Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is today a flourishing European state, which looks set to secure its place as a member of the European Union in the next few years.  Its current image stands in stark contrast to that of the 1992 to 1995 period, which witnessed a bitter war and countless human rights violations. Among them were rapes, killings, forced displacement, and other crimes against humanity.  During the war, women comprised a large proportion of the total victims, with rape being actively used against them as a tool of war.  Estimates of the numbers of women raped range between 20,000 and 50,000, though the actual figure has proved difficult to determine.

Fourteen years on, and justice in the majority of cases has still not been served.  In an attempt to reverse this lack of progress, a unique event organised by Amnesty International and chaired by my fellow Socialists and Democrats Group member, Emine Bozkurt MEP, was held yesterday in the European Parliament.  Its aim was to provide an opportunity for Parliamentarians to hear first-hand the experiences of women who were directly affected by this issue, so that MEPs might find a way of moving things forward.

This initiative is not a new one.  In fact, Amnesty International has been working for six years on the current project and on helping victims of rape to fight for the justice they deserve.  In September it published a report entitled Whose Justice? Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Women Still Waiting, which highlights the on-going struggle women are experiencing in trying to obtain justice in BiH, and which seeks to offer some hopes for the future.

The report is shocking in parts.  It notes first of all that rape is a crime under international law and that it is the only crime of sexual violence recognised explicitly by the Statute of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).  Yet to date there have only been 18 rape convictions at the international level for the 1992 to 1995 period in BiH.  Even more disturbing is that many perpetrators have now found themselves holding high positions in the region, be it in municipalities, banks or schools, and victims are rarely in a position to stand up to them.

Achieving justice is not the only important consideration.  A significant issue identified by Amnesty and other NGOs is that the ICTY has by and large failed to address the long-term psychological, social and economic needs of the survivors of sexual violence.  Unlike at the International Criminal Court (ICC), where survivors have the right to be represented thoughout criminal trial proceedings, at the ICTY survivors can only participate if they themselves provide evidence at The Hague.  Understandably this can have a damaging impact upon victims, who risk their personal safety and expose themselves to added trauma in their determination to see their violators brought to justice.

The question, then, is what can be done in the light of this report?  One idea put forward by Amnesty is to encourage the Bosnian authorities, NGOs and victims to meet together, and to set up a state strategy on reparations for victims.  This is something the authorities have been avoiding for some time.  The European Parliament and other legislative bodies must push the issue up the agenda, and ensure that the Bosnian authorities face up to the needs of victims.  It has been 17 years since the start of the war in BiH, and it will be many more years before a reasonable number of convictions have been secured.  I believe that it is up to those who have the power, including myself, to speak up for the victims of rape in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to ensure that those responsible for grave crimes against humanity and war crimes are held to account for their actions.

On November 21:

164 BC Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family, restoresdthe Temple in Jerusalem. This event is commemorated each year by the festival of Hanukkah.

1694 Voltaire, French philosopher, was born.

1783 Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent, Marquis d’Arlandes, make the first untethered hot air balloon flight.

1787 Samuel Cunard, Canadian-born shipping magnate, was born.

1863 Maori surrendered at Rangiriri.

1877  Thomas Edison announced his invention of the phonograph, a machine that can record and play sound

1905 Albert Einstein’s paper, Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?, was published in the journal “Annalen der Physik”. This paper reveals the relationship between energy and mass. This led to the mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc².

1920 In Dublin, 31 people were killed in what became known as “Bloody Sunday“.

1922 Rebecca Latimer Felton of Georgia took the oath of office, becoming the first female United States Senator.

1929 Marilyn French, American feminist writer, was born.

1936 Victor Chang, Australian physician, was born.

1941 Juliet Mills, British actress, was born.

1945  Goldie Hawn, American actress, was born.

1948  George Zimmer, American entrepreneur, was born.

1977 Minister of Internal Affairs Allan Highet announced that ‘the national anthems of New Zealand shall be the traditional anthem “God Save the Queen” and the poem “God Defend New Zealand“, written by Thomas Bracken, as set to music by John Joseph Woods, both being of equal status as national anthems appropriate to the occasion.

Hate Match Redux: Twenty years after the “hate match,” Egypt and Algeria met again to decide a World Cup place.  It didn’t disappoint.  Egypt needed to win 2-0 to clinch a playoff.  Emad Mateab scored a header in the fifth minute of injury time, to give Egypt the 2-0 win.  Egypt and Algeria now meet for a playoff on Wed in Sudan.  Fantastic stuff.

