blockWhere I was, where I am now... I had little to now prior information upon arrival in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or rather any historical context of Eastern Europe. I honestly did not know I was stepping into a country which had ended a civil war barely two decades ago. When speaking to friends back home before coming, some acted a bit skeptical as to what my next destination would bring me, but I reassured them that everything would be fine and that I was also leaving with an open mind. I remember hearing that Bosnia hosted the Olympics not too long ago and had seen beautiful pictures of bridges, so I did not really know what to expect. Within two days during orientation, I had learned about the issues that this small country has been facing and realized that there is still a war presence in the everyday lives of the Bosnian civilians. Every day we walk over roses, pass by buildings covered in bullet holes, and see the physical effects of the war. When speaking to people, especially taxi drivers, they all seem eager to acknowledge what had happened. I couldn't believe that three ethnic groups fought to be represented in the government and even went to such lengths of genocide, which I only learned about weeks later. I found the Mothers of Srebrenica to be quite passionate about the topic, which is to expected, as they lost their loved ones had gone missing, and also noticed that the war is so much more prevalent in the older generations. How had I never even known about the genocide that killed hundred of thousands of innocent men? I was also interested in talking with the Rabbi. He said that he believes in the Torah and thinks everyone should be free to following which ever religion, but they cannot use their religious books as justification for their unethical actions, which seem to go against all words of all religious texts. Of course, the problems have impacted every one, but the high schoolers seem ready to acknowledge and move past the issues which history has brought upon them. Physically, Sarajevo looks like a sad, emotional city, but it holds so much potential. I was speaking with Adam last week and he mentioned his friend who had moved to Bosnia and does CrossFit, but he is also one of the stepsisters in the Cinderella pantomime. Adam assured me that in five to ten years, this city is going to have so much more of a life of its own. It own't revolve around the depressing history, but rather it will emphasize the arts. Hearing from so many different people has changed my perspective on Bosnia drastically. I see the pessimistic side of the reporter we talked to and understand the optimistic of the NATO general, but I, myself, am optimistic that Bosnia will soon be able to thrive on its own again. Like Alley said, it may take some time because some thoughts may have to die out with the older generations, but eventually the three ethnic groups will come together. I think the Dayton Accords were a good idea for the temporary fix, but Bosnia needs to figure out what they are doing with the three president system because it is simply not efficient for a country in this day and age. In order to solve the issues, politically, the people need come join socially, and then they can be run democratically. One of my core questions was: There is not much being done in order to stop the segregation of the three major ethnic groups of the country, and the divide will lead to war. However, now I do believe there are so many minor conversations being had that acknowledge the issues and are creating possible solutions. I do not think there will be another war in Bosnian anytime soon. My second question was: The differences of the three religions are minor, yet have a major negative effect on the political situation of Bosnia. This I still agree with, however, not as strongly because I do see the slight changes being made. My third question was: The people in Bosnia appreciate and are enthusiastic to share their diverse, ‘potluck’ like culture, however, Sarajevo is not known as a very touristic city. I still agree with this statement, as Bosnian's have been eager to show off their culture and speak with tourists and believe one day soon, Bosnia will become more of a prime tourist destination.
top of page
Natalie Cassello
RECENT POSTS:
SEARCH BY TAGS:
bottom of page