn't have the liveliness that Belgrade may have (I am in Zagreb in August though...), the city is quite charming.

Conclusively, the trip was  fascinating.  The Dialogue proved to be an exceptional experience.  I do not know the next time when I will be able to meet such important, and thought provoking figures, and travel to this region.  I truly cherished my time here.  Although I am exhausted from the last 31 days, I have to say that I am very glad to have experienced every second of it.

Day 29: Zagreb - Presidential Palace

We finally reached our last destination, Zagreb - the capital of Croatia, on Tuesday afternoon.  On Wednesday we had two meetings - one in the Presidential Palace and one with the language "czar".

Mladen and our professors informed us on Tuesday that we would be meeting the foreign policy adviser to the President of Croatia, Ivo Josipović.  I was extremely excited to meet such a high-level figure that has an exceptional level of influence in directing a country's policies.

On Wednesday morning, we took six taxis from our hotel in Novi Zagreb (New Zagreb) to the Presidential Palace in the neighborhood of Pantovčak.  At the entrance of the massive compound, we were met with three vans that transported us to the entrance of the meeting rooms where we would hold our discussion.

Once we all passed security and met the foreign policy adviser, he took us into a room usually designated for official state visits.  It was an elegant room with three large windows that allowed a great amount of light to enter.  At the front end of the room stood the Croatian flag, which indicates where the President usually sits.  After gazing around and once we were all seated, we were treated to coffee and water. Our discussion then began.  He started talking about the actual palace, which was built in 1960 for Marshall Tito.  However, he stated that since Croatia became independent in 1991, the palace went through considerable reforms in order to portray itself as modern.  He spoke about such small matters like paintings.  The paintings in the room were rather old, which was meant to give the room a balance between modern and traditional.  The entire palace was decorated in this manner.  We later visited another room where diplomats are sworn in.  That room had a piano, which the President sometimes plays, many modern paintings, and beautiful, ornately decorated tables and chairs.  All in all, I was extremely impressed by the palace as it was quite elegant, yet nor ostentatious.

The discussion itself was very productive and thought provoking.  The speaker began by looking back at history.  The countries of the former Yugoslavia are usually seen as destructive states that are in constant conflict with one another.  However, as he pointed out, this is the history of Europe as a whole.  Although Europe is usually seen as a progressive society that is the beacon of civil liberties and democracy, Europe is also the place where revolutions, civil wars, secession movements, occupation and genocide.  Nevertheless, he admitted that the countries of the former Yugoslavia went through incredible devastation and tragedy in the 1990's.  He then claimed that the Balkans are undergoing a "golden age" characterized by free markets, civil liberties, freedom of movement, democracy and progressive politics.  He then began to speak about the difficulty of transitioning to democracy and building a modern state.

He told us the story of his grandmother, who was born in 1923 near Zagreb, Croatia, and without moving, she was the citizen of 4 states.  She was born into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia), the "Individual State of Croatia" led by the Ustashe and occupied by the Nazis, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia led by Marshall Tito, and the current independent state of the Republic of Croatia.  Thus, he concluded that people have learned not to trust the state.  Ordinary people have the impression that the state betrays them and thus people need to be convinced to trust the state.

The foreign policy adviser then outlined the five transitions that Croatia is undergoing (economic, policial, statehood, identity, and from war to peace.  He stressed the difficulty in building sustainable and efficient institutions, increasing the trust in the state, creating a national identity, and dealing with past.  He outlined the dilemma of being proud of your country and creating strong nationalist sentiments, while wanting to enter the EU, which is designed to prevent ultra-nationalism.  He stated his support for entering in the EU in a very pragmatic fashion.  He didn't claim that the EU would solve all problems, but he recognized that accession into the EU (slated for 2013) would increase the level of personal freedom (movement), bring in more investment and EU funds, and bring more normalcy to a troubled region.

His pragmatism reached a comedic pitch when he told us a quote from an EU representative who stated that Croatia is "joining the party at 3 AM, and that it is no longer fun, but a mess".  However, he acknowledged that if they don't join the EU, the alternatives are worse not only for Croatia, but for the region. 

He spoke of other topics such as Croatian-American relations, Croatian-Serbian relations, and the messy politics of Bosnia-Herzegovina.  His remarks on these difficult topics proved to be quite optimistic.  It was quite refreshing to hear such positive remarks and it was remarkable to listen to someone who had a vision for his country and the region.  More than anything, it was great to hear from someone who knew their history well, was well educated, and rather unbiased.

He later took us around the Presidential complex, which is full of gardens and even animals.  We then said farewell and departed for our next meeting.  On the spot, I concluded that this was probably the best visit and lecture we had had.

Our next meeting was in downtown Zagreb.  We spoke to a representative of a language and culture institute.  Mainly the speaker talked about the politics and history of the Croatian language.  He spoke of the multiple foreign influences in Croatian - from Italians, Austrians, etc.  Croatian, Bosnia, and Serbian are quite similar - if not the same.  However, he pointed to notable differences in the languages which serve to emphasize the differences in culture and in nations.  Yet, he stated that these differences don't close in and alienate the nations; they simply emphasize their unique status as separate nations and ethnic groups. 

The two visits were extremely interesting.  Although the second was really different than any other (due to its topic), I was really struck by the first meeting at the Presidential Palace.  It is these types of experiences that motivate me to continue on my path and pursue a career in international diplomacy and politics.

