SERVING CHILDREN: ANDREA JAEGER & MAJA MURIC

By Katarina Tepesh

In the 1980's Andrea Jaeger was a tennis phenomenon - she turned pro at the age of 14 and was the #2 ranked female tennis player in the world. When, at the age of 19, a career-ending injury set her on a new path, Andrea gave her earnings and pension to co-found The Silver Lining Foundation, benefiting children with life threatening illnesses.

This year, Andrea released autobiography, "FIRST SERVICE - Following God's Calling and Finding Life's Purpose" www.firstservicebook.com

"In our nonprofit organization, in one of our many programs, children participate in weeklong sessions at our 18,000-square-foot permanent facility, built in Aspen specifically for children with life threatening illnesses. For these youngsters, weary of sterile hospitals, painful procedures, and the loneliness and trauma of dealing with a life-threatening disease like cancer, the Ranch and activities provide a welcome relief amid the beauty and serenity of the Colorado Rockies. While some children are from loving families with great community and parental support, others arrive from foster care and harsh, broken family environments. We help children find peace, have fun and share similarity of their experiences with fellow cancer patients," says Andrea. www.silverliningfoundation.org

Part of Andrea's team is also another former tennis player MAJA MURIC, born in Zagreb, in 1974. Since 1995, Maja serves as the International Program Coordinator and camp videographer at the foundation.

"In 1994 when I met Maja at the Hilton Head, South Carolina, Maja spent the evening passionately describing why the programs were needed in her native country. She told me of bombings, mortar shells and sniper shootings, and how this had an effect on the country's children. The exclusive vacation environment of Hilton Head Island was a far cry from her homeland - war-battered cities with buildings that were reduced to rubble; hospitals lacking basic supplies; shortages in food and clothing - but Maja refused to forget the children so desperately in need. Maja felt assured I was going to be someone who could help make a difference," recalls Andrea.

Equally important, Maja told Andrea her own deeply painful story. "Maja's mother had tried to abort her when she found out she was pregnant with her. The abortion plan didn't work and Maja's entry into the world was not very welcomed by her natural family. Maja's mom left her when she was eight and Maja's dad soon after that, even though he stayed in her life in some ways. Maja's grandparents raised her, but it was still not a good situation. Maja was severely abused by her father - whenever he was around - throughout her childhood and adolescence. The experiences were so traumatic that she blocked many of them out in order to survive. Despite all the pain and suffering she endured, her spirit was never broken. Maja had a heart as big as a mountain."

By autumn of 1994, Maja and Andrea arrived in Zagreb to deliver medical supplies, clothing and toys in excess of $50,000 to give to children in Croatia and Bosnia. The cargo vessel was paid by GORAN IVANISEVIC.

For international children's programs, please send your tax-deductible donations to: Little Stars, PO Box 11569, Aspen, Colorado 81612. Federal Tax ID is: 86-0947944

Annemarie Miskovic Named Associate Head Swimming Coach at ASU

This appears in today's Arizona Republic concerning Annemarie Miskovic of Rijeka. John Kraljic

Arizona State swimming head coach Michael Chasson announced the promotions of Annemarie Miskovic to associate head coach and Phil Spiniello to assistant coach.

Miskovic, from Rijeka, Croatia, graduated from University of Zagreb in 1996 and earned a master's degree in motor learning and development from ASU in 1998.

She joined the ASU staff last year after coaching for four years at the University of Virginia.

Spiniello was a graduate assistant last year for the Sun Devils and also coaches high school participants in Sun Devil Aquatics, a year-round club team.

Spiniello was a four-year letterman on the swimming team at Franklin and Marshall College.

Blaskic Judgement Overturned

This is the original English version of an article
that appeared in issue 753 of Globus, 15.10.04

Blaskic Judgement Overturned due to Judge Jorda's
Errors

Brian Gallagher

The quashing of the majority of General Blaskic’s
convictions did not rely on new evidence. He was
largely exonerated because of errors the Trial
Chamber judges made and the prosecution not having
proved its case in the first place. Croatian
politicians should request an independent UN inquiry
into the Tribunal, to determine how UN prosecutors and
judges convicted Blaskic in the first place.

