Croatians of Vojvodina

Why Croatian Americans will vote for John Kerry
 

Dear Nenad:

I'm Drucilla Badurina, President of Badurina & Associates. We are an advisory firm dealing with Euro-Atlantic international relations, business and economic issues. From 1998-2001, our main focus was United States-Croatia relations. Perhaps you might remember me. Many Croatians, Croatian Americans and Croatians worldwide are aware of us because of our work during that period. (Web site: http://badurina.com)

Since that time, we have worked on other projects, but Croatia will always be a special area of interest. In fact, I'm working on a book about US-Croatia relations.

However, the focal point of our current project, the most critical work of our lifetime, is helping to elect John Kerry and John Edwards.

You wrote an excellent personal reminiscence op-ed piece for John Kerry a true Croatian Friend that preceded Kerry's statement in remembrance of Croatia's Statehood Day (Politics-21 Sep-04).

I don't believe that some Croatian Americans realize the dreadful consequences another Bush-Cheney term will have on their lives here in the United States (e.g. their children and grandchildren having to pay off Bush's projected deficit of $2.33 TRILLION) but also the extremely negative impact it will have on Croatia and US-Croatia relations.

To enlighten and inform them, I have written an article, "Why Croatian-Americans Who Care About Croatia Should Vote for John Kerry and John Edwards" and am submitting it to CROWN for posting.

Thanks. Good to see that CROWN keeps on rolling.

Regards,
Drucilla Badurina
Email: badurina@aol.com
Phone: 540.372.4512

WHY CROATIAN AMERICANS WHO CARE ABOUT CROATIA SHOULD VOTE FOR JOHN KERRY AND JOHN EDWARDS
 

By
Drucilla Badurina
President, Badurina & Associates

Here in the United States, the first Tuesday of November will mark the most important election in our lifetime. It’s a choice between George W. Bush and Dick Cheney and a continuation of lies, hypocrisy and the erosion of our democratic rights, values and ideals OR John Kerry and John Edwards and truth, integrity and upholding those democratic rights, values and ideals.
It’s a choice between Bush-Cheney and four more years of government of, by and for corporate cronies like Enron and Halliburton OR Kerry-Edwards and government of the people, by the people and for the people. But Croatian Americans who care about Croatia should also vote to replace Bush-Cheney because of the imperial hubris of their relations with the Republic of Croatia and other nations that has made the United States less respected throughout the world. Seeking to deflect from their horrible failure and the increasing quagmire of Bush’s war in Iraq, Bush constantly refers to the coalition of the willing in Iraq, frequently mentioning Poland (less frequently mentioning those other military giants: Palau, Tonga, the Solomon Islands, etc.) as if that makes his preemptive war more palatable. However, unlike Bush’s assertions that the US is joined in this war by a coalition that wanted to liberate Iraq, find WMD’s or any of the other 24 ever changing reasons he has used to defend the indefensible, Poland’s Foreign Minister was brutally honest about why Poland was part of the coalition. It was not for liberation or democracy but for a share of Iraq’s oil fields---to the victors belong
the important spoils. So, 13 Polish soldiers died for oil. (Now, the US is upset by Poland’s defense minister’s recent statement announcing the withdrawal of its troops from Iraq beginning in early 2005.) Fortunately, Croatia’s government didn’t attach itself to the coalition of the coerced and greedy, although pressure to provide even a token force was probably applied. So, unlike Poland and Italy for example, which lost troops, Croatia was spared the agony of its soldiers returning in “transfer tubes” (aka body bags) or without arms and legs.
No matter how one feels about the International Criminal Court (ICC—not to be confused with the ICTY----the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia), George W. Bush reached the heights of hypocrisy and bullying about this issue. In 2002, Bush formally renounced his predecessor’s signature on the Rome Statue of the ICC. Last year, the Bush administration cut off military aid to 35 friendly countries, which included Croatia, because of their support of the ICC and refusal to exempt US soldiers from ICC jurisdiction.
However, after the Abu Ghraib scandal and abuse of Guantanamo held prisoners became front page news worldwide, the Bush administration, in its usual flip-flop method, withdrew a U.N. Security Council resolution to exempt American soldiers from prosecution overseas and renounced the ratification process of
the ICC. Croatians will remember how, in 2003, Bush’s administration attempted, through a legal challenge at the WTO, to browbeat the European Union into lifting its moratorium on the sale of genetically modified (GM) seeds and foods in Europe. Croatians, like most Europeans, are concerned about possible harmful health
consequences of GM food. Also, unlike some American corporate fast food mind sets, every European country, including Croatia, has its own cuisine which is an integral part of its culture.
Acting like a cheerleader for American agribusiness and chemical corporations, Bush bullied Europe by fraudulently equating their refusal to grow GM crops for export to creating millions of starving people in less developed countries. (Actually, the hunger problem is more a result of how farmland is used rather than having any basis in the availability of GM food.)
Then the Bush administration tried persuasion by invoking cost savings which was another lie. GM seeds are more expensive because they are patented. That means that farmers cannot save new seeds for another growing season because they belong to the seed company! (There is already a ludicrous lawsuit filed by a large agribusiness company against a farmer whose fields sprouted plants from wind blown seeds of neighboring farms.) Forced to buy new seeds every year would not help but further hurt subsistence farmers.
However, Bush and his administration refuse to accept the reality of any issue, so their policies and plans, or lack thereof, result in terrible consequences for the United States and the rest of the world.