Days 24-28: The Adriatic Coast: Dubrovnik and Split - & Plitvitza National Park

After leaving Mostar, we finally departed Bosnia-Herzegovina.  On our way to Dubrovnik, we passed by a Catholic church that many believers go on pilgrimage, and a Serb Orthodox monastery.  In the afternoon we finally reached Dubrovnik, in the south of Croatia.  Dubrovnik, historically, was a major city-state that rivaled Venice.  Nowadays, it is home to an old town fortified by a wall, and beaches that are visited by millions of tourists every year.

Our hotel was not in the old part of the city, but at least we could enjoy part of the beach.  Thus the first day in Dubrovnik I lay on the beach and relaxed.  The view is absolutely incredible and the water was remarkably nice.  It was also the birthday of a colleague on the trip, so a group of us went out to dinner in order to celebrate.  I had a delicious sea bass; testament to the strong sea food industry in Dubrovnik and in the Adriatic coast.

The next day, I lounged on the beach for awhile in the morning.  In the late afternoon I ventured off to the old part of the city with a friend.  We walked around for awhile, getting lost in the small streets inside the fortified part of the city.  The city reminds of a cross between Venice and Florence.  Many churches, old columns and arches line the streets, along with cobble stone steps.

And unfortunately, scores of tourists flood the city.  However, I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Dubrovnik.  I hope to go back at some point and enjoy the city and the beach for a longer period of time.

After Dubrovnik, we left to Split, north of Dubrovnik.  Split is also on the Adriatic coast and is the second largest city of Croatia, after Zagreb.  Split is known for being a hotbed for Croatian nationalism.  Also, I could see that there is large base of support for Hadjuk Split, the local football team.  Posters and murals of the team seem to be everywhere.  Unfortunately, I did not enjoy Split as much as I would have liked to.  I went to the beach and relaxed for a few hours.  After, I ate a nice dinner with some colleagues, who I then proceeded to walk around the city with.  There is a very nice promenade along the harbor filled with vendors of all sorts.  I cannot say anything more of my time in Split, as I was there only for a very brief period of time.

After departing from Split, we headed towards Plitvitza National Park.  First we stopped in Knin.  Knin is historically important as it was the capital of Serbs in present-day Croatia during the Serb-Croat conflict of the 1990s.  Now it is predominantly all Croats living in the town.  We finally reached Plitvitza, where we rested and prepared to see the National Park the next day.  Today, we saw the beautiful lakes and waterfalls in the Park.  We walked along many different paths (getting very lost at one point), and exploring different parts of the Park.  I saw incredible natural beauty, as the water of the lake was very serene and the waterfalls extremely impressive. 

After strolling through the National Park, our group finally left to Zagreb, our final destination.  The days ahead are our last of the trip.  However, much work still awaits us and many sites remain to be seen.

Days 22-23: Mostar

After spending a few days in Sarajevo, we departed towards Mostar to spend two nights.  Mostar is a small city in western Bosnia-Herzegovina, which is known for its famous old bridge (Stari Most), and the fierce fighting that took place in the city in the Bosnian War.

For centuries, Mostar exemplified the multi-ethnic character of Bosnia, as it had had predominantly large populations of ethnic Croats and Bosniaks, and a smaller number of Serbs.  It was known for high intermarriage rates as well.  However, after the 1990 Bosnian elections and the subsequent ethnic divisions that exploded into all-out war, Mostar became a battleground.  In 1992, Serb forces began to lay siege to the city for around 18 months.  However, in 1993, Croat forces overran the Serbs and began to shell the city from the hills that surround it.  The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia has accused leaders of the Croat paramilitaries in Mostar of committing war crimes.  In the process of this horrid war, the Old Bridge was hit numerous times by Croat shelling.  Finally it did completely collapse.  The destruction of the bridge is seen as a symbol of the extreme rupture between the warring ethnic groups.

After the end of the war, the Old Bridge was rebuilt.  Nowadays, it stands as it did prior to the war.  Although it is a simple bridge, it is quite beautiful.  It connects the town over the Neretza River, and is surrounded by quaint cobble stone streets full of artisans and souvenir sellers.  Also, one can see many mosques lining the old town. 

However, the town no longer is a hub of diversity and multi-ethnic peace.  Now it is completely separated.  The old town is mainly populated by Bosniaks, while “New Mostar” is made up of Croats.  We visited the western, Croat populated part of the city on our way to speak to members of the HDZ Party (Croat Democratic Union).

On our way to the HDZ building, I came across the Spanish Square.  During the Bosnian War, UN Peacekeepers from Spain died in Mostar.  In total 23 Spanish nationals lost their lives.  A memorial lies in the center of the square.  A bit farther up the road there is an Honorary Spanish Consulate as well.

After walking through the Croat part of Mostar, we finally reached the HDZ building.  This party is the largest representative of the Croat people in Bosnia-Herzegovina.  Mainly, they spoke about reforming the constitution and the election law so that Croat people can elect their own President.  In Bosnia there are three Presidents; one is Bosniak, one is Croat, one is Serb.  The way it is now, everyone has one vote.  Thus, they claim that since Bosniaks are the majority, they can elect the Croat President that they prefer, even though Croat people do not necessarily vote for him/her.  Their claim is legitimate and they made good points.  However, for an hour and a half we listened to grievances and heard no plan.  There was no strategy, economic plan, constitutional reform proposals, or anything presented to us.  Also, although they are a party in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and claim that they are not separatists who want to join Croatia, they have no vision for national unity.  They believe that it is impossible.

