Transitions Online is looking for an associate editor

Dear all,

Transitions Online is looking for an associate editor for its Balkan Reconstruction Report.

Anyone interested in the postion should see the ad below. I encourage any Croatian journalist out there to apply for the position as TOL is developing a reputation as a credible online source for "Balkan" news.

Please pass this on to any Croatian journalists you know. More applications means more chance that the post will be filled by a Croatian.

You can learn more about TOL at www.tol.cz

best wishes,

Sanja

**********

Announcement:

TOL Associate Editor for the Balkans

Transitions Online is seeking an Associate Editor to help produce
TOL's Balkan Reconstruction Report (BRR). Working alongside
the TOL editorial team, the Associate Editor will take part in
editorial planning, commissioning, and text editing as well as liaise
with TOL's correspondents and contributors. A part-time position
may be available. Please send your CV and a cover letter to
jobs@tol.cz , with "Balkan editor" as the subject line.
 

Adriatic coast of Croatia - a HOT destination

LONDON After the triple shocks of Sept. 11, the war in Iraq and the SARS outbreak, the patterns of tourism around the world shifted last year, a new report says. The biggest loser was the United States. And one of the few winners, unusually, was the Middle East.
.
Those changes came to light in a report by the World Tourism Organization, a UN agency in Madrid, which suggested that while the fear of terrorism had deterred some people from visiting the United States, America’s measures against terrorism — tighter visa and security regulations and heightened security alerts — had also persuaded many people in the Middle East to vacation in their own region rather than venture farther abroad.
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And, the report suggested, those shifts also bred a new kind of traveler, averse to long flights and to journeys planned well in advance, favoring instead cheaper vacations arranged at the last minute — often over the Internet and not too far from home.
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Generalizations can be misleading, and there are many other factors in play. In Europe, the soaring value of the euro has sent some tourists hurrying to a seaside fix in non-euro (but baking hot) destinations like Turkey’s Mediterranean beaches and the Adriatic coast of Croatia. But that is not the only explanation. ‘‘In 2003, international tourism lived through an exceptionally difficult year in which three negative factors came together: the Iraq conflict, SARS and a persistently weak economy,’’ Francesco Frangialli, secretary general of the World Tourism Organization, said in a statement.
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As a result, the organization’s report in late January said: ‘‘Tour operators kept facing a difficult environment. Late booking persisted and ‘do it yourself’ is consolidating as a means of planning trips, strongly stimulated by the possibilities offered by the Internet.’’
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‘‘Low-cost airlines continued their advance, most notably in Europe,’’ the report continued, singling out Britain where carriers such as Ryanair and easyJet claim about 30 percent of the overall airline passenger market, compared with 11 percent in 2000.
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Over all, the report said, 2003 was the worst year on record for global tourism as measured in terms of the number of people arriving as vacationers at international destinations. Last year, the total number fell 1.2 percent, to694 million arrivals, a drop of 8.5 million from 2002. Perhaps the most startling statistic in the report is that, compared with 2000, when millennium celebrations produced a spike in tourism around the world, the biggest single victim has been the United States. ‘‘The big loser in terms of tourism volume is North America,’’ with a 17 percent drop in the number of international visitors arriving for recreational purposes from91.2 million in 2000 to 76.1 million in 2003. The United States, the report said, ‘‘is still seriously struggling to overcome the impact of Sept. 11 and the subsequent war on terrorism.’’
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The second most affected was Western Europe, down 3 percent from its 2000 peak of 142 million tourists, because of the loss of ‘‘traffic from the Americas and Asia, as well as the weak economy in the region.’’
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The report included a survey of 180 tourism experts from governments and private businesses in 90 countries, including the United States. The consensus among them was that 2004 promises to show an improvement as a pent-up desire for travel persuades many people to venture forth again. Against that, the international market is likely to remain skewed by the overwhelming strength of the euro and the weakness of the dollar. For Americans, the report said, outbound travel from the United States is expected to rebound as low inflation makes vacations accessible. ‘‘Nevertheless, a weak dollar could stimulate domestic tourism as well as regional traffic while doubts remain whether long-haul travel to Europe will also bounce back,’’ it said.
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Of all the regions in the world, perhaps the most dramatic change in tourism came in one closely linked to the war on terrorism and the war in Iraq: the Middle East. There, by the measure of international arrivals used in the document, tourism was up by around 10 percent, from 27.6 million in 2002 to 30.4 million in 2003, largely because of tourists from one country in the region going to another rather than face political and economic difficulties of more ambitious trips. Those travelers, the report said, were deterred by ‘‘envisaged difficulties in traveling to the Americas for political reasons and to Europe in view of the strong euro.’’
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The New York Times