Croatian Americans need to face the fact that another four years of Bush’s policies could seriously cripple United States-Croatia relations. If you care about strong future US-Croatia relations, a US relationship with Croatia that is enlightened, practical and respectful of Croatia’s sovereignty, vote for John Kerry and John Edwards on November 2.
 

THE CROATIAN ACADEMY OF AMERICA, INC. P.O. BOX 1767,
GRAND CENTRAL STATION, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10163
www.croatianacademy.org  e-mail: croatacad@aol.com 

1 9 5 3 – 2 0 0 4

INVITATION TO THE FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL DINNER

You are cordially invited to the Annual Dinner for members
and friends of The Croatian Academy of America

KEYNOTE ADDRESS:
Karlo Mirth
(President 1958-1968, Honorary President for Life)

TIME: 7:00 pm Reception / 8:00 pm Dinner
DATE: Saturday, October 30, 2004

PLACE: Croatian Cultural Center/Sts.Cyril & Methodius Church
502 West 41st Street, New York NY 10036

COST: $50.00 / $25.00 students (wine and soft drinks included)

RSVP: Vedran Joseph Nazor 212.957.5808 or e-mail:vnazor@yahoo.com 
_________________________________________________________________________

 

FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL DINNER
THE CROATIAN ACADEMY OF AMERICA

Annual Dinner of The Croatian Academy of America will held at 7:00 pm on Saturday, October 30, 2004 at the Croatian Cultural Center in Manhattan, 502 West 41st Street. Guest speaker will be Karlo Mirth, managing editor of the Academy. Annual Dinner will follow Fifty-First Annual General Assembly to be held that afternoon. During the Assembly members will review the work during the previous year followed by the election of the new Officers and Executive Council Members. Plans for the upcoming year will be proposed and discussed. The Croatian Academy of America is a nonprofit educational organization founded in 1953 whose purpose is to educate the public about Croatian literature, culture, language and history. It publishes annually Journal of Croatian Studies, which is distributed throughout most of the English-speaking world including all the major national libraries of Europe and most of the cultural institutions in Croatia. “Croatian Language from the Eleventh Century to the Computer
Ageâ€? in Volume 25-26 (1984-85) was dedicated to Croatian language and written by Karlo Mirth, Journal’s Managing Editor. Volume 32-33 (1991-92) covered Croatia’s Independence and Homeland War. Academy has approximately 300 members throughout United States and Canada. Executive Council meetings are held in New York City. Croatian Radio Club - New York provides free storage for its Journals and archives. The most important thing for the Croatian Academy of America is to continue publishing scholarly works in English on Croatian
culture, history and language and distribute it throughout world. To learn more about please visit website: www.croatianacademy.org 
or e-mail: croatacad@aol.com . or write:

THE CROATIAN ACADEMY OF AMERICA, INC. P.O. BOX 1767,
GRAND CENTRAL STATION, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10163

Ana Vidovic Giving a Master Class in Guitar

www.AnaVidovic.com

Hi Everyone!
Ana will be giving a masterclass in ohio on nov 20 if you are interested please contact me at lubabooking@hotmail.com 

There are only a few spaces left ......

