After the war and now, Museum photo of Saraevjo City Hall
Saraevjo, as most of you may remember, was the Yugoslavian venue for the 1984 Winter Olympics when American Scott Hamilton took men's ice skating gold, Brian Boitano and Rosalyn Summers took silver in ice skating, maverick Bill Johnson won the downhill, the Mehr brothers took gold in Slalom and Super G, and the American Hockey team came in seventh. This was the last Olympics held in the USSR before the collapse of Soviet Union in 1990.
The Balkins, former Yugoslavia, have a long complex history better explained through Wikipedia than me. I am still trying to understand how this lovely country of Bosnia i Herzegovina could be so brutally attacked by the Serbs after BiH declared themselves independent from the former Yugoslavia. It's all very confusing and depressing. The multi-ethnic conflict spanned 4 years, beginning in 1991, devastating cities and lives, and resulting in over 100,000 deaths.
The Balkins, former Yugoslavia, have a long complex history better explained through Wikipedia than me. I am still trying to understand how this lovely country of Bosnia i Herzegovina could be so brutally attacked by the Serbs after BiH declared themselves independent from the former Yugoslavia. It's all very confusing and depressing. The multi-ethnic conflict spanned 4 years, beginning in 1991, devastating cities and lives, and resulting in over 100,000 deaths.
In my opinion, multi-ethnic, idealogic, or religious wars is a political terminology that sugar coats ancient tribalism/ modern day nationalism and religious beliefs that breed privilege and arrogance over those not of the same ilk. It is depressing to think that when we think there is peace in the world it is only short gasps between conflicts. There will never be a war that ends all wars. But somehow we continue to think that military might (death, destruction, and fear) involvement is the answer.
What will it take to really have peace? How can we harness and channel our men (sorry guys, but women are not the primary problem here) to be constructors and builders of peaceful humane societies and not destructors and power hungry aggressors? If our brains cannot evolve faster than our hormones, we are sure to never know peace. So I don't have the answer except that a broad, reason-based education, character development, global worldview, and decrease of hero worship of testosterone on overdrive (military, sports, rampant capitalism where money is power) would be a big step forward. Okay, enough of the rant.
Bosnia and Saraevejo has made good progress in recovering from the siege, but bombed out and bullet riddled buildings are still evidenced, and the survivors are still trying to reconstruct their lives from personal and economic ruin. We talked to locals who tell of the bad politics, corruption, crime, and cronyism that flourishes at the expense of many who are still unemployed. It's all very sad, as is all conflict when normal people are caught between those who seek power and control.
We spent our day in Saraevjo at the War Museum, walking through old town, visiting the reconstructed city hall/library, churches, mosques,and many shops. The streets in the old section were filled with tourists. We enjoyed a quiet evening in our guest house with our host high up on the hill where the Serbians held siege of Saraevjo and watched the sunset over the city.
We spent our day in Saraevjo at the War Museum, walking through old town, visiting the reconstructed city hall/library, churches, mosques,and many shops. The streets in the old section were filled with tourists. We enjoyed a quiet evening in our guest house with our host high up on the hill where the Serbians held siege of Saraevjo and watched the sunset over the city.
All is Well with The Worrall Travel R's in Bosnia
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