Happy to Be There: Plymouth Argyle’s Rory Fallon scored in the 45th minute.  It was enough to give the New Zealand All Whites a 1-0 win in their playoff with Bahrain.  It’s New Zealand’s first World Cup appearance in 28 years.

Animal Names: Nigeria came from behind to beat Kenya 3-2 with a deuce from Obafemi Martins.  Tunisia lost 1-0 to Mozambique, surrendering their two-point lead.  The Super, not the Carthage, Eagles are going to South Africa.  Cameroon, the Indomitable Lions, are also going to the World Cup, clinching with a 2-0 win over Morocco.

Irish Malaise: France deserved their result, but it was a rudely deflected goal from Nicolas Anelka that gives them the 1-0 advantage, heading back to Paris.  The Irish will need to radically adjust their negative game plan.  Expect France to advance.

Efficacious: Portugal dominated the first half-hour, culminating in Bruno Alves’ goal.  They held off Bosnia’s attack.  The 1-0 win gives them solid footing for the second leg.

Slim Advantage: Bilyaletdinov scored a brace for Russia, but Slovenia slipped in a late away goal in the 2-1 defeat, which could prove crucial.

Predictable: Greece 0-0 Ukraine

UMN Intl: We applaud the Muslim World

In the Name of Allah Most Gracious Most Merciful

We applaud the Muslim World in its stand for unity, a new era has come upon the Muslim Ummah an era in which we will flourish this is the era in which the Kingdom of Islaam will rise and stand as the greatest empire the world have ever witnessed.

Our united economic, diplomatic, and military endeavours will bring to the fore great wealth to the Muslim Ummah, this is the era where we are free from oppression, the era in which Muslims embrace one another with true Salaam and happiness, and our youth will stand united forever. The dawn of Islaam has come upon the face of the earth through the teachings of our beloved Nabi Mohammed Sallallahu Alaihi Wa’salaam and the guidance of Allah from His noble Word Al Quran, the Shariah of Allah is perfect and complete. Disputing its perfection and completeness is a waste of time for men of understanding such is idle talk and a waste of words, the Shariah of Allah is our business tool, it is our diplomatic tool, our military tool and a complete guidance for us to live by in complete modesty, purified, holy and happily. The world is not meant to be a place of secularism Islaam teaches us unto to Allah belongs the East and the West, the Heavens and the Earth and everything between them exists through the will of Allah, the doors of Muslim Land should be open freely to all Muslims to secure and ensure spiritual, intellectual and economical growth of the Muslim Ummah.

Our enemies are but friends to each other let their words not make you waver or change the course on which you are moving in, the Almighty Allah’s commands is unity will you then disobey Him? Allah says in Al Quran 42:13

13. Establish the religion, and be not divided therein.

To the very liking of what unites us the Shahada is the clear cut statement that there’s no other law but the Divine Law Shariah of Allah i.e. (There’s no other Illah (Diety) but Allah)

The Almighty Allah says in Al Quran 5:44-47

44. Whoso judgeth not by that which Allah hath revealed: such are (Kaafirun) disbelievers.

45. Whoso judgeth not by that which Allah hath revealed: such are wrong doers.

47. Whoso judgeth not by that which Allah hath revealed; such are evil living people.

Islaam is One there are no other versions in Quran, we all read and live by the same Book, the Book whereof there is no doubt, we as Muslim make Fatwa (judgement) by Al Quran and Hadith stands as our backing for the judgement we make only if need be.

There’s no other law but the Shariah of Allah everything else other then the law of Allah is Shirk.

The Almighty Allah have set Al Quran is the appointed Authority over us, the most learned man amongst Muslims is to be appointed as Khalifah, the Khilafa is Not appointed as a successor to Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wa’salaam, but rather the representative of Al Quran, a representative of Islaam and the Muslim Ummah.

As Muslims we are ranked in Piety therefore we should base our Bay’ah on the status of ones Piety, and piety is recognised through ones loyalty in Islaam and this loyalty is Islamic royalty, this royal sainthood and piety is obtained when one leaves behind the desires of this world for that of the Hereafter by spending of our worldly desires in the path of Allah.

