Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Another Big Demonstration in Sarajevo
If I had known there would be another big demonstration here, I would have just stayed home, demonstrations are not advisable for foreigners in someone else's country very much. No problem, if the busses are crowded today, it at least is a nice day and I can walk.
I heard about it from one of my Baščaršija friends. She said if she didn't have to work, she would totally be out there! Basically it is about the juvenile delinquency problem, which is serious in both the Federation and R.S. People here really have had enough if the talk shows on the radio are any measure. Basically no one really feels safe.
Back when Tito was alive there were all kinds of ways of keeping young people off the streets and out of trouble, quite aside from jail. There were the Red Pioneers, cultural stuff, and there was always work. Plus people to a point did take care of the religious education of their children. Religion is not perfect, but one of the purposes of religion is to positively modify behavior.
Then too there is the deplorable example set by politicians. Most all of them are bad news, even if they started off with good intentions, they ended up bad.
A lot of people seem to think a new constitution and some legal reforms would help. I also think that the economy is a good place to start. People just don't have jobs, they have a hard time. Those families which are intact are in crisis, because couples fight over money. That can happen in any country under economic pressure. Then the kids go out, they see all this stuff they can never legitimately own and take matters into their own hands, in a bad way.
So people will be gathering at the City Hall, and probably by the Katedrale as well.
Kosovo is supposed to declare independance the 17th of this month, and the police up in R.S. are already preparing for things to be tense. As well in Kosovo itself the E.U. has upped the numbers of police, because those Serbs left in Kosovo are scared.
My hope is that independance won't create any regional problems. Not only are people somewhat worried here in BiH, they are worried in Macedonia as well. There is probably more reason for people to be concerned in Macedonia actually than in BiH.
Other stuff that made the news locally is that both Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama got campaign contributions from a known Greek lobbyist. There was a long deal about it in Oslobođjenje. I would be interested in knowing if this story is out Stateside, and how much does it matter to people.
Lobby groups often spread the money around in a campaign, it is not unheard of at all for opponents to each recieve something. I would be interested if the same lobby group also contributed to Republicans.
The Greeks have had a big problem with an independant Macedonia for a long time.
Other stuff of interest, the F.B.I. was invited to help in the investigation of an assasination in Republika Srpska. The man assasinated was the victim of a car bomb and there just are not enough clues. This was back in September.
Also worth noting, Mario's Cyberspace Station has a bad virus. I can't even access them here because of that. They are one of the best sources for news of the region too, so that is a real shame. He puts in EVERYTHING. The virus has been present at least the last three or four days that I know of.
I heard about it from one of my Baščaršija friends. She said if she didn't have to work, she would totally be out there! Basically it is about the juvenile delinquency problem, which is serious in both the Federation and R.S. People here really have had enough if the talk shows on the radio are any measure. Basically no one really feels safe.
Back when Tito was alive there were all kinds of ways of keeping young people off the streets and out of trouble, quite aside from jail. There were the Red Pioneers, cultural stuff, and there was always work. Plus people to a point did take care of the religious education of their children. Religion is not perfect, but one of the purposes of religion is to positively modify behavior.
Then too there is the deplorable example set by politicians. Most all of them are bad news, even if they started off with good intentions, they ended up bad.
A lot of people seem to think a new constitution and some legal reforms would help. I also think that the economy is a good place to start. People just don't have jobs, they have a hard time. Those families which are intact are in crisis, because couples fight over money. That can happen in any country under economic pressure. Then the kids go out, they see all this stuff they can never legitimately own and take matters into their own hands, in a bad way.
So people will be gathering at the City Hall, and probably by the Katedrale as well.
Kosovo is supposed to declare independance the 17th of this month, and the police up in R.S. are already preparing for things to be tense. As well in Kosovo itself the E.U. has upped the numbers of police, because those Serbs left in Kosovo are scared.
My hope is that independance won't create any regional problems. Not only are people somewhat worried here in BiH, they are worried in Macedonia as well. There is probably more reason for people to be concerned in Macedonia actually than in BiH.
Other stuff that made the news locally is that both Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama got campaign contributions from a known Greek lobbyist. There was a long deal about it in Oslobođjenje. I would be interested in knowing if this story is out Stateside, and how much does it matter to people.
Lobby groups often spread the money around in a campaign, it is not unheard of at all for opponents to each recieve something. I would be interested if the same lobby group also contributed to Republicans.
The Greeks have had a big problem with an independant Macedonia for a long time.
Other stuff of interest, the F.B.I. was invited to help in the investigation of an assasination in Republika Srpska. The man assasinated was the victim of a car bomb and there just are not enough clues. This was back in September.
Also worth noting, Mario's Cyberspace Station has a bad virus. I can't even access them here because of that. They are one of the best sources for news of the region too, so that is a real shame. He puts in EVERYTHING. The virus has been present at least the last three or four days that I know of.
# posted by Katja R. @ 3:18 AM 
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You would have to look very, very hard for any mention of the efforts of Greek lobbyists, or of the candidate's positions on Macedonia--or anything else related to the region, for that matter.
I'm sorry to read about the rise in juvenile crime. I'm going to respectfully disagree with you about the positive effects of religious instruction; for now I'll just add that in the context of Bosnia, where religion-equals-ethnicity to a large degree, I wonder what sort of greater civic good would be accomplished by putting MORE stress on religious teachings. Curious as to your thoughts.
PS Stay safe!
I'm sorry to read about the rise in juvenile crime. I'm going to respectfully disagree with you about the positive effects of religious instruction; for now I'll just add that in the context of Bosnia, where religion-equals-ethnicity to a large degree, I wonder what sort of greater civic good would be accomplished by putting MORE stress on religious teachings. Curious as to your thoughts.
PS Stay safe!
@Kirk, I think it depends on who does the religious education and how. If you have something that mostly is aimed at furthering civilized behavior, towards not only members of one's own religion, but members of others, then fine, otherwise well how Tito did things wasn't so bad.
Tito did not oppress religion in the way it was repressed in what used to be the Soviet Union. They had Socialism here, not Communism and there is a big difference.
I do think the American model of separation of church or other religious bodies and government is not a bad model. I do not think religious education belongs in public schools. I think it belongs in separate places.
You do raise a valid point about extremism being taught, but the fact is that the extremism was more fostered by politicians than by actual religious leaders.
The problem with religious education a lot of places has been that ritual tends to outweigh principle. Principles like treating people decently whoever they are, if backed up by belief are not a bad thing. Ritual, meh I really don't care about all that boogety boogety unless it is done nicely. :). That goes for whatever religion.
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Tito did not oppress religion in the way it was repressed in what used to be the Soviet Union. They had Socialism here, not Communism and there is a big difference.
I do think the American model of separation of church or other religious bodies and government is not a bad model. I do not think religious education belongs in public schools. I think it belongs in separate places.
You do raise a valid point about extremism being taught, but the fact is that the extremism was more fostered by politicians than by actual religious leaders.
The problem with religious education a lot of places has been that ritual tends to outweigh principle. Principles like treating people decently whoever they are, if backed up by belief are not a bad thing. Ritual, meh I really don't care about all that boogety boogety unless it is done nicely. :). That goes for whatever religion.
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