Contrary to popular belief, the issue of new evidence
was not as critical to the success of Blaskic’s appeal
so much as errors made by the original Trial Chamber.
Indeed, many international media reports primarily
referred to the criticism of the Trial Chamber by the
Appeals Chamber. London’s The Times pointed out the
Appeals Chamber had “said the court had misinterpreted
the law and punished Blaskic unfairly�. It also
considered there may be implications for the Milosevic
trial, “If the tribunal cannot prove a serving general
had command responsibility for forces in his
territory, it is likely to be more difficult to
establish it for a political leader�.

The New York Times considered the decision a “ strong
reprimand of the work of the lower court, in
particular of the senior justice who presided over it,
Judge Claude Jorda of France.â€? The Independent didn’t
bother mentioning the new evidence at all, stating
that “The ruling dealt a blow to prosecutors involved
in other cases concerning some of the worst ethnic
violence of the Balkan wars in the 1990s, in which two
more Bosnian Croat commanders, Dario Kordic and Mario
Cerkez, are contesting their charges.�

Such reports were based on what the Appeals Chamber
had actually stated in their judgement.

The Appeals Chamber re-affirmed findings made in the
earlier Kupreskic appeal - which was also a
miscarriage of justice concerning Ahmici - presided
over by American Judge Patricia Wald. Essentially,
where the Trial Chamber had made a conviction that
could not have been accepted by any tribunal or where
the evaluation of evidence was “wholly erroneousâ€? it
should be overturned.

The Trial Chamber was criticised on this basis; for
example in blaming Blaskic for Ahmici. The Appeals
Chamber stated that the original trial evidence did
not support the Trial Chamber’s finding that the
Bosnian Army was not preparing for combat in the
Ahmici area; the additional evidence simply confirmed
that. In other words, the Trial Chamber got it wrong
in the first place.

In relation to Blaskic’s order to attack Ahmici, the
Trial Chamber’s assessed it as an order to attack
muslim civilians. This was found to be “wholly
erroneousâ€? and that “no reasonable trier of factâ€?
could have reached that conclusion on the basis of
the evidence before the Trial Chamber. This is very
serious criticism indeed.

Furthermore, the Trial Chamber made errors of law,
which the Appeals Chamber corrected, especially in
regard to ’command responsibility’.

The Trial Chamber had considered that command
responsibility meant that any person who orders an
act, knowing that there is a risk of crimes being
committed is guilty of any such crimes. The Appeals
had a different view: “The knowledge of any kind of
risk, however low, does not suffice for the imposition
of criminal responsibility for serious violations of
international humanitarian law.� They pointed out
that the Trial Chamber seemed to think any military
commander who gave an order was criminally liable, as
there is always a chance crimes could occur.

The Appeals Chambers considered that ‘command
responsibility’ should be applied only when a person
orders an act or omission with the awareness that
there is a substantial likelihood that a crime would
be committed in the execution of that order. This is
a quite major finding, which will have implications
far beyond the Blaskic case, as the western press has
already noted. For Blaskic, it meant that he was not
found responsible for ordering the crimes in Ahmici.

The Appeals Chamber in fact expressed concern that
having found Blaskic guilty of ordering crimes the
Trial Chamber also found him guilty of not preventing
or punishing those crimes. Blaskic it seems was
guilty of not preventing himself from committing
crimes and then not punishing himself for them.
Little wonder the Appeals Chamber threw this lunacy
out.

It was also confirmed that the Prosecutors had
breached Tribunal rules by not providing the defence
with documents they were entitled to have. This was
rectified during the appeal, but it points to an
ethical problem in the Prosecutor’s office, showing
they are not quite the moral force they portray
themselves as. One wonders how often they withhold
evidence.

In light of the severe rebuke the Appeals Chamber has
given to the Trial Chamber, it is hard to believe that
Blaskic’s original conviction was some kind of
accident.

The Croatian government is now in an excellent
position to press forward their case in the
international community. The Blaskic acquittal gives
credibility to the concerns regarding the case against
the Bosnian Croats recently sent to the Hague and the
role of Croatia that it alleges.