Allah says in Surah 96:

1. Read: In the name of thy Lord who createth,

2. Createth man from a clot.

3. Read: And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous,

4. Who teacheth by the pen,

5. Teacheth man that which be knew not.

6. Nay, but verily man is rebellious

7. That he thinketh himself independent!

8. Lo! unto thy Lord is the return.

9. Hast thou seen him who dissuadeth

10. A slave when he prayeth?

11. Hast thou seen if he (relieth) on the guidance (of Allah)

12. Or enjoineth piety?

13. Hast thou seen if he denieth (Allah’s guidance) and is froward?

14. Is he then unaware that Allah seeth?

15. Nay, but if he cease not. We will seize him by the forelock

16. The lying, sinful forelock

17. Then let him call upon his henchmen!

18. We will call the guards of hell.

19. Nay! Obey not thou him. But prostrate thyself, and draw near (unto Allah).

The Above Surah refers to those who judge not by what Allah has revealed “Al-Quran”

The United Muslim Nations UMN International

The European Commission has published the progress reports for the candidate and potential candidate countries, as well as the 2009-2010 enlargement strategy.

The 2009-2010 strategy outlines the key challenges to enlargement:

• The economic crisis;
• The rule of law and widespread corruption;
• Bilateral questions and border issues;
• Weak regional cooperation.

On Croatia, the progress report is quite positive. However, it underscores that organized crime and corruption remain prevalent in many areas.

For Turkey the report focuses on the lack of dialogue and spirit of compromise between political parties and compliments diplomatic efforts to normalize relations with Armenia.

Macedonia is advised of maintaining good neighbourly relations, including a negotiated and mutually acceptable solution to the name issue. A somewhat surprising finding is that the overall economic policy mix has deteriorated.

Albania is encouraged to strengthen the rule of law and the fight against corruption and organized crime. The report says that the lack of energy supply security continues to hamper economic development.

For Bosnia and Herzegovina the most worrying statement is that the domestic political climate has deteriorated over recent months.

Apart from the Kosovo issue, the report on Serbia is quite positive.

Wha's happeni-oh wrong show

The last day of qualifiers on three continents came and passed today.  In an effort to be more international – I guess – I’m going to try to hit all of them, especially since more of the story in Europe was already done.  (For the perhaps 1 of you who will read this in the absence of a gratuitous reference to a 80s-90s television celebrity, such as Perfect Strangers‘ Bronson Pinchot.)

UEFA

Wow that picture of Bronson Pinchot really crowds out the screen - photo credit AP

The last two teams to secure automatic qualification clinched it today, both on the strength of just-barely-enough performances.  In weather conditons that can only be described as horrendous – or hysterical – Slovakia edged out Poland on the strength of an early own goal.  This was as expected, though the late challenge by second place Slovenia in the Slovakian capital last weekend transformed this match from a lame duck showing.

In sunnier climes, if one would like to refer to Basel that way, group winner Switzerland and Israel played to a scoreless and rather unexciting draw. (Though tell that to the Swiss fans in attendance.)  For the Swiss this was actually a rather close-run thing; had they lost by a single goal today, second-place Greece’s 2-1 victory over Luxembourg would have been sufficient to propel them into pole position.  Both Switzerland and Greece seemed to be playing surprisingly conservatively, or at least without a great deal of verve; but with a Greek attempt to storm into first place out of their hands all parties may have just thought it best to be slow and steady.

Portugal and Ukraine were the last teams to nab playoff berths without being in contention for their respective top spots.  Portugal gained a decisive (and inevitable) victory over Malta, while Ukraine did the same over Andorra.  On a personal note I continue to be infuriated with the lackluster play England exhibited in allowing Ukraine both to ruin their perfect record and edge out Croatia for the playoff.  I will undoubtedly continue to air this opinion at every opportunity.

As predicted, Norway was excluded from the second-place playoffs on the basis of weak group performance. Perhaps ironically, had Scotland not experienced their calamitous defeat to the Norwegians, or had they overcome the Dutch in their last meeting, it would instead have been the Irish Republic excluded. I mourn for the benighted Scots and their benevolent, long-suffering fans. But soccer, like politics and alcoholism, is an enterprise which worships always towards the dawn.

Second-place playoffs

You kiddin' me?!

