Bosnian Bulletin #12

NOTE: We recently had our computer fixed and lost all of the information in our e-mail program. We have tried to reconstruct our list of e-mail addresses. We also lost all our e-mail messages -including those we had not yet responded to. If you had sent a message to us, please accept our apologies for not responding to you. Please write again!!

November 9, 1999

Hello from Sarajevo!!

The past weeks, since I wrote our last update, have been the busiest weeks we've had since we arrived in Bosnia! It's been good to feel very involved in activities and work here in Sarajevo, after feeling so uninvolved in anything last winter in Banja Luka! In this update, we'll give a bit of a report on the kind of work we've been involved with to give you more of an idea of what we do (we'll try to make the next update less of a report).

October 12, marked the official opening of the Alternative Peace Initiative (AMI), a local group, which we at Face to Face have been helping to get started (advising them, translating for them, giving them use of our e-mail, fax, phone, etc). Basically, they are the first attempt at a peace institute in Sarajevo. They have three areas of focus: Center for Peace Research, Center for Peace Studies and Center for Peacemaking. They are still working out of our office as they have been for the past six months. We have enjoyed getting to know them and wish them great success as peacemakers here in Bosnia-Herzegovina!

On October 21st, we organized an interreligious round table discussion for a delegation of Muslims and Christians from England. Our panels included individuals working in the field of interreligious dialogue, a group of women discussing women's issues here in BiH, a representative from the British embassy (this was at their request -I think the group was a little shocked to discover how seemingly uninformed and pessimistic their country's representation is!), and representatives of the three major religious communities -Muslim, Catholic and Orthodox. It is always an accomplishment t o get these people together and we were so happy that they participated! John and I coordinated everything for the day -from contacting people for the panels, to buying snacks and making coffee for the breaks, to moderating the discussions! The day went very well and we felt a real sense of accomplishment.

One week later, on the 27th, we helped organize the annual "Spirit of Assisi" Interreligious Meeting, commemorating the 1988 meeting of religious leaders in Assisi, Italy. Representatives of all religious communities in Sarajevo read a passage from their holy books and shared a meditation or prayer. Pontanima, our interreligious choir, the Serbian Orthodox Church choir, and an ensemble of Franciscan Catholics performed songs from each religious tradition . Unfortunately, the local Baptist pastor (to represent Reformed Christians/Protestants) was not able to attend, so fra Ivo asked John and I to fill in!!! He selected a quote by Menno Simons, which John read in English and I read in local language! So nerve-racking!!! Afterwards, at a reception/promotion for Pontanima's CD "The Mystery of Peace" all the participants of the meeting mingled and talked. That is the first step to fostering understanding, which reduces fear, which creates hate. It was a wonderful evening.

Thanks to a generous donation from my home church, Salem Mennonite Church (Freeman, SD), we recently hired a local carpenter to build 3 bookshelf units for the start of our peace library. The shelves are beautiful and of very good quality. We have several boxes of books on religion, theology, peace studies, conflict & mediation, communication, etc, which are now on the shelves. These types of materials are very difficult to find in this region and it is our goal to make them available for all people. We are hoping to translate some of the most important English and German works into local language. If you are interested in sending books or money to buy or translate books, please let us know!

In addition, we are planning for the premiere of the "Bosnian Te Deum", an oratorio for choir, soloists and 24-piece orchestra, which was composed by Sarajevo-native and Pontanima member, Mario Katavic. The "Te Deum", is a prayer of thankfulness for peace and a challenge for peace in Bosnia and the world in the next millennium. The concert, on December 19th, will be performed by our interreligious choir, Pontanima, and the Banja Luka orchestra! It will be the first concert performed by musicians from both Sarajevo and Banja Luka since the war! We are busy fund-raising for the concert and rehearsing with Pontanima.

Those are some (not all!) of the things we've been busy with at Face to Face. Best of all, we feel like working with fra Ivo Markovic (director of Face to Face) is becoming easier. We have such a great respect for him and feel that he is coming to understand us, too. We are developing a smoother rhythm of working together and a deep friendship, which is precious to us.

Our life outside of the office is also full. We feel well connected here in Sarajevo and can always find something to do in the city. We've hosted a number of people coming through Sarajevo and have enjoyed meeting all of them. This weekend we expect a visit from Rod King, an MCC Germany colleague who is working with refugees from Bosnia. We love visitors! (hint! hint!)

We have a new language teacher and are back to having lessons once or twice a week. With our current language skills, we are able to survive and make small conversation with people (more than that if they're patient) but are eager to improve so we are better able to express ourselves.

The weather has been unseasonably warm until the last couple of days, which have been gray and cold and rainy. We keep thinking about the holiday seasons there in the States that are not celebrated here. Halloween, for example, is not celebrated, but All Saints Day on Nov. 1st, is. Catholics and Orthodox in particular go to the cemeteries to light candles and clean the graves of their loved ones. We went to the cemeteries that night and took some photos of all the little candles lit up. Beautiful!

Well, perhaps that is enough (or too much!) for this bulletin. We hope that gives you a little clearer picture of the kind of work we're doing here. We are really enjoying ourselves -our work , our friends, the city of Sarajevo, the countryside of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and all of the experiences that come with living in another culture. Thanks for your support -without it, we could not be here!

Za mir! (For peace!)

Karin & John

John & Karin Kaufman Wall
Interreligious Service
Splitska 39
71000 Sarajevo
Bosnia-Herzegovina
387 71 207 860 (home)
387 71 442 468 (office)
jandk@bih.net.ba (personal)
ociuoci@bih.net.ba (office)


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