The two people with whom we spoke to were very young and bright.  However, their negative character towards the future of Bosnia-Herzegovina and their lack of vision troubled me for the future.  In the end, I walked out extremely frustrated.  However, they are an important player in the domestic politics of their country, and will be significant in the future of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Overall, my time in Mostar was very nice.  The city is quite small, but I enjoyed my stay.  The city attracts many tourists, so there is hope for the economic development of the area.  I hope that socially Bosnia-Herzegovina will push forward as well.  Although the situation is grim, there are certain glimpses of hope.

Days 18-21: Sarajevo

We spent a few days in Sarajevo.  The weather, unfortunately, was not too cooperative.  Regardless though, I still ventured off and explored the city.  I can unequivocally state that Sarajevo is an absolutely beautiful city.  It is quite multi-ethnic and it has an interesting mix of architecture.

For centuries, Sarajevo was occupied by Ottomans.  The Ottoman Empire's stranglehold on modern day Bosnia-Herzegovina explains as to why there exists a majority of people who are of the Muslim faith.  In the old town of Sarajevo, there exists a bazaar which is the remnant of the old Turkish Bazaar.  Nowadays, artisans continue to sell metal and wooden crafts, along with souvenir items.   The entire center of the city is comprised of cobble-stone steps.  The most significant site in the old town is the wooden fountain.

The wooden fountain sits at one end of the old town, and from there on, one can stroll through artisan shops, kebab restaurants, Turkish coffee lounges, etc.  It was extremely pleasant to have Turkish coffee with friends while staying warm from the rain.  Mainly, seeing the difference between Sarajevo (characterized between legacies of two former empires) and another capital city like Belgrade (characterized by old communist architecture), was absolutely astonishing.

Outside of the old town, one can begin to see very different architectural styles.  Mainly, the buildings resemble classical western architecture.  Many of the buildings look as though they belong in Vienna, for example.  This contrast is due to the fact that in the 19th century the Austrian-Hungarian Empire took control of Bosnia.

The history that lines the streets is extremely interesting.  For example, it was absolutely fascinating to see the site where Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, on June 28, 1914.  This precipitated World War I, which in turn was one of the main reasons for the outbreak of World War II.  I went into the small museum dedicated to this momentous event.  Basically, the museum had some remnants of Austro-Hungarian press which reported the killing, the murder weapon, and a model of the murdered Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sofia.

In Sarajevo we visited the Bosnian-Herzegovinian State Court and Parliament.  The State Court was extremely interesting as they handle war crimes in Bosnia-Herzegovina.  For the most responsible and high priority perpetrators, there exists the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.  That court handles cases of notorious figures like Ratko Mladic or Radovan Karadzic.  However, their mandate is slated to end by 2013.  All other cases of war crimes are handled by courts of the individual countries of the region.  These courts are highly sophisticated and are under the advice and training of the international community.  Thus, some of the judges are international.  We spoke to two American judges who talked about the difficulty of such cases.  They added that the courts function on a hybrid of common and civil law systems.  Most international judges will end their tenure there soon, as they are passing responsibility along to Bosnian judges.  The court itself was very modern and functioned effectively.  After speaking to other outside figures, I found that many respect the work of this court and see that it is needed in order for Bosnia-Herzegovina to push forward.

The Parliament was a really interesting experience as well.  We received a tour of the building, which is quite modern and renovated.  The chambers of Parliament are quite impressive.  One especially, stuck out to me.  It was a completely white room (named the "White Chamber") that looks rather futuristic.  And the back wall is all glass.  Behind there stand journalists during sessions.  In this room we spoke to a couple members of Parliament (MPs).  They spoke about a variety of issues such as national identity, the constitution, foreign policy, etc.  It is important to note that the MPs belonged to the SDA (Party of Democratic Action), which is a multi-ethnic, yet predominantly Bosniak, party.  They MPs stressed the need to adopt a national identity and stop identifying as Serb, Croat or Bosniak.  They stated that they believe in advancing the Bosnian identity in order to bridge ethnic divides.  Also they stated that their number one foreign policy goal is acceding to the EU.  However, they recognize that it will take time and considerable reforms.  Most notably, they acknowledged that the constitution as written in the Dayton Agreement, is not legally acceptable for the EU.  This is the due to the fact that it only allows for Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks to become President, which discriminates from other groups (Roma, Jewish, etc.).  Efforts have taken place to reform the constitution, but have failed thus far.  In the end, I believe that the country is extremely divided among ethnic lines and there is no political will to push strongly for a national identity.  And also, constitutional reform will not be easy, as domestic politics is extremely divisive as well.

All in all, I loved Sarajevo.  It is a very diverse and fascinating city.  The history that has passed through the streets of Sarajevo is extraordinary.  Events in this city brought about WWI, and more recently in the Bosnian War, the city was laid siege by Bosnian Serb forces on the hills surrounding the city.  One can still see remnants of the siege on many old and unreformed buildings.  In conclusion, I wish to come back some day and explore the city more extensively.  I hope to try more of its food (Cevapi is delicious!), meet more of its people, and understand more of its complex history.  I will return one day, inshallah.