http://www.iht.com/articles/509066.html

Hit an Adriatic beach and other scenic spots in Croatia

ROGER PETTERSON
Canadian Press
Friday, March 05, 2004

Sun bathers enjoy the weather at a pebble beach near Cavtat. Cavtat is a Croatian town located on the Adriatic Coast.

(AP) - Thinking of a trip to Europe but haven't chosen a destination yet? Try Croatia, a corner of the Continent on the shore of the sunny Adriatic that hasn't yet become overrun by other American tourists.

There's a host of Web sites working to entice you into visiting, and a surprising number have versions in English. Get acquainted with the help of the Croatian National Tourist Board - croatia.hr/ - by clicking on English and then on Tourism Plus to learn about activities from scuba diving to mountain climbing and skiing. In many cases, you'll find Web links to other informative Web sites.

Click on Destinations to reach the tourist board's interactive map. Try the Dalmatia-Zadar region and check out towns such as Ugljan, where you can relax on sandy beaches, or centrally located Zadar. Along with brief descriptions of the towns you get a pronunciation guide, and many have a small photo gallery. Click on About Croatia for information on history, food and the Adriatic, then go to "Arrival" to see about airlines that fly to Croatia.

You won't need a visa, according to the Croatian information page at the U.S. Department of State - http://travel.state.gov/croatia.html - but be sure to read Safety and Security. Elsewhere in Washington, the Croatian Embassy - croatiaemb.org/ - can help you with facts and figures, and useful Web links.

Try out some of the food before you go. Balkan Web - balkanweb.com/kroacia/recipes.htm - has recipes in English. And Croatian Wine Page - hr/vino/ - has a map of the major wine-producing regions, plus other information.

Find out about festivals by going to Culturenet - culturenet.hr/v1/english/index.asp - which has info on jazz festivals (late March in Zagreb) and student theatre.

Then soak up art and history with the help of Croatian Museums on the Internet - mdc.hr/www-MDC-eng/4-1siteovi.html - which has links to institutions on local history, archaeology, art and more.

Croatia's westernmost section is Istra - istra.com/index.asp - a peninsula at the northern end of the Adriatic. Tour winemaking regions, go sailing, venture in the Baredine Cave, or just enjoy the scenery. Look under Istra Info for the link to a photo album.

Explore the islands and villages along the Dalmatian coast by going to Dalmatia Net - dalmatianet.com/ - and clicking on Destination to reach an interactive map. They'll also help you find places to stay or charter a boat.

Brac Island has the resort town of Bol - bol.hr/ - and sandy beaches. Click into Excursions to learn about the 16th century monastery, caves and other island communities.

In central or Continental Croatia, the capital city of Zagreb - zagreb-touristinfo.hr/index.php.en - offers history, culture and shopping. Learn more about Continental Croatia at Find Croatia - findcroatia.com/pla(underline)cont.htm - which has links to destinations from the forests of Gorski Kotar (look hard for the link to the English version) to more featuring Zagreb.

Get a quick course in the Croatian language at the Croatian Homepage - hr/index.en.shtml - and then explore their many Web links on other subjects, including Arts & Culture and Society, where you can delve into gastronomy and find Croatian cook books, read Croatian legends or learn about the war's effect on the nation. Look under Tourism and Travelling for more links for visitors.