Zagreb should do the same over the indictments of
Generals Gotovina, Cermak and Markac for the American
controlled Operation Storm. Like the Blaskic case,
its fairly clear - from evidence in the public domain
- that these men are innocent.

Those indictments should be dropped now; must we wait
years for an Appeals Chamber to overturn their
inevitable guilty verdicts?

Further, Zagreb should request an independent UN
investigation into the entire performance of the
tribunal during the Blaskic affair. As part of such a
request, all Court documents in the case not made
public should be made public, so that the public has a
complete picture.

If Croatia can investigate why documents were not
handed over, than surely the UN can investigate its
own far greater role. It was the UN that indicted,
prosecuted and wrongly sentenced General Blaskic to 45
years for crimes he did not commit. Judges did not
apply the law correctly and came to conclusions that
the evidence they had did not support. They bear the
responsibility for this shocking miscarriage of
justice - not Croatia - and the individuals
responsible at The Hague should be held fully
accountable by the international community.
 

FREELANCE medical interpreters needed.

We are a community based translation/interpretation service agency and are looking for individuals who are bi-lingual in Croatian/English to train to become FREELANCE medical interpreters. They will be traveling to area hospitals and interpret for patients who don't speak English. It is based on a "as needed" basis. One must pass a language proficiency test and attend a 40hour training. We offer competitive starting pay and flexible working hours.

Please assist us in broadcasting to anyone who may be interested.
Thank you.

Lisa Tsang, Recruiting Coordinator
International Language Services
2707 North Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60614
Voice: 773-525-8590
FAX: 773-525-8591
ilsrecruiting@sbcglobal.net
 

First Croatian search engine was launched today

First Croatian search engine was launched today. Pogodak.hr is the unique search engine for Croatian
cyberspace and it is primarily developed for Croatian Internet users. The main aim of this search
engine is to provide quality search of Croatian Internet space to users.

The search engine home page looks like Google's home page. In addition, it offers Croatian
cyberspace search. There are over three million Croatian documents in the database, and the
technology is based on the most up-to-date search algorithms in the world. The search engine
is developed in Java and it uses the same technology as the best search engine in Slovenia, Najdi si.

The data will be updated faster compared to the other search engines. The indexes of the
Croatian web sites will be updated weekly, and the most important ones every day.

Http://www.pogodak.hr

Source: http://www.metamorphosis.org.mk/eng_vesti_detal.asp?id=194
CroNetwork: The Croatian-American Organization for Young Professionals.
 

Study Medicine in English in Croatia, Europe !
 

Medical Studies in English- press release
To whom it may Concern,

I am writing with regards of promotion of Medical School in Zagreb, Croatia. In the attachment I am sending you press release regarding our school.

Sincerely,

Mihaela Jakovac
International Admissions Officer
University of Zagreb
 

MEDICAL STUDIES IN ENGLISH
Study Medicine in English in Croatia, Europe !
University of Zagreb Medical School announces enrollment in its 2005/2006 MD Program in English!
 

In the academic year 2003 University of Zagreb Medical School introduced a new 12–semester/8 semester (6/4-year) Medical Doctor Study program in English. This program is, besides being entirely instructed in English, designed so as to meet both American (USMLE) and European Union standards with its internationally accredited exams.
The oldest University in the South-East Europe (dating from 1669), the University of Zagreb is the most distinguished institution of higher learning in this region. Its Medical School, founded in 1917, has a long tradition of educating foreign students – so far more than 700 foreign citizens have earned their medical degree in Zagreb. Croatian capital is a peaceful and picturesque city of 800,000 located in the heart of Europe, only 180 km from the Adriatic Sea and its magnificent resorts and beaches, and 350 km from both Vienna and Budapest.
Candidates for the 6-year program are expected to have graduated from a four-year high school, to have a good knowledge of English and solid basic knowledge in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The cost of an academic year is 7,000 Euro (approx. 8.500 US$) if paid at once, or 7.200 Euro (8.750 US$) prior to the beginning of each semester.
From academic year 2005/2006, we also offer an 8-semester (4-year) Medical Doctor Study program in English. The eligible candidates applying for this program are the ones who have already graduated from medical college. The tuition fee for 4-years program is 5.000 Euro (approx. 6.330 USD) if paid at once or 5.200 Euro (approx. 6.580 USD) prior to the beginning of each semester.
Closing date for applications is July 1, 2005.
Candidates who already graduated from or studied at the University level may be exempted from the entrance examination.