Day 19: Srebrenica

On Sunday, we went to Srebrenica, a town in eastern Bosnia-Herzegovina in the territory of Republika Srpska.  This town is famous for the atrocities that occurred in July 1995.  Genocide took place, in which over 8000 Bosnian Muslims were murdered.  This was an incident of ethnic cleansing, yet where all the men were killed based on their ethnicity.   

This site is also a symbol of international acquiescence in the face of murder.  The United Nations declared Srebrenica to be a “safe area”.  However, General Ratko Mladic decided to ignore the UN and marched into the town.  UN troops seemingly allowed Bosnian Serb troops to go into Srebrenica and conduct mass executions.  Basically, all men between 16 and 65 were slaughtered.  It is an absolutely tragic example of human indifference.  Srebrenica came to be known as a symbol.  It now comes to mean “never again”.   Never again shall human beings have tolerance towards mass murder.  Never again shall the world witness genocide.  Never again shall another Srebrenica occur.

We went to the memorial sites where the victims of the genocide.  There are thousands of graves lining the site.  A mosque sits at the entrance as well.  When I walked through the pathways, I was hit by a strong feeling of distress.  How could such a tragedy happen?  One always reads about such events in history textbooks, but to actually see the graves and the names engraved is very different.  Over 8000 people were systematically murdered.  It is quite shocking to stand in a site where such horror took place.

We later went into the museum that displays the history of that dreadful July of 1995.  It also has incredibly sad stories of men who were killed in the genocide.  Their stories are portraits of human tragedy, and wickedness regarding their murderers.  It is quite a somber experience.

After witnessing the devastation that took place in Srebrenica, we went to a nearby town where Bosnian Serbs are buried.  Bosnian Serbs, who are seen as the main aggressor in the war in Bosnia, built a memorial to counter Srebrenica.  Basically the memorial states that innocent Bosnian Serbs died as well.  The international community largely financed the Srebrenica memorial.  However, Bosnian Serbs were not buried there.  Thus the Serbs paid for their own memorial to state that they also suffered heavily in the war.

Overall, the experience was quite remarkable. I am very glad to have gone there, as it was academically fascinating to see the memorial.  Although it was personally chilling to be on the grounds of such an infamous site, it was a great experience to learn about an incredibly important historical matter.

Two Sides of a Horrible War

After the long journey through Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia and finally, Bosnia-Herzegovina, we reached Sarajevo.  On Saturday, we had one visit to the old Orthodox Church in Sarajevo.  The church holds extremely old relics of the Orthodox Church and paintings dating back hundreds of years. 

However, the main reason for our visit to the church was to speak to Dragan, a Bosnian-Serb who took part in the Bosnian conflict in the 1990’s.  He told us an incredibly powerful story of him and his friend.  Dragan grew up in an apartment building in Sarajevo with his Bosnian Muslim (Bosniak) friend.  They did everything together – hang out, chase girls, play sports, etc.  They never cared that they were different religions and they respected each other’s traditions, as they would invite each other to their respective religious holidays.  Nobody cared about other people’s ethnic backgrounds. 

However, everything changed once Yugoslavia edged further and further into complete collapse.  In 1990, the first multi-party elections took place in Bosnia.  This sparked ethnic divides that would permeate society.  The two friends became victims of the political rhetoric of the time, as they began to separate.  Dragan’s friend became ingrained in his father’s extremist thoughts, and thus began to see Dragan as an enemy just because of his ethnic background.  When the war began, the Serbs took control of the part of Sarajevo that both friends lived in.  Dragan took it upon himself to save his friend and his family; by making it possible to transport them into Bosniak controlled territory.  In April 1992, he gave his friend all his money and put him in a car towards Bosniak territory.  He would continue to send his friend aid throughout the war.  Dragan helped 5 Bosniak families in this manner.

The two friends fought for different sides during the war, as Dragan fought for the Bosnian Serb army and his friend with the Bosniak side.  Dragan lost 14 members of his family during the war.  Meanwhile, his friend became more radicalized during the war.

When the war ended, the municipality in which Dragan and his friend lived before the war, was assigned to be under Bosniak rule (previously Serb).  Dragan was moving to Banja Luka in Republika Srpska, so he came to his apartment in Sarajevo to collect his things.  There he saw his friend, who told him that he was an aggressor and couldn’t sit in his territory.  A while later, Dragan went back to Sarajevo to finish packing his possessions.  On this occasion he was severely beaten by Bosniaks during 40 minutes.  His friend was among the group that beat him.

After a few years, Dragan came back to Sarajevo.  He saw his friends mother, who deeply regretted the deep divide that had taken place between the two friends.  Dragan found out that his friend and his father had joined the Muhabbi movement and subsequently went to Afghanistan.  In Afghanistan, he died.  The friend’s father called Dragan at this point, because his friend had wanted Dragan to be informed first.  Dragan then attended the funeral.  A month following the funeral, Dragan’s friend’s father committed suicide.  After this, Dragan began to see his friend’s mother regularly.  He still meets with her every week.

After telling this incredibly powerful and touching story, Dragan told us that the political situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina is unsustainable.  He claims that parties are divided by ethnic groups and only act on behalf of their respective groups.  Thus he believes that there is “no end in sight” to the countries current problems.

Day 17: The Journey to Sarajevo

Following our time in Kosovo and our subsequent denial by Serbian authorities to enter their country, we spent the night in Montenegro on our way back into Serbia (please look back on previous post for more details). 