Š Copyright 2004 The Canadian Press

http://www.canada.com/travel/story.html?id=ABEBC829-9B69-441B-9CB2-C2B1EE482203

Davor Suker Makes History

"The FIFA 100" Tribute Ceremony will take place on 4th March 2004 in London.

The evening will take place at the Natural History Museum and will start with a charity auction organized by Christies and will continue with a prestigious awards dinner where the one hundred greatest living players ("The FIFA 100") chosen by Pelé and approved by FIFA for the 100th anniversary of FIFA will be invited to receive a recognition award by Joseph S. Blatter and Edson Arantes do Nascimento "Pelé" to mark this historic day.

All the players chosen for "The FIFA 100" will be announced on the night and the work of the artists will be shown for the first time during "The FIFA 100" Tribute Ceremony.

The FIFA 100 list and the photos can be seen from March 4th onwards on this website.

Davor Suker has been named to the FIFA 100.

http://www.the-100.com

"The FIFA 100" Charity Auction will take place in London on 4th March 2004 at the Natural History Museum. All the proceeds will go to "Project Goal"

The auction, being conducted by Christie's, will offer over 20 football lots, including memorabilia and unique world football experiences.

A central part of the evening and conducted by leading charity auctioneer Hugh Edmeades, Chairman of Christie's South Kensington, the sale proceeds will be donated to the FIFA Goal Programme Charity - a charity that supports the development of communities around the world through football.

Christie's is a world leader in charity celebrity sales and also leads the global Football Memorabilia auction market.

Who does Pelé think are the greatest footballers alive? This beautiful book, which celebrates FIFA's Centennial, reveals his selection. These portraits, commissioned from some of the world's leading photographers, including William Klein, Patrick Lichfield, Martin Parr, Tierney Gearon, Vik Muniz, Norbert Schoerner and Helena Christensen, are surprising and unexpected.

Unlike the familiar football books that are packed with action shots by anonymous news photographers, in "The FIFA 100" the very essence of athletic greatness is depicted. These arresting portraits reveal the footballer as icon; strength and artistry of movement are implied. In "The FIFA 100", art meets football, and this book is a fitting tribute to all the players who have made the game so beautiful.

It is designed by the award-winning and internationally renowned team of Why Not Associates. With forewords by Pelé and Joeseph S. Blatter, the President of FIFA, the book contains more than 100 stunning portraits, and a biography of each player and photographer and will be available in paperback at exhibition venues, in a hardback edition at bookshops throughout the world, and in a special limited edition signed by players and photographers.

The book is a Royal Academy publication.

Source: http://www.the-100.com
 

"Thank You for Your Support" from Dennis Kucinich

HEAR THE AUDIO POSTCARD
MORNING OF MARCH 6, 2004
TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO POSTCARD:

WOW! This is Dennis. I cannot thank all of you enough for the tremendous response we have received in just a couple of days from people all over the country who are urging us to stay in this contest and move forward with our message of hope, and optimism, and peace.
Just in a few days we raised about $200,000 which was really astonishing, and it puts us in a position where we are moving the campaign along. I'm now in Texas on the way from San Antonio to Corpus Christi and will be campaigning in South Texas all day. Tomorrow I'll be in the March in Selma, the commemoration of the march, and then I'll be back to Florida. We have strong campaigns going in both Texas and Florida, and it's because of you - because you're enabling us to move ahead.So as you're thinking this weekend about the direction of this country just know that you're helping to move not only a message, but to move America in a new direction. I'm so proud to be part of this effort and so grateful to you for everything you're doing to make this happen. We are on the way to Boston, and you can help smooth the road and help us speed our path towards that convention, by continuing to support us financially, spiritually, in any way you can. This is the moment for us to continue to stay together, and to move ahead and to celebrate this wonderful effort which is changing America and the world.Thank you so much, this is Dennis, and I'll be talking to all of you soon. Bye now.
Dennis Kucinich
***
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Britanska politika je ostala ista

A kad tamo, dragi Tony...