The draws for the second-place playoffs will be next Monday. (I think…)  Because Sepp Bladder is a man I might only describe in a terms both inventive and exceptionally lewd, Europe will be having a seeding system for its playoffs.  The initial plan (though it was never shared with anyone, so how could we know?) was to have the eight second-place qualifiers randomly paired off, each to play one game at home and one away, with the overall winner of each to gain the final four places. However there is now to be seeding based on next week’s FIFA World Rankings, which orders teams by a variety of factors based on international performance. The top four teams will be placed in one pot; the bottom four teams in another. Teams will be paired only with those from the other pot, which assures that the “best” teams will face weaker opposition. These latter are furious, with Irish coach Trapattoni being especially vocal about it, but I don’t see Bladder backing down.

Almost assuredly, the high pot will consist of Russia, France, Portugal and Greece and the dregs with Ukraine, Ireland (I think we can dispense with this Republic business, yes?), Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. We don’t know who will be paired with whom, of course, so speculation is early, but some conclusions are possible. Russia will qualify, knocking out whoever is set against them with indecent ease. (I dreamed they would do so to Portugal… alas.) Besides Russia the ironic truth is that none of the top teams are that good. France took second in a weak group; had any of the virtuous thirds like Sweden, Finland or Croatia been placed with them I doubt they’d have come this far. Portugal and Greece are notionally strong and rallied towards the end. Greece didn’t face a really tough group, so they have to be rated as faltering, but Portugal really were in a bad neighborhood with Denmark and Sweden and should be credited with a late rally. They’re not as sure a thing as Russia but they’re odds of their failure are 3:1 against.

What about the “dregs”? Again, without pairings this is speculation, but none of the four were deeply-impressive runners up. Ukraine is notionally the strongest, but they were pretty eh. B/H did just well enough to beat failing Turkey and a Belgian team in almost as bad a shape as their country. They could maybe beat Greece but they’re not giant killers. Slovenia fought their way through a very tough group, and did so as unexpectedly as forcefully, but the fact that they overcame an evenly-matched group doesn’t mean they beat a good group. Ireland, however, have been turning in powerful performances and went undefeated in their group, nearly holing the Italians in the process. (And even at half-speed Italy are no slouch.) I like their chances best, and am in fervent negotiations with the Almighty to ensure they’re not paired against Russia. In the atmosphere Slovenia and Ukraine are balanced for second-best-second, Slovenia on hustle and Ukraine on talent, with B/H trailing behind.

CONCACAF

The North American section closed with a bang – indeed a veritable Soccer War – tonight as an excruciatingly-late stoppage time equalizer prevented the Costa Ricans from clinching automatic qualification in Washington, DC. A game at which I was not present. I didn’t know soon enough, I tell myself. I can’t afford it, I tell myself. And still wish I’d gone.

This was morally important for the US, as it left us at the top of the fourth round group (an all-important point above Mexico) in a week in which the US team was plagued with disastrous injuries. The last, a rather severe tendon issue with Oguchi Onweyu late in the second half, follows a day after Charlie Davies’ car accident outside the District and left the side Estadosunidense at ten men going into stoppage. Compounding the bizarre pageantry of the whole affair, Costa Rica’s coach Renê Simões was ordered off the field (along with an assistant) following some substitution clusterfuck – perhaps in view of the paucity of time left, the referee refused it and he got lippy. Retaliating, the referee left a full five minutes on the clock, allowing the Hail Mary goal that saw Honduras qualify for the World Cup for the first time.

Well THAT'S rather uncalled for

I didn’t see much of the Honduras game, but it was apparently tight and pretty brutal.  El Salvador could easily have tied it up and left Honduras (as I’d predicted) to slug it out with the CONMEBOL fifth-place. But now it is Costa Rica that will go in their stead. In soccer as in life, someone else always pays for your success.

CONMEBOL

By comparison South America’s final night was somewhat humdrum if you weren’t secreted away in a Buenos Aires suburb with a spicy Argentinian lover and a deactivated Blackberry/wife and kids. Argentina frustratingly managed a desultory goal in the 84th minute of play that turned out to be completely extraneous, given that Chile sent Ecuador quietly into the good night. A sad end to the city that hosted the first World Cup, but Uruguay’s night was tinged with hope, as Ecuador’s loss also guaranteed them the playoff spot against the fourth-placed North American side. Their dog will have its day in two matches against Costa Rica.

Playoff

I would generally rate Costa Rica the favorite. But Uruguay has done arguably better in an inarguably tougher milieu, and the endless series of qualifiers they’ve played starting two years ago has got to whet the appetite. Costa Rica will have something to prove, but the crushing nature of the draw to the US tonight has something to do with a sense of entitlement on their side.