We left Montenegro at 10:30 AM and had absolutely no problem entering Serbia.  They simply took our passports and annulled the stamps the Kosovar authorities had placed on our passports. This time we were entering Serbia from what Serbia considered to be an international border.  Thus, they saw our Kosovo stamp and annulled due to it being a stamp they believed was not legitimate.  However, in contrast to the previous day, they allowed us to enter their country due us coming in from a state (and an international boundary) that they fully recognize.

Although we were a day behind schedule, we finally re-entered Serbia on our way to Sarajevo.  That day our professors decided to stop at the sites we were supposed to stop in the day before.  On our way through the beautiful mountainous terrain of southern and western Serbia, we stopped in Novi Pazar and in Mokra Gora.  Novi Pazar is a small town without anything truly special.  It is interesting because it is a Serbian town with a Bosniak majority.  Mokra Gora is a town situated in the mountains of western Serbia.  It consists of wooden houses built by a Serbian film director.  It is quite bizarre and it resembles a theme park.  Primarily, this “town” is a tourist stop for people that want to see the beautiful countryside and mountain views, and see the quirkiness of the village.

When we stopped at Mokra Gora, we had already been on the road for around 8 hours.  We still needed four more hours to reach Sarajevo.  Not before long, we reached the Bosnia-Herzegovina border, which we crossed without any complications.   

Before nearing Sarajevo, we made a quick stop in Visegrad, a town in Republika Srpska (the Bosnian Serb legal entity of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which controls 49% of the country’s territory).  We decided to see the famous bridge (Mehmed Paša Sokolović bridge) over the river Drina, which is immortalized by Ivo Andric’s novel.  

At around 11:30 PM, we stopped at a gas station 20 km away from Sarajevo.  We were so close to reaching our destination.  It seemed as though our epic journey to Sarajevo, which had taken us from Serbia through Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia once again, was coming to an end.  However at that point Professor Sullivan made an announcement.

He could barely contain his laughter.  I couldn’t quite hear what he was saying, but I grasped that we could not continue forward because of a rockslide.  That’s right – a rockslide.  A rockslide had blocked the road, and busses were not allowed through.  At that point, the ridiculousness of the journey reached its peak, and I could only laugh at the situation.  Seeing how the main road was blocked we had only one alternative: retreating and taking a more perilous road through the hills surrounding Sarajevo, thus taking an extra hour to enter the city.  However, we took the news and the change of rout with great humor and enjoyed our final descent into the city at around 12:30 AM.  For a couple of days we had tried to reach the Bosnian capital, but had been confronted with border difficulties and illegalities, slow and winding mountainous roads, and finally a rockslide.  It seemed as though some sort of higher power did not want us to ever enter this city.  However, after a trying few days, we had finally reached our destination.  It was a moment of bliss, relief, and excitement mixed together.  Exhausted, yet jubilant over our arrival, we rested and prepared ourselves to see Sarajevo the following day.

Days 15 & 16: Kosovo and the begining of a long journey...

The last few days have been extremely hectic.  The experiences of the last days seem like a dream or a surreal experience.  We have been in three or four countries (depends who you ask) in the few days.  Although there are many tales to tell, please allow me to attempt to relate to you the story of the last couple of days in two posts.

After visiting the quaint city of Niš, we headed south towards Pristina, Kosovo.  First we stopped in a World War II Concentration Camp called Crveni Krst.  It was an extremely powerful experience.  Seeing the barb wire fences, the guard towers, the prison cells, the clothes the prisoners wore, etc. is incredibly shocking. 

This particular concentration camp was a "collection camp" used to house prisoners (Jews, Roma, Communists, Partisans, Serbs) and then send them to other labor or death camps in either the Balkans or throughout the rest of Europe.  Around 30,000 people were held in this camp from 1941 until 1944, when the camp was liberated by the Yugoslav Partisans.  I had never been in a concentration camp, so the visit made quite an impression on me.

After this morbid, yet fascinating visit, we hit the road towards Kosovo.  After a few hours, we finally hit the border between Serbia and Kosovo.  I was incredibly excited to see Kosovo.  I expected to see a war-torn area where houses and vehicles were on fire, tanks occupied the streets and poverty flooded the region.  I obviously knew that this was unrealistic, but since all I have read about Kosovo was from the 1998-1999 War, I at least expected to see a region with extreme problems and a heavy troop presence.  However, I was very wrong regarding my expectations.

When we first entered Kosovo, the first thing I could notice was the incredible amount of construction underway everywhere.  A great amount of development was taking place before my eyes.  Everywhere houses, businesses, and mosques were being built.  Either the region has received a great amount of investment to expand, or people are rebuilding communities that were destroyed in the war 12 years ago.  Finally we entered Pristina, the capital of Kosovo.  Once again, there was a tremendous amount of construction everywhere.  We passed by the statue of Bill Clinton, who is a hero in Kosovo along other policy makers like Madeline Albright (former Secretary of State) and Tony Blair.  Also, I saw posters of KFOR, the NATO mission in Kosovo, and a few UN buses.  That night, we settled in our hotel and a few of us took went to the main boulevard, Mother Teresa Street, to take a night stroll.  Along with some friends, I saw monuments of Albanian national hero's (Kosovars are ethnic Albanians), many Albanian flags, and posters of Kosovars who had lost their lives in the 1998-1999 conflict with Yugoslav (Serb) forces.