Kome bi zapravo trebalo pisati da dobijemo taj "avis"? Jedno mišljenje o hrvatskoj spremnosti da se pokuša
prikljuciti Europskoj uniji, koje je, kako se planirani rok bliži, pretvoreno u Rubikon sa zaštitnim znakom
Ante Gotovine. Europskoj komisiji? "Draga Komisijo, vjeruj nam, molimo te, da mi nismo u stanju uci u trag
Anti, našem, ali i vašem državnjaninu, koji je, koliko je nama poznato, više kod vas nego kod nas. Pa vas
lijepo molimo da nam ne uskratite pozitivno mišljenje samo zato što ne cinimo ono što ni vi niste u stanju
uciniti." Zvuci protuprirodno, pisati bezosobnoj Komisiji. A i kakav je odgovor moguc? Jedno solomonsko rješenje, slicno onome što je ovog tjedna ponudio gospodin Jacques, personificirana Komisija u Zagrebu. Da možda ne bi bilo loše da Hrvatska sama zatraži odgodu avisa dok ne bude spremna. Ili u prijevodu, to je topla preporuka: molimo vas, ubijte se sami. Jer, ako se vi pristanete ubiti sami, nece se vidjeti napukline na našem
(politickom) jedinstvu.
No nije to novo. Tako je solomonski preporucivala draga Komisija u posljednjih dvanaest godina svaki put
kad bi vlastito nejedinstvo onemogucavalo jedinstvenu odluku. I toplo se nadam da ce se hrvatska vlada, uz
podršku opozicijskih stranaka, o takav prijedlog oglušiti, cak ako sljedecih dana stigne s viših adresa od
presonificirane Komisije u Zagrebu. Zašto se ubijati sam? Neka to ucini Komisija, neka ona zakljuci da
Hrvatska nije spremna postati kandidat za EU samo zato što nije u stanju uhvatiti osobu koju ni sve službe EU
nisu u stanju uhititi. Time bi barem postalo jasnije: što je cilj, a što sredstvo. Da je sredstvo odbjegli
Gotovina koji se mora prikazati pred Carlom del Ponte, kao dokaz hrvatske suradnje s Haaškim sudom. Da je uvjet koji je postavljen zapravo "mission impossible", koji služi kao opravdanje za zadržavanje Hrvatske u
balkanskom (regionalnom) paketu. A da je pravi razlog kontinuirana britanska politika balkanskog lonca iz
kojeg više (nakon Slovenije) nijedna država ne može biti samostalno puštena na europski put. Danas, jer ne
može dostaviti Gotovinu u Haag, sutra, jer je zapaljena kuca srpskog povratnika, prekosutra, jer postoje
primjedbe na slobodu medija...
Ono što je bitno, dragi Tony, Tony Blair, jest da hrvatska javnost i prije svega hrvatska politika izgube
naivnost i iluzije. I da se ne iscrpljuju stalno u utrkama na sto metara za nekim kvazi-ciljevima, nakon kojih im se ukazuje novi kvazi-cilj sto metara dalje. Sjecam se kako si nas ti nadahnjivao svojom britkom opozicijskom kriticnošcu prema britanskoj politici u vrijeme rata, politici koja je izravno podupirala
stvaranje velike Srbije. Osobito duhovitom opaskom o lordu Owenu tada posvecenom prekrajanju svih republickih granica bivše Jugoslavije. Rekao si navodno: "Bog mu je dao privlacnu vanjštinu, podario mu je i briljantan um. Ali, nažalost, taj je covjek - sranje". Možda ti je izjava i pripisana, ali svi smo joj, puni nade,
pljeskali. Veselili se tvojoj vlasti. Kada tamo, i poslijeratna britanska balkanska politika ostala je ista.
Ali postojao je razlog - Tudman je vladao nedemokratski. Onda smo se veselili drugi put - na vlast je došao
tvoj stranacki partner i prijatelj - Ivica. Lijepo ste se družili, zivkali se Ivica i Tony. Kad tamo -
britanska politika je ostala ista. Onda je došao Ivo - pokazao više energije, ucinio više proeuropskih
razoružavajucih gesta, umilio se privremeno cak i Carli del Ponte. Kad tamo - britanska politika je ostala
ista - politika balkanskog lonca. I kao i u proteklih trinaest godina konsenzualna EU je njome blokirana.
Blokade je nekoc, u ratno vrijeme, rušio Bill. Bill Clinton. Jedino on je imao tu snagu uvjeravanja.