Thank you,
Suzanne
443 691 3484
Luba Management

ana@anavidovic.com

Adult Croatian classes in New York

Adult Croatian classes will be offered at Sts. Cyril & Methodius Church starting, Thursday October 7, 2004 at 6:00pm. The class will be for beginners. There will be a total of 10 classes from 10/7/04 to 12/16/04. The classes will be held every Thursday from 6:00 to 7:30 pm at Sts. Cyril & Methodius Church, which is located at 502 W. 41st Street, New York, NY 10036 (btw. 10th & 11th Ave.). The fee is $200.00 for the semester.

If you are interested in attending, please contact me at 516-698-7440.

Thank you,
Anita Skara

Miroslav Volf, Croatian Theologian, Lecture at Georgetown

The following appears in today's Hoya, the student newspaper of Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and summarizes a lecture given by noted theologian Miroslav Volf. John Peter Kraljic. Esq.

Croatian Theologian Calls For Empathy to Victims of War

By Leonora Stevens
Hoya Staff Writer
Friday, October 8, 2004; Page A5

Pasha Chandra/The Hoya
Miroslav Volf, a theology professor at Yale University Divinity School and a former Yugoslav prisoner, spoke on compassion as part of the Pacem in Terris series Tuesday in the ICC Auditorium.

After speaking of the traumatic aftermath of his abuse in a Yugoslavian prison, Miroslav Volf, professor of Systematic Theology at Yale University Divinity School, urged audience members to accept and move on from painful memories of the past in ICC Auditorium Tuesday.

Volf, the second speaker in the Pacem in Terris lecture series, discussed the need to embrace painful memories in light of his own experiences being interrogated by the Yugoslavian government in 1984.

"I can see myself as someone who has been terrorized," Volf said. "Or as someone who has been delivered by God and given a new life."

Volf discussed how memory can serve as a shield against evil, generating solidarity among victims while also remarking on how memories of the horrors of the past can help generate resistance against the horrors of the present.

"To struggle against evil," Volf said, "We must empathize with its victims."

He also remarked on memory's ability to create a false sense of identity. Referring to the conflict in Bosnia rooted in a hatred over memories of past wrongs, Volf pointed out how memory can prod victims into violence instead of spurring them to fight for justice.

"We need to help memory become a bridge between enemies instead of a ravine separating them," Volf said.

Volf described the degree of freedom we have in regard to our memories and offered the suggestion that if salvation lies in the memory of wrongs committed, it is not the memories themselves but what we do with them that is important.

"We are not shaped by memories," Volf said. "We ourselves shape the memories that shape us."

Volf frequently referred to quotes by Holocaust survivor and author Elie Wiesel, as he discussed the need of victims to speak out about their suffering in order to achieve personal healing.

He also touched on the notorious unreliability of memories and the fact that victims are certainly no exception to the rule.

Volf reflected on how his memory of the brutality of the Yugoslavian officers who terrorized him has grown over time. Although the facts remain the same, he said he has tended to portray them as larger villains than he knew they were, which in turn has resulted in doing them an injustice.

"Truthful memory, not just memory, is necessary to salvation," Volf said.

Volf said that indifference to the suffering of others is also a problem for those who have experienced significant suffering. He also said those who have suffered are prone to suffering again, either as victim or as perpetrator.

"As they seek to protect themselves, victims are not immune from wrongdoing," Volf said. "Perpetrators are often recruited among martyrs."

A native of Croatia and an internationally respected theologian, Volf regularly teaches in Central and Eastern Europe and has been involved in international ecumenical dialogues with organizations including the Vatican Council for Promotion of Christian Unity.

The Pacem in Terris lecture series commemorates Pope John XXIII's 1963 Papal Encyclical.
 

American College of Management and Technology

Dear Sir,

My name is Drazenka Franic and I work for the American College of Management and Technology. Mrs Katarina
Deletis has recommended that I notify you of my visit. Attached please find an announcement in both English and Croatian about my visit to the Croatian church in
Astoria.