But then again Uruguay’s wins haven’t been all that impressive. You get the sense Argentina rather deserved to go on if that was going to be their opposition. If Costa Rica faces similar they’ll seize the lifeboat of one of the last 2010 spots.

AFC-OFC playoff

Bahrain to win. Even if they weren’t a better team – it’s not clear – they’ll be away when they face New Zealand again, which means that a non-scoreless draw will see them through. I actually don’t know what happens if they draw scorelessly. Penalty shootouts, I imagine. New Zealand might have a shot there, as playing a tournament against Tuvalu and the Federated States of Micronesia must be very like practicing penalty shots.

CAF

Oh for fuck’s sake.

I stand by my predictions - Cameroon, Nigeria, Algeria

Gravestones(2)
and obituaries(2).

Franz Ferdinand (not the band, unfortunately) was murdered here in 1914. I’m sure you all know what happened next.

More photos from Mostar.

The bombed bank – United Colours of Benetton.

The bombed bank.

T-shirt.

Memić Murata Osman.

Scrubbed out cyrillic script.

I don’t like bad math. Neither does Mark Chu-Carroll.

I have a joke for you all.

An infinite crowd of mathematicians enters a bar.
The first one orders a pint, the second one a half pint, the third one a quarter pint…
“I understand”, says the bartender – and pours two pints.

Check out Zeno’s Paradox, if you’re bored.

This is me jumping off the Mostar bridge.

Prince Charles was here the day the old bridge (now part of a UNESCO heritage site) was reopened. It was the only one not completely destroyed during the war.

In the beginning of August, we embarked on a journey to visit and to capture a few natural and manmade wonders of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, the two former Yugoslavian republics. The trip lasted for nine hard and enjoyable days. Hard, since we were always chasing sunrise and blue light after sunset and therefore sleeping was at the bottom of our priority list. The term enjoyable should be read as kind local people, excellent food, drinks and of course beautiful landscape and cityscape scenes.

I want to thank Luka for planning the whole trip and never the last to both of you for putting up with me. Have no fear; I did thank myself for putting up with you. What a great crowd we are. Can’t wait for the next year’s trip.

The happy crowd (S.L. Luka, B.B. Ana & Me):

Wow, it’s been a while since our last update!

We left beautiful Mostar for Sarajevo, a quick 2 hour bus ride away.  Sarajevo was under seige for almost 3 years, which, without actually seeing the city, I think is unimaginable.  It had the same slight fog of war hanging over it, but without the beautiful mountains and rivers to distract you.

Still it was a fascinating place to visit and we had a great hostel, Haris Youth Hostel.  Haris started the hostel after the war at the tender age of 15, and runs the hostel now with obvious pride and love for his city.  We took his day tour, which was really interesting to see.  We saw the tunnel that Sarajevo used to secretly transport food, water and supplies from outside the city to inside.  It runs right next to the airport, which during the war was secured by the UN.  The Serbs were only 500 meters away at one point, but could not attack because of the tunnel’s proximity to the airport.  The tunnel was only 5ft tall, and men had to carry enormous 75 kilo backpacks for almost a kilometer underground.

Outside the tunnel museum in Sarajevo, which you can see is totally shot up.

The next site we saw was the old bobsled track from the 1984 Winter Olympics.  At the time it was the longest in Europe.  It was used and destroyed by the Serbian army during the war, as it is up on the hills North of the city.  There was land mine tape in a few places.  We also saw what is now called “Sniper’s Alley,” a street which faces these hills and, as the name suggests, was frequently targeted by snipers.

Old bobsled track in Sarajevo.

Bullet damage on an apartment building in sniper's alley.

The hostel had the movie “Welcome to Sarajevo” which we watched the day after the tour.  It mixes actual news footage of the war in with the movie.  Having walked around the city for a few days, it was much more impactful to watch than if I hadn’t been here.  I’d seen the bullet holes, the mortar damage, the blasted chunks of sidewalks and streets.  I looked through the holes that snipers used to shoot indiscriminately at children, women, men.  I saw mounds of bullet casings in an abandoned bank.  Seeing the footage of people shot at, bleeding and dead was almost too real, and I couldn’t watch most of the movie.

Souveniers made from bullet casings. Cool but creepy. I didn't get one.

A "Sarajevo Rose;" Damage from a mortar shell filled in with red cement.

After actually SEEING what the people of Sarajevo went through, I was constantly amazed at how happy, welcoming and, I hate to say it but, NORMAL people were.  A few backpackers we talked with felt like there had never even been a war here.