Copyright (C) by Vecernji list
Visnja Staresina-Vecernji List Veljaca/29/04
 

"Hrvatska glasna šutnja"

I šišmiši su ptice u bezpjevnoj zemlji

Dragi svi,
Nize je clanak Djurdjice Lieb iz Glasa Koncila pod naslovom "Hrvatska glasna šutnja"
Izdvajam:
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Mel Gibson u razgovoru o filmu <Pasija> novinarki ABC-a Dijani Sawer govori, spoznajući sve kontraste koje taj film donosi, jednu od najtezih rečenica - <Svi smo ubili Isusa>.
U svojoj samoizabranoj tišini mimoilazenju bilo kakve tezine i odgovornosti za situaciju u kojoj se nalazi Hrvatska - svi ubijamo Hrvatsku. Iako je šutnja često glasna, trebalo bi svjedočiti i djelom i ne bojati se, vjerujući da ništa nije uzalud jer će inače proročki naziv knjige pjesnika Drage Štambuka <I šišmiši su ptice u bezpjevnoj zemlji>, postati naša stvarnost ziveći u varljivoj nadi, izgubit ćemo istinsku Nadu koja mora bdjeti posebno u nama i u vrijeme korizmene pustinje.
------------------------------------------------------------
Zdeslav

Hrvatska glasna šutnja
Povijesnim dogadjajem nazvali su vrhunski znalci Mozartov Requiem u Zagrebačkoj katedrali kojim je maestro Berislav Klobučar nakon pola stoljeća ponovno darivao svoj Zagreb. Otišao je 1951. godine, šturo se navodi - iz političko-obiteljskih razloga. Dokazao je kako se snagom talenta i golemim radom moze postati i svjetski dirigent, a vratio se u kamen i srebro večernje katedrale. Bio je to trenutak punine iz <duha glazbe>. Unatoč Requiemu, bila je to radost povratka. Berislav Klobučar nije govorio o samovoljnom izgnanstvu, a oni koji znaju istinu čuvaju je i dalje.
Maestro je šutio, mikrofon je podrhtavao
Mi zivimo tu varavu nadu u kojoj progonitelji postaju izbavitelji već desetljećjima. Gospodari zivota i smrti, kako se ginekologe često naziva, obmanjuju varljivom nadom i ovih dana kako treba educirati mlade o budućnosti koja će na taj način prema njihovim riječima biti bez pobačaja. Novinari, već desetljećima sluge vlasti, nastoje istjerati svoje kolege koji drugačije misle iz novinarstva, postajući urednici, bogataši koji iz prikrajka gledaju obogaljene i osiromašene ratom, kupuju automobile i jahte astronomskih vrijednosti, postaju ugledni poduzetnici, intelektualni knjizevni teroristi, postaju nagradjeni pisci, preko leševa istinskih pisaca. Televizijskih kamera, koje bi snimale koncert, nije bilo. Nije bilo ni političkih velikana u prvim redovima. Ministarstvo kulture, koliko je poznato, nije uputilo dirigentu poziv za prijem. Pred kamerom novinarke navikle na zvijezde i zvjezdice pohlepne svakog mikrofona, maestro je šutio, mikrofon je podrhtavao, pitanja su tekla, ali odgovora nije bilo. čak nije rekao da ne zeli govoriti. Za srebrom sijede kose, samo su se razlijegali čarobni zvuci Requiema, za sve koji su otišli, a i one koji su ostali u Hrvatskoj.