Best regards,

Drazenka Franic
Marketing & College Relations
Tel: +385 20 435-555
Fax: +385 20 435-577

U nedjelju 17. listopada, 2004. godine u Hrvatsku zajednicu, Most Precious Blood Church, Astoria, NY, dolazi predstavnik American College of Management and Technology iz Dubrovniku, Draženka Franic. Gospoda Franic ce upoznati hrvatsku mladež s mogucnostima studiranja na engleskom jeziku u Dubrovniku i stjecanja americke i hrvatske diplome. American College of Management and Technology je odjel Rochester Institute of Technology iz Rochestera poznatog kao RIT. Americki college postoji u Dubrovniku vec gotovo citavo desetljece. Zbog toga, buduci studenti i roditelji ne propustite prigodu izravno se upoznati sa programom studija u nedjelju 17. listopada u 12:00 sati u prostorijama Hrvatske Crkve u Astoriji!


On Sunday, October 17, 2004, a representative of the American College of Management and Technology from Dubrovnik, Croatia, Mrs. Draženka Franic, will be visiting the Croatian Community of the Most Precious Blood Church in Astoria, NY. Mrs. Franic will introduce the Croatian youth with the possibilities of getting a college education in English in Dubrovnik and earning both a Croatian and an American degree. The American College of Management and Technology (ACMT) is a division of the Rochester Institute of Technology from Rochester, NY, more popularly known as RIT. ACMT has been in Dubrovnik for almost a decade. For this reason, future students and parents as well should not miss this unique opportunity to find out more about the program of study offered at ACMT on Sunday, October 17, 2004 at noon in the hall of the Croatian Church in Astoria.
 

Zrinko Ogresta at The 27th Starz Denver International Film Festival

P l e a s e s h a r e w i t h o t h e r s

Dear Friends,
The 27th Starz Denver International Film Festival takes place October 14 - 24, 2004 at the Starz FilmCenter on the Auraria campus. More than 180 films from around the world will be showcased, including HERE, a film from Croatia.

Since many films sell out early, filmgoers are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance. Beginning October 1, the public can purchase tickets by phone (1-800-480-8566), at the Starz FilmCenter box office (11 a.m. ­ 9 p.m.), and online at www.denverfilm.org.

A comprehensive festival schedule is featured on www.denverfilm.org. On October 1, the schedule will be published as a special pull-out section in The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News. It will also be available at area Blockbuster stores.

Please note that there is no late seating. If you have any questions -- or to order group tickets before September 28 - please contact me at 303-274-4889 or bmillman@ecentral.com.

Sincerely,
Barbara Millman,
Community Outreach Coordinator
Denver Film Society


HERE
Croatia (2003)
Directed by: Zrinko Ogresta
The grand-prize winner at the 2003 Pula Film Festival, this montage of contemporary Croatia, is dark but poignant. A series of sketches features a dozen characters attempting to find meaning in a war-torn and otherwise desolate country.
The first episode takes place during the war against Serbia in a house where militiamen taunt a crazed vagabond, and even though one soldier comes to the poor man's aid, this same soldier also ends up hurting the man the most. Later, the soldier reappears, wandering aimlessly through his former home, which now is inhabited by his wife and her new husband.
In other stories, a young heroin addict destroys her home while desperately looking for a fix and a television actor gives the bottle his honor and love. The final story portrays the lives of a father and his teenage son, the boy urging the restless but exhausted father to go to bed, the father too lost in the bitterness of the past to sleep.
The six mini-stories are held together by graceful cinematography and a rich, classical music score. A residing image in Here depicts the lights going out in a house while the Croatian national anthem plays in the background, acknowledging both hopelessness and the desire for hope.
Subtitled in English
Saturday, October 16, 3:15 p.m.
Sunday, October 17, 4 p.m.

Premiering Ines Wurth's One Woman Show

LOS ANGELES SHOWINGS

OF

FREEDOM FROM DESPAIR A SUCCESS!

Milan & Sonja Vukovic, Brenda Brkusic, son Vukovic, John Savage, Nenad Bach at the St. Anthony's Parish screening.

On Sunday, October 3, 2004 The Croatian National Association and St. Anthony’s Parish Center of Los Angeles sponsored a screening of Brenda Brkusic’s acclaimed documentary film Freedom from Despair. Three hundred people participated in Catholic mass before attending the screening, which was the largest attendance the church has welcomed since Easter. After mass the Croatian children’s school sold over 200 delicious, hot lunches to the guests for their own fundraiser. Milan Vukovic, the President of the Croatian National Association opened the event with remarks about the film and why the Croatian National Association found it important to help Ms. Brkusic with this fundraiser and other fundraisers around the country. Mr. Vukovic urged those who were touched by the film to contribute tax-deductible donations after the screening to help Ms. Brkusic with the film. Ms. Brkusic was then introduced on stage and gave an emotional speech about the making of the film, thanking many individuals for entering her life, supporting her dreams and helping to bring justice to those Croatians who suffered under communism and during the recent war. She said “you all are strong, beautiful, wonderful people, and you truly deserve to have a film dedicated to you.â€?