The next day, we met with an NGO named Kosovan Nansen Dialogue, which is dedicated to facilitating dialogue between Kosovars and Serbians.  For example, this NGO has one project which enables Serbs who lived in Kosovo before the war, to return, if they wish, to their homes in Kosovo.

After this meeting, I walked around Pristina for about an hour.  I walked in the main boulevard, and throughout other streets in the center.  I saw NATO KFOR troops, an EU building, and a UN compound.  An there are many buildings that are being built with US and European investment.  Obviously, there is a heavy international presence that sustains Kosovo stable economically. 

I also saw the famous "Newborn" sign that was put in place following Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence in 2008.

After seeing Pristina, we stopped shortly in a field where the 1389 Battle of Kosovo took place.  This battle is incredibly significant in Balkans history.  For Serbs, this battle serves as a rallying cry as to why Kosovo is the cradle of their "civilization".  Basically, in 1389 the Ottoman Empire was moving north to conquer new lands.  They faced the Serb army led by Prince Lazar in the field of Kosovo.  The Ottomans defeated the significantly smaller Serb army, yet the Ottomans suffered a very high number of casualties.  Although the Serbs lost, it serves as a symbol of Serb resistance and struggle.  In this field there is now a tower that serves as a monument.  Unfortunately it has to protected by NATO KFOR troops because Albanian groups have threatened to burn the monument in past years.

After this short stop we drove to Mitrovica, a city in northern Kosovo.  Basically, it is a small city which is divided between Albanians and Serbs.  In the south, Albanians are the dominant ethnic group, and in fact I believe no Serbs live in this sector of the city.  The Serbs live in the north of the city.  The two ethnic groups are divided by a single bridge, which in itself serves as a symbol of the deep ethnic divides throughout the region.  In this small city there exists a heightened security presence, as I observed KFOR, EU, Italian Carabinieri and local police vehicles lined along the bridge.  On the southern portion you only see Kosovar and Albanian flags.  Upon crossing the bridge, Serbian flags flood the streets.  We spoke to a local Serb politician who told us of the difficult economic conditions his community lived in.  They had been blockaded necessities (such as water) by the southern part, and hence they received a large amount of aid from Serbia.  It was extremely interesting to see a divided city that still, 12 years after the war, had tremendous problems of coexistence and where ethnic tensions were strong and prevalent.

We left Kosovo shortly after and headed back into Serbia, where we would spend one last night before heading to Bosnia-Herzegovina.  The plan was to go to Novi Pazar in southern Serbia and then to Mokra Gora in Western Serbia, and stay in Mokra Gora for one night.  However, the plan did not go very smoothly...

When we approached the Serbian security checkpoint (not border as Serbia does not consider Kosovo to be an independent state and thus there are no international borders), we encountered a bit of a problem.  The previous day when we entered Kosovo, Kosovar customs authorities stamped our passports.  This was against our wishes, as we had told the Kosovar authorities not to stamp our passport, knowing that if we were stamped we could potentially face problems re-entering Serbia.  However, they decided to stamp their authority quite literally on our passport.  This action, by the way, is illegal.  The Serb authorities could not let us back into Serbia due to the stamp which they did not recognize, and due to the checkpoint not being a border control, they could not simply annul our stamp.  Thus they suggested two courses of action:

1) Talk to EULEX (EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo) and have them call customs committee in Serbia that will allow us to enter Serbia despite the Kosovar stamp.

2) Enter Montenegro, which recognizes Kosovo, and from Montenegro enter Serbia.  In Serbia they can then annul the Kosovo stamp due to entering from an international border crossing with customs authorities who can annul or de-legitimize the Kosovar stamps.

Our professors talked to a representative of KFOR, I believe, who informed them that the first option was virtually impossible.  Thus, we began our trek to Montenegro.  I do not remember how many hours our bus ride was, but it was an incredibly lengthy journey.  At least the landscapes were absolutely breathtaking.  We traveled on mountainous roads, which overlooked incredible views of small villages, beautiful lakes, and just overall natural beauty.  At night there was a magnificent view of the stars too.  Anyway, we finally reached Montenegro and had absolutely no problems crossing the border.  We stayed at a beautiful hotel in a town close to the Serbian-Montenegrin border.  It is by far the best hotel we have stayed at.  The next day, as highlighted by the upcoming post, was utterly incredible.  Please stay tuned to hear about the epic journey into Sarajevo.

Day 14: Niš, Serbia

 
This morning we left Belgrade and we drove off to Niš, in the south-central part of Serbia.  The drive was interesting at best, as our bus broke down 20 km from Niš.  The motor of the bus failed and we had to wait for another bus to arrive that would take us into the city.

Finally after three hours of driving and around an hour of  we reached Niš.  First, we went to an archaeological site of an ancient Roman villa.  Niš is known for having been the land where Emperor Constantine, who was the first emperor to convert to Christianity and made it legal to practice Christianity throughout the Roman Empire.  Of course, Constantine is also known for converting the Greek colony of Byzantium into the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.  The city would come to be known as Constantinople, and now is known as Istanbul.  Anyway, this complex is currently being excavated.  While the lecture on the history of the region and the role of the Roman Empire in Niš was interesting, it was disappointing to not be able to see any of the precious relics of the villa.  This was due to the fact that the relics were transferred to a museum in order to better protect them.  It was sad to hear that this archaeological site, which in my humble opinion seems incredibly important (as it deals with the birth city of one of the most famous Roman Emperors), is not funded by UNESCO or the EU, and does not receive too much money from the Serbian government.  This is a shame, as such sites should be protected and funded, as they then enrich the culture and history of the country and therefore attract more tourists.