After all this, like, heavy stuff, we were ready for a change!  Without any real itinerary we set off to the bus station, with the main idea to head Istanbul-ward.  We caught the bus to Belgrade, Serbia, and were just a little disappointed that we didn’t get a Bosnia i Hercegovina stamp in our passports, because, well that one would have been pretty cool.  Once getting to Belgrade, the bus station was right next to the train station, so we went to go see how soon we could get to Sofia, which has a connecting train to Istanbul.  Turns out the train was 3 hours later!  We grabbed some yummy burgers and hopped on our sleeper class train for a bumpy night sleep.

The next day we walked around Sofia, waiting for another overnight train.  Unremarkable other than the big church, pictures to come.  I did momentarily lust over an original Russian LOMO camera at a flea market, but in the end, didn’t have the cash so I didn’t get it.

Gorgeous Church in Sophia, Bulgaria

Now, finally, we are in Istanbul, planning our next 3 weeks in Turkey!    It is Ramadan now, so there are lots of fun food booths near the mosque which come to life after dusk.  Next, hopefully Capadocia, Fethiye, Pamukale and Ephesus!

On a totally un-travel related note, I love The Onion. 

On Day 14 we woke v. early to get the 6.30am train to Mostar. We went purely for “the best tour ever” as recommended by Shannon and Lily, our Aussie friends, plus countless others. The train journey was meant to be incredible snaking though the mountains. Unfortunately, however, after sitting in the station for four hours I ended up falling asleep for most of the way and missed out on the views. Bugger. Then, on arrival, we found out the tour had been cancelled for the day we wanted to go. Double bugger. Undeterred, we checked into our hostel (which was just someone’s house with a lot of mattresses on the floor), and went for a very chilly swam – river was so fast you stayed still when trying to swam against the current (Jack wasn’t man enough to get in either!).

We explored Mostar and its famous bridge (where some crazy youths jump off it for money): it’s 29 metres high and the river really isn’t that deep. Very impressive! Mostar Bridge was seen as the bridge (both literally and metaphorically) between Muslims and Christians, so when it was destroyed in the war it was seen as very important to rebuild. Today it has been restored to its former splendor as a symbol of peace and ethnic harmony, connecting the two sides of a divided city.

We splashed out on calamari for dinner, then went to a very old cave bar for a few, as well as a bar on the river looking over the bridge.

Next morning Jack, Duncan, Ryan, Glen and I hired a car and tried to see as much of the surrounding area as possible that we missed out on because of the tour being cancelled, and ended up being one of the best days so far. We went to an amazing waterfall for scrambling and swimming fun, and lots of rope swinging (best to skip to 0:45):

Saw castle ruins, a very old Turkish house at the river’s source and lots of other stuff too. Got back just in time to hand back car and hop on a night train. The boys stayed to wave us off. Quite enjoyed the send off – felt very important! Sad to leave others behind.

Ora che i risultati sono stati resi pubblici, possiamo anche svelare i voti dati dall’Italia nell’edizione appena conclusasi:

(12) Sweden – Benny Anderssons Orkester feat. Helena Sjöholm – Story of a Heart

(10) Poland – Mika Urbaniak – In My Dreams

(8) Hungary – Péterfy Bori & Love Band – Téged nem

(7) New Zealand – Kids of 88 – My House
(6) Netherlands – Rigby – Everything Must Go

(5) Iceland – Suzy Thunder – BIG

(4) Denmark – The Asteroids Galaxy Tour – The Golden Age

(3) Bosnia and Herzegovina – Nešad Selman – S tobom bez tebe

(2) Morocco – Sahar Saddiki – Swinguer la vie

(1) Greece – Hryspa – S’eroteyomai

The Bosnian branch of Women for Women International (WfWI) is the first one and the stepping stone of the larger organization. On June 12, 1993, with only 30 women, WfWI started because of war-time rape camps in BiH. Now the organization serves 53,000 women annually (including microcredit) and has served 207,000 women directly while mobilizing 250,000 women in 101 countries. This half a million is comprised of both people who donate and the ones who need help. All of these women are asking for justice.