For further details about the study, visit our web pages (www.mef.hr/mse   ) or contact our student office:
Mihaela Jakovac, BA
University of Zagreb Medical School
Medical Studies in English,
Šalata 3, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Phone: + 385 1 4590 268; Fax: + 385 1 4566 711
E-mail: mjakovac@mef.hr ;dmedan@mef.hr ; mse@mef.hr

 

Archaeological Tours in Croatia

Dear All,
Since we discussed the problem of tourists overwhelming Dubrovnik without
much profit going to the population, here is a nicer way of seeing other
interesting sites in Croatia from the 2005 schedule of the Archaeological
Institute of America Tours :

Luxury Small-Ship Voyages: Dalmatia's Historic Cities and Glorious
Islands Aug. 12-23 (12 days)
www.archaeological.org

 Download tour brochure

Regards,
Hilda
 

Vermeer in Bosnia

The free newspaper "AM New York" is reporting today, October 20th, under "Talks & Readings" writer Lawrence Weschler will do a reading at the Coliseum Books 6:oo pm, FREE. Weschler's "Vermeer in Bosnia" is a new collection from the past two decades.

11 West 42 St, between Fifth + Sixth Ave. Tel 212-803-5892 www.coliseumbooks.com

Vermeer (1632-1675), Dutch painter.

BOOK REVIEW "APRIL FOOL'S DAY" JOSIP NOVAKOVICH

By Katarina Tepesh

In his latest book "April Fool's Day," Josip Novakovich does a great job of weaving a fictional character Ivan Dolinar, with the background of real historical events in Croatia.

Ivan is a complex character in the novel, with all the complications and contradictions dealing with very familiar events in Croatia. In the "April Fool's Day," the dramatic comedy touches on growing up in the communist regime, the widespread fear of "Russians are coming," the luck of free speech and its severe consequences, the chronic shortages of much needed products to buy, the second class medicine for the patients, moves on to the Croatian Spring and much later the Vukovar tragedy and so on. Ivan struggling with family life, speculating how to improve his marriage as well as his working situation.

Artistically playful, Novakovich wrote a hilarious chapter towards the end of the novel, how dead man Ivan meets the Croatian law.

Novakovich is a master of details, making meticulous observations loaded with an edge, using metaphors.

Josip Novakovich is the winner of a Whiting Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts grant, and an American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation. He has published two short story collections, "Yolk" and "Salvation and Other Disasters," and two collections of essays, "Plum Brandy: Croatian Journeys" and "Apricots from Chernobyl." As Editor with Robert Shapard "Stepmother Tongue: Stories in English."

Novakovich teaches creative writing at Pennsylvania State University.

"April Fool's Day: A Novel" by Josip Novakovich, published by HarperCollins, available in bookstores and www.amazon.com $16.77.

****

Josip Novakovich will appear at KGB Reading Series on Sunday, October 10th at 7 pm. FREE
KGB is a bar where authors read from latest work. Novakovich will read from his novel "April Fool's Day." KGB is located at 85 East 4th Street, between Second and Third Avenue (subway F or V to Second Ave; No. 6 to Bleecker St) New York, New York Telephone 1-212-505-3360 www.kgbbar.com

Croatian music in the land of salsa
 

JENNIFER MOONEY PIEDRA
Associated Press
 

HIALEAH, Fla. - They sit in a half-circle, in the middle of a barren room, with music stands in front of them. When Charles Mrazovich gives the go-ahead - a faint "one, two, three" - their fingers begin plucking away on the strings of their instruments.

There's Mrazovich on the brac, an instrument used for the melody parts. And Curt Pollack on the prim, a small, mandolin-type instrument that makes a very high, fine sound.

The bugarija, an instrument similar to the guitar but with fewer strings, is played by Wally Hertsch. His backup is Lorenz Gludovatz, the band's newest member.