After this visit, we went to a church which houses a block of human skulls.  It sounds incredibly bizarre, and in reality, it is.  When you walk into the church you see a 5 meter x 5 meter block full of human skulls.  The story behind it is that in the latter half of the 19th century, Serbs fought the Ottomans and were greatly outnumbered.  Although the Ottomans lost a great amount more of troops than the Serbs, they chose to grossly display their military might by placing the skulls of the fallen Serbs on a wall.  It is an extremely morbid site, but it is fascinating nevertheless.

I later took a walk through the city, strolling through a Turkish fort, and a pedestrian walkway full of cafes. 

On a curious note, we had a coffee at a communist themed cafe named "Broz Club" (after the Yugoslav leader).  Cardboard cut-outs of Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, Mao Zedong, Muammar Qaddafi and Josip Broz Tito adorned the outside terrace.

Anyway, today was a very tiring day.  I am extremely excited to visit Pristina, Kosovo tomorrow.  Hope to tell you some more tales from my journey soon!

Days 8-13: Last Days in Belgrade

During the last few days, I have done a lot of different activities concerning lectures and cultural visits.  Last Wednesday, apart from attending the Partisan match I mentioned in a previous post, our group went to visit an NGO specialized in security.  The Belgrade Center for Security Policy was established in 1997 and seeks to reform the security environment in order to develop more accountability and transparency.  They spoke about many topics such as their relationship with the Serbian security apparatus, their relations with other regional security-minded NGO's, Kosovo, and NATO.  They claimed that the Serbian security community is littered with corruption and there is a systematic lack of responsibility in the political elite.  With regards to Kosovo and NATO, the speakers stated that there would be a great amount of instability if NATO KFOR troops left, as they are the only forces protecting Serb enclaves.

The next day we visited a Serbian Orthodox priest.  He spoke about the relations between religion and state.  He claimed that the Orthodox Church, the predominant religion in Serbia, has no great influence in politics.  The priest also spoke about interfaith dialogue with his counterparts in Bosnia and Croatia.  On Kosovo, he stated that Kosovo is the cradle of the Serbian nation and that the most significant monasteries are located in Kosovo.  He reinforced that without NATO military protection, many of these monasteries could be destroyed.  I asked him about the church's role in the war.  He spoke about how there were elements of a religious war, but the war was not motivated by religion.  A main point he made was that during the war only churches maintained dialogue between each other.  All in all, I thought that this visit was mediocre.  While the priest seemed very kind and intelligent, he also did not fully answer many questions or sought to give very simplified responses.  However, I did appreciate that this particular priest was quite humble (lived in a small cottage despite being a TV personality) and welcoming (presented us with a Serbian plum liquor and Turkish coffee).

That night, we went with Professor Sullivan on a boat on the Danube and Save rivers.  It was an interesting experience as they played extremely loud 80's Serbian music while the 60 year old Captain of the ship sang over the lyrics, performing a sort of one-man karaoke.  Nevertheless, the views of Kalemagden (Belgrade Fortress) lighten up, and the Danube and Save were beautiful.  Later that night, a group of us ventured to Freestyler, one of Belgrade's poshest and most famous night clubs.  The techno music, lights, and atmosphere were incredible.  Despite the elevated price, I recommend this club to anyone who casually visits Belgrade and wants to enjoy a great night out.

The next day we visited one NGO, Veritas, which is dedicated to research on war crimes committed in the Former Yugoslavia.  They have collaborated extensively with The Hague tribunals.  For example, they cooperated with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in the conviction of two top Croatian generals who committed ethnic cleansing of Serbs and which saw former Croat President Franjo Tudjman connected to war crimes committed on the military frontier between Croatia and Bosnian Serbs.  Of course though, Tudjman was not convicted because he died before this trial.  The leader of the NGO, a former judge, spoke also about the momentous ICJ dispute between Croatia and Serbia based on genocide and aggression.  How the trial (or possible out of court settlement) will be fascinating to follow.

That same afternoon, we had a discussion with a member of the Democratic Party of Serbia, a center-right political group.  Mainly it was a pro-EU, anti-NATO, and pro-Serbian Kosovo (as are most parties in Serbia) party.  I found the speaker to be remarkably intelligent, fair, and academic.  Although I did not agree with many of his party's policies, such as slow (or "evolutive" as he called it) reform or the strong anti-NATO stance, I respected his point of view for he presented very valid arguments.  Regarding his party's priorities, he stated that keeping Kosovo as part of Serbia is the number one goal that cannot be compromised upon.  EU membership is their second goal, yet they will choose to opt out of Europe if they have to give up Kosovo.  He stated that negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia, as has been done by the current administration of the rival Democratic Party, on issues such as custom laws, etc.  are acts of "national betrayal".  This is mainly due to the fact that negotiating on such issues gives a certain legitimacy and evolving status of independence to the separatist Kosovars.  Currently, Kosovo is recognized by 76 states (most prominently the US).  I have recently wondered why the US has such a vested interest in Kosovo.  He believed that it was due to establishing a military presence in a geo-strategic region.  I still have not reached any conclusion of my own, but I will speak more about the issue later this week when I actually go to Pristina, the capital of Kosovo. 