Zene za Zene has sister offices in Afghanistan, Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Sudan; all branches zealously follow the mission of WfWI. What distinguishes WfWI is that the organization stresses the holistic approach needed to help struggling women. Microcredit is far from the only solution to the difficulties of every woman in the world. In addition to financing entrepreneurs, WfWI educates women about their rights and connects them to the public and private sectors to give them an opportunity to gain politically important roles. Through organic farming programs and job placements, WfWI addresses the non-entrepreneurial women who need assistance. In job placements for their program participants, WfWI defends the need for rights awareness, fair wages, and fair labor practices. “Placing women in jobs is not unique, but placing women who know their rights and can mobilize is,” says Zainab. Through the programs of WfWI, participants acquire skills, create friendships, raise their self-confidence, and familiarize themselves with their rights. The combination of financial support, a community, and access to knowledge and resources brings a lasting change in these women’s lives.

If you feel inspired to support the mission of Women for Women International, please visitwww.womenforwomen.org. In 2009, due to the economic changes in the world, donations have dropped by 10% and WfWI has had to cut $3 million of spending and 17% of their staff. Even when sponsors ‘drop out,’ the organization cannot suddenly stop financing the women in need. Now is the most important time to donate for this cause and make sure that no branches have to be closed, so that Women for Women International can keep uplifting as women all over the world.

If donating is not a good alternative to microcredit for you, you could lend to borrowers of the MFI Zene za Zene. Kiva.org partners with microcredit institutions that have a strong social mission and allows you to give a hand to entrepreneurs all over the world. The 90% repayment rate should show you how safe it is to invest in Kiva borrowers.

This post has been written by Velizara Passajova, a Kiva Fellow working for 4 weeks at her second placement in Armenia (withNor Horizon). Check out currently fundraising loans in Eastern Europe and join Kiva Lending Team – Friends of Women for Women International or Armenia.

Few places we have visited have made me want to write as much as Mostar has.  I will summarize what happened here.  Yugoslavia broke apart, and both Croatia and Serbia wanted to slice up Bosnia Herzegovina.  All three had been autonomous regions in Yugoslavia.  During 1991-92, in Mostar, the Croats and Bosnian Muslims allied to expel invading Serbs in what the Muslims here call “the first war.”  After they succeeded, in 1993, the Croats turned on the Bosnian Muslims and laid seige to the eastern, Muslim part of the city during “the second war.”  The Bosnian Muslims held off the vastly better armed Croats until the signing of the peace agreement at Dayton.  Mostar’s Muslims were decimated and its structures obliterated by the wars, and all that pain has put a weary pall on the experience of being here.

Ten years later, bullet holes are everywhere.  One building out of four is still a pockmarked shell.  Entire graveyards, makeshift during the seige, have been made permanent, with each and every gravestone eerily conmemorating the year 1993.

Beauty here is poignant, set always against a reminder.  The Neretva river, icy cold and clean, cleaves the Croat west from the Muslim east of the city.  Perched on the steep cliffs that make its banks are cafes and shops for the tourists, and of course mosques and churches vying for higher perch.  All of them are restorations, gleaming white against the emerald of the river, but restorations nonetheless.

It is hard to put into words the ache of wanting to understand people’s stories here, and the hesitancy to ask that comes from a mixture of respect for their experience during the war and fear of giving offence.  My empathy searching for something specific to comfort.  That something eludes the tourist, or at least, it has eluded me.  Which isn’t to say that Bosnians, and Mostarians in particular, are loathe to share their experiences – but rather that I have found myself unready to open myself up to them because the scale of the tragedy here almost to great for my feelings. It has been a conflicted visit.

The day after arriving in Mostar and getting a sense for its geography I ran a Google News search for the 1993 period.  The newspaper articles, in retrospect, are clear.  They are not so complicated that I could not have understood them at the time – who was doing what, to whom, and where.  And yet I didn’t.  In fact, I do this today with Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, and any other place in the world where tragedy has become a blur and the details seem incomprehensible to those of us who are not there.  Why is it, I wonder, that we empathise less and less when outrages become greater in number?  It must be some kind of coping mechanism – but it’s sad that the more terrible a tragedy becomes, the less we pay attention.

I’ll post our pictures in a bit.

[Updated]

Fernando's 11 meter jump!

Ferlaya in front of the new "Old Bridge" in Mostar

Beautiful Mostar

Look in the top left corner - you can see a sniper hole which was shot at.

Sniper's Nest in the Bank Building - Sniper Side

View of the Front from the Sniper Nest in the Bank Building

Papers and files all date to the year of the war

Shell Damage, Mostar

Machine Gun Damage, Mostar

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