Mike Feduniak, sits off to the side, methodically plucking the strings of his berda, also known as the bass.

They call themselves "The Tamburitzans Trio," although there are five of them. And, they say, they're Miami-Dade County's only Croatian band.

"We use Croatian instruments, but that doesn't mean we only play Croatian music," Mrazovich said. "We can play just about anything from 'Silent Night' to 'Guantanamera.'"

And he has proof.

Mrazovich keeps notebooks full of sheet music in an old-fashioned luggage. The music is categorized by type, including Italian, Greek, Jewish, Irish, Lithuanian and Russian.

But their most requested songs are somewhat surprising: The Disney classic "It's a Small World" and the Tennessee anthem "Rocky Top" are among the crowd favorites, Mrazovich said.

"It's fun to play different kinds of music," added Pollack, "That way, things never get boring."

Pollack, a former music specialist for Hialeah, plays about 20 instruments, including violin, banjo and guitar.

But in 1996, he was approached by Mrazovich, a former Hialeah High teacher whom he remembered from his days at the school. Mrazovich needed a place for his band to rehearse - and Pollack had just the spot: the Victor Wilde Adult Center.

Then Mrazovich issued a new challenge to Pollack: Play the bass in the Croatian band. Because of his familiarity with string instruments, Pollack quickly took up the Croatian instrument, too.

"Each instrument is strung differently," Pollack explained, "but I had a feel for how to play them."

Learning a new instrument hasn't come as easily for Feduniak. It's not because he's not Croatian - Feduniak is actually Ukranian - but because of the instrument's bulky size and his lack of musical skill, he said.

Mrazovich recruited him after the band's regular bass player died. The two were longtime friends who taught together at Hialeah High in the 1960s and 1970s.

"We enjoy playing together," Feduniak said. "It keeps us busy."

Gludovatz, a native of Croatia, is also new to his instrument. Day by day, practice by practice, he gets a little better on the bugarija.

"I had always heard about these guys," said Gludovatz, a retired Florida Power & Light supervisor. "Now, I am one of them."

The band's legacy has lived on for more than four decades, though it has seen members come and go. The only two original members of the group: Mrazovich and Hertsch, a retired industrial fireman at Miami International Airport.

Hertsch emigrated from Croatia as a child and spent much of his life living in Canada, where he learned how to play the bugarija and the prim.

In the late 1950s, soon after moving to Florida, Hertsch and Mrazovich met and became fast friends.

They began making music together in the garage of Mrazovich's Hialeah home. Hertsch's wife, Nella, often joined them, playing the tambourine.

The five men get together for three hours every Tuesday, playing music, nibbling on doughnuts and reminiscing about their childhood, World War II experiences and the changing community around them.

Their wives sit nearby, tapping their feet to the beat of the music. During some songs, the women serve as a chorus, humming the lyrics.

With the exception of Pollack, 50, the rest of the men are retired octogenarians.

Besides their weekly jam sessions, the men perform at city events in Hialeah, holiday functions, retirement homes and birthday parties. The style of music they play depends on their audience - but Croatian instruments are always used.

Finding bandmates among South Florida's small Croatian community hasn't been easy. The Croatian Embassy in Washington, D.C. says there are about 2 million people of Croatian descent, from first to fourth generation, living in the United States. But no stats are kept on the numbers of Croatians living in Florida.

Still, each Christmas the band plays at the Ranch House, the Hialeah landmark eatery.

"The customers and employees love them. It's something everyone looks forward to," said cashier Ruth Finnell.

The band members are gearing up for their busy season: they expect to do about a dozen performances this fall and winter.

"This music has been a part of my life forever," said Mrazovich, the son of Croatian immigrants. "It reminds me of my childhood."

Growing up in Pittsburgh, which has a large Croatian community, Mrazovich recalls his mother enrolling him in orchestra at age 9.

"I was embarrassed to go out in our band uniforms because I looked like a sissy," he said, "but we knew how to play the music and people really liked it."

It wasn't until 1964 that his passion to playing was rekindled when he moved to Hialeah and visited a Croatian club in Hollywood. Mrazovich joined the man onstage and grabbed an instrument: "Once you learn, you never forget."


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