Nachricht Nummer : 197 Übertragungszeit : 3 min 35 sec Nachricht von : WAM@ZAMIR-ZG.ZER.sub.org Betrifft : Zagreb Diary 17 July, 1993 Erstellungsdatum : 21.07.1993 13:37:00 S+2 Realname: Wam Kat Zagreb Diary 17 July, 1993 Dobar dan, The more I think about the Pakrac project, the more I see the problems we are facing there. The problems at first hand seem to be rather pragmatic, money and materials, but they aren't, I think it is easier to get building material than to build peace, it will be a long long process of many of years. One year ago I would have thought that it was possible to organise things as joint meetings and both side football tournaments, children together on holidays, etc. Maybe even putting flowers on the checkpoints in big peace symbols. And today it all look so simple, I can pass the checkpoint without even noticing it, nema problema. But how foolish is reality, this line which I am passing is a line of blood. It is, not only because of the minefields, a larger wall than the Berlin wall ever could be. If you pass that line from Croatia side you entering the twilight zone, so called because it has no electricity and no water. If you pass it from the Serbian side, you entering an outpost from Western Europe, with all his luxes and products. If you would be dropped in this area and didn't know anything about the history you would probably feel more need to help the Serbians in this are instead of the Croatians. But after a year here you come in a kind of paradox. I have lived for over 1 year in Croatia, I have heard the stories, and it doesn't matter if I believe them all or not, that's not the real question. The true is anyway a political interpretation. Example of the past, near Pakrac there was a concentration camp of NDH, in which the number of killed Serbs are somewhere between 70.000 up to 900.000, I wonder if somebody knows the real figure. But that doesn't matter, the feeling of the people, who are now alive, not the fact's will reconcile people, but the trust and the trust is gone, especially on Croatian side. People on the Croatian side in Pakrac feel themselves left alone by their Serbian neighbours. What made them, the Serbian population, leave them alone is not the question, again it is a political interpretation of facts, a battle which probably can go on until the end of times. Walking through Pakrac is not walking on mines, but walking on eggs, every step can hurt somebody, every step can destroy more than already is destroyed. It is living and understanding the feeling why normal people living in a peaceful place as Pakrac suddenly became soldiers. It is the story you here in all the warzones. The were carpenters, shopkeepers, administrators, farmers, factory workers, teachers and god knows what, but now they are ex-soldiers in a country in which the war is still going on, just a couple of hundred kilometer west and east again artillery attacks took place on the Croatian town and villages of Karlovac, Sibinik, Zadar, Zupanja and surroundings. And a couple of hundred kilometres south the war in BiH is going on. And we fools jump over the front-line if it is not existing. When I talk it over with some people in Zagreb and listening to their reactions I hear a bit the feeling that they describe the reactions of the Serbian side which I get are classified under "Wir haben es nicht gewusst" (We didn't knew it), maybe more "Wir haben es so nicht gewollt" (We didn't wanted it this way), both phrases which have been heard a lot after the capitulation of the Nazi's. "Aber es ist passiert" (But it has taken place) would be a reaction in that case. My dear major on the "other side" is member of SDS, the Serbian Democratic Party, also the party of Knin and the party in power in the Serbian part of BiH. He says he wants to change the system, the party from the inside. He use to be vice-president of the Krajina republic. He must have know a lot, something you realise yourself when you have passed the line of blood again. And not only we, foreigners, are crossing the line, according to the official migrations figure from the Croat side a lot more people went from the Serbian side to the Croat side than the other way round. And that creates another feeling of the people, cause most of this returnees "from the other side" get a house and a job, and most of the people who stayed on this side has no house and no job. Try to figure that one out. No, building houses is a lot earsier than building peace. We from Western Europe like to forget as soon as possible, this war must be over and forgotten, we have to build the unity of Europe. But look at Europe, look at my home continent, not particular an example of peace, brotherhood and unity at the time being. Have we forgot everything what has happened in the past, have we forgive our enemies.... Pakrac is a town in which all this comes together. This is not going to be a simple project, also not a project which is done by one or two organisations. You may asked why in this town, there are thousand of other places, maybe not just like this, but just as destroyed like this. I know my answer for myself, because I like to build peace, rather than I like to build houses. And my private reason, the town reminds me on my home town a bit. But for sure we could have found ourselves a more easier place to start rebuilding projects, some how I believe however than with your help out there in the world we can do it together....... Bok I Mir from Zagreb, Wam ------------------------------------------------------ Zagreb Diary can be found on a lot of different electronic networks, it is copyright free and can be ported to any network or other means of communication you like, but please drop my a line, you can reach by sending a message to wam@zamir-zg.comlink.de or wam@zamir-zg.comlink.apc.org. Zagreb Diary is dedicated to Tyche, Pjort and Rik, so that they found out what there father have been doing all that time in Zagreb. Financial support for Grassroot relief work in Croatia or BiH can be send to Kollektief Rampenplan (atn. Lylette, Postbox 780, 6130 AN Sittard, Netherlands, tel:. +31-46-524803 and fax: +31-46-516460 or to Zagrebacka Banka, Zagreb, accountnr.: 2440291594, to Kat, Pieter Jan Herman Fredrik, Brace Domany 6 6fl nr3, 41000 Zagreb. Please notify me if you send or have send any donations. ## CrossPoint v2.1 ##