The largest donation of one thousand dollars came from a young woman who said that the film meant a lot to her because her father had passed away two years ago. With tears in her eyes, she remarked “I wish I could donate more. Our parents passed their stories of suffering onto us and that feeling lives in us through them. Now we must pass it on to our children.â€? This film’s purpose is to do exactly that while also educating non-Croatians of the Croatian struggle.

The audience was so captivated by the film that you could hear a pin drop in the hall and viewers cried, laughed, and even clapped during the film. One woman of non-Croatian decent commented to Ms. Brkusic after the film, “It was moving to be in the company of Croatians. I could feel their pain as your father and others told their story. It took great courage and perseverance to make such a powerful film.â€? Ms. Brkusic would like to thank all of those who graciously attended the screening, made donations and reserved copies of the film. The screening was so successful that the Croatian National Association and St. Anthony’s church held a second screening on October 17, 2004 to accommodate more viewers. Also in attendance for the October 17 screening were renowned actor John Savage from the academy award winning film Deer Hunter and narrator in Freedom From Despair, acclaimed musician and composer Nenad Bach from New York who wrote the film score for Freedom From Despair, as well as Croatian Counsel General Sanja Bujas Juraga from Los Angeles and Croatian Ambassador Neven Jurica from Washington D.C.

On October 10, actor John Savage and Brenda Brkusic attend the ARPA International Film Festival Awards Gala after the film’s screened in the festival. On hand were photographers from Variety and pictures of Brenda Brkusic and John Savage can been seen on CelbrityPhotos.com at the following link
http://www.celebrityphoto.com/scripts/search/search.pl?keyword=Arpa+International+Film&search_type=EXACT
as well as at Getty Images.com at
http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/FrameSet.aspxs=EventImagesSearchState|1|0|30|0|0|1|0|0|0|51442300|0|0|0|0|0||0|0|0|0&p=3.
On October 13 filmmaker Brenda Brkusic screened Freedom from Despair at Marymount College after speaking to the students about leadership and filmmaking. The students and faculty were enthralled by the film, posing many questions after the seminar and the film. Marymount College President, Dr. Thomas McFadden commented, "the film showing was greatly enhanced by having the author/director present and willing to respond to questions at the conclusion of the film. She brought a personal commitment and involvement that supplied a strong emotional impact for all those in attendance. The viewers were clearly caught up in the drama of the documentary, and raised significant questions about the history presented as well as the process of producing such an important film with little financial backing. The college students in particular received an important lesson in history, but even more significantly an important lesson in dedication to a project and what can be accomplished through such dedication. I was thoroughly involved in the documentary, and came away with an increased admiration for the Croatian people and their struggles to overcome both a Communist regime and Serbian domination. The film reinforced my sense of the power of a people to preserve its culture and political autonomy."

On October 15 filmmaker Brenda Brkusic, actor John Savage, composer Nenad Bach and Milan Vukovic, president of the Croatian National Association attended Heather Mills McCartney and Paul McCartney’s gala Adopt-A-Minefield fundraiser at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, while the night before the Oct. 3 showing there was a pre-screening party at a local LA tavern organized by Croatian National Association Vice President, Vido Artukovic. Croatians and friends filled the tavern in celebration of the film where Brenda was able to meet guests from Florida and Australia who flew out to Los Angeles to see the film. The film, which has been accepted to top film festivals around the world including the Amnesty International Film Festival, has recently been named a finalist in the Anti-Defamation League’s Dore Schary Awards.

Screenings of the film have been confirmed for New York for Sunday, November 21, 2004 at the Croatian Church in Manhattan at 1:30 PM and for Windsor, Ontario for Sunday, December 12, 2004 at the Croatian Church in association with the parish’s annual appreciation dinner. November and December screenings for Chicago, Cleveland, St. Louis and Seattle are in the process of being confirmed. For more information or if you would like to assist with helping to promote or organize the film showing in your city or if you would like to make a donation to support the film, please visit www.freedomfromdespair.com  or contact Milan Vukovic at 818-610-3388.