On Saturday, we went to Tito's grave.  Josip Broz Tito was the leader of the Yugoslav Partisans during WWII who later came to lead the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia until his death in 1980.  As I have stated in a previous blog post, his rule has been extremely controversial.  He never visited the largest concentration camp of Serb victims, he weakened the Serbs institutionally by making Vojvodina and Kosovo autonomous provinces, and he often crushed any signs of ethnic tension.  However, he managed to keep six republics and different ethnic groups together for around 40 years.  Also he was bold in that he broke away from Stalin's USSR early on (1948 - first Soviet satellite to do so) and he led the non-aligned movement along with Nasser and Nehru. 

After he died, the entire system he had created disintegrated, leading the region into a devastating decade of brutal conflict.  His grave was a large marble casing with his name inscribed.  The museum was less impressive, as only one room regarding his fashion choices was open.  Nevertheless the exhibit was rather nice, as it showed a connection and contradiction between his choice of clothes and the economic realities of the state.  Mainly, he had very expensive taste, yet led a communist state.  Once it is fully reformed and developed it has a chance of being a very impressive historical museum.

Yesterday, I was able to see the sunset at Kalemagden with a few friends.  It was a very beautiful site, as the sun drew down over the Sava and Danube rivers. 

 
After, we went to a great dinner in the Bohemian district of Belgrade.  This area is known for its traditional food, its cobblestone streets, and the traditional Serbian music that is played.  It was a very adequate way of bidding farewell to Belgrade.

Today I simply worked on a history paper and I visited three cemeteries with a group of students and Mladen.  We saw many Yugoslav, Partisan, and Serbian leaders buried in these grounds.  One of the most significant tombs was that of the late Serb President, Zoran Djindjic, who was assassinated in 2003.

The experience in Belgrade has been exceptional.  I enjoyed learning about the rich history of the city.  However, now I am looking forward to the next few weeks on the road.  Tomorrow we head off to Nis, the third largest city in Serbia after Belgrade and Novi Sad.  Following that one day visit we will depart towards Pristina, Kosovo.

Till the next time!

Day 8: Partizan Football Match

Yesterday was perhaps one of the best learning experiences of the trip thus far.  A group of us went to see Partizan, one of Serbia'a most important football teams.  They were playing their Champions League Qualifying match against Skendija, an Albanian team who plays in the Macedonian League.  As you may know, Serbs and Albanians have a very hostile relationship due to the issue of Kosovo.  Kosovo is populated by a majority of ethnic Albanians who claim independence.  Thus, tensions are very, very high.

We arrived near the stadium and saw waves of men with black and white shirts and flags with the Partizan crest.  It was quite the scene, as you could tell you were inching closer and closer to the stadium, as the noise levels would increase with every step.  After buying tickets, we entered the stadium.  The Stadion FK Partizan, the club's stadium, is not very impressive.  It was built in 1949, and one can tell that it a communist style architecture.  A very simplistic and gray style covers the inner and outer walls.  Inside is a different story.  The relatively small stadium (32,000 people) is a cauldron.  Fans are shouting at the top of their lungs and singing in unison their favorite chants.  Serbian flags flood the stands.  It was really an amazing sight to see.

Finally the game began.  Early in the first half, the Albanian team had the chance to score a penalty.  As the player put the ball on the ground and prepared himself to strike, the crowds, or mobs of people, began shouting extremely racist and horrifying chants.  The stadium felt like a boiling pot about to explode.  The player, facing an incredible amount of pressure, missed the spot kick.  After that the crowds began to unleash many anti-Albanian chants.  Throughout the game, I also heard chants praising Ratko Mladic, the war criminal who is now detained in The Hague.  There were many chants for Kosovo as well, claiming the territory as Serbian and saying that they will never give it up.  These chants I believe are fine, but when you start viciously insulting an entire nation with extreme hatred, you have crossed the line.


Fanatics, of course, are everywhere.  My team Real Madrid has psychotic fans who act with extreme stupidity at times.  Italian, German, and English fans are also known to be very rowdy and provocative.  The difference is that when German fans, for example, sing racist chants, the team faces heavy fines and a possible shut down of the stadium.  And, the culprits face fines and possibly imprisonment.  Thus, while insane hooliganism exists everywhere, there are penalties in most Western European leagues.  Partizan fans sang their chants without much fear of being punished.


The Partizan game does not represent regular Serbian society.  Many people may agree with some of the political themes (Kosovo, Mladic), but at least are more respectful towards other nations.  The Partizan ultras represent the far right and extremist sector of society.  However, it is frightening that people think with such incredible hatred.  I was extremely shocked to say the least.  I understand that deep rooted ethnic problems still exist, and the people of the region have been in war recently, but they also want to show that they are modern.  And many want to enter the EU.  From what I saw yesterday, I would conclude that Serbia is not ready to enter the EU and their society has open wounds that have yet to heal.  And many, it seems, prefer to not heal such wounds, as hate is all they know.  Thankfully, Serbian society is not characterized by football hooligans.  There are extremely intelligent and progressive people in society that will do everything they can to improve their country and move towards a better future characterized by mutual respect and understanding.


Oh, and the score was Partizan 4 - Skendija 0.  The Serbian side had an amazing second half where everything seemed to go well.  Of course, as seen by my previous rant, the story of the match was not on the field.


If you are interested in the topic of sports and its relationship to society and politics, you absolutely should read Franklin Foer's How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikey Theory of Globalization.  It is a rather exceptional book.