Najljepše se vratiti pod svod katedrale, to zagrebačko nebo kojem su se mnogi izgnani vraćali kao i kardinal Stepinac čiji je duh nadahnjivao generacije i nadahnjuje ih. Te je večeri Berislav Klobučar ponovno ispisivao povijest, kao što je za Kunderu takodjer <samoizgnanog> pisca oduzetog drzavljanstva, Prag ostao jedini pravi njegov grad: <...osmjehnula mu se muza domovinske (ne)sreće, (is)koristio je blagodati dugog pamćenja: prikupiti raspršene uspomene, iznova je pisao povijest koju su drugi, stoljećima tako svesrdno pokušali prekriti patinom osmišljenog, planskog
zaborava> - piše knjizevni znalac.
Za svakog političara novi Lenjinov spomenik
Kundera, pisac veličanstvenog eseja o Kafki, zapisuje što je sve potrebno da bismo zaboravili svoje postojanje biljezeći izbacivanje 145 čeških povjesničara sa sveučilišta i znanstvenih ustanova: >Kazu da je za svakog povjesničara iznikao, negdje u češkoj, tajanstven, kao u bajci, novi Lenjinov spomenik. Jedan od tih povjesničara, moj prijatelj Hübl s najdebljim naočalama ma svijetu, sjedio je 1971. godine u mojoj garsonijeri u Bartolomejskoj ulici - narodi se likvidiraju tako - rekao je Hübl - da im se najprije oduzme pamćenje. Unište im njihove knjige, njihovu kulturu, njihovu povijest. A netko im drugi napiše druge knjige, da im drugu kulturu, izmisli im drugu povijest. Narod onda počne polako zaboravljati što je i tko je bio. Svijet oko njega to zaboravi mnogo brze - A jezik? - zašto bi nam ga netko uzimao? postat će puki folklor koji će prije ili kasnije umrijeti prirodnom smrću>. Ali ta istina, ma koliko Kundera u vrijeme pisanja bio očajan, nije zaboravljena. češki narod pamti svoju povijest zahvaljujući i njemu. I Klobučar je svjedočanstvo pamćenja, ali to je dar najjačih, a šutnja o njegovom zivotu glasnija je od mnogih danas bezbroj puta ponavljanih biografija.
>Šutnjom hrvatskom sramotnom čašću<
>Moći ne govoriti> - pisao je pjesnik Tonči Petrasov Marović nekoliko
>godina
pred smrt svjedočeći slijedećim stihovima: >Moći govoriti ne/ moći ne govoriti/ biti ne Hamlet nego silence and the rest/ ne biti izgovor, riječi, snaga iskana izvan nas samih/ nego biti ja, ti snaga da se sve podnese u sebi do kraja/ šutnjom hrvatskom sramotnom čašću/ čistim prostiranjem poput otoka/(oko tisuću njih, ne valjda mletačkih)...< Otoci postaju ponovno i <mletački>, a mi šutimo, danas i ovdje godine 2004. i opet vjerujemo i nadamo se - ne zauvijek. Oni koji su potrošili plahte papira, prije nekoliko godina, u napadima na Maricu Meštrović kada joj je omogućena prodaja djelića svojeg vraćenog imanja, sada podrzavaju drzavnu odluku o prodaji otoka. Ako izgubimo i otoke, ostat će barem sjećanje u usmenoj i pisanoj predaji, ostat će u kulturi koju moramo sačuvati jer je oduvijek bila hrana narodima kojima se nastojalo oduzeti identitet. Tih je bio vjerojatno i onaj rob koji je u potaji klesao znak ribe na stupovima, drzačima Dioklecijanove palače dok je car u grimizu sanjao vladanje iz sjene. Zato je riječ Nada tako velika, i snazno odjekuje kroz stoljeća ali je treba prepoznati.
Intelektualni knjizevni teroristi
Kada je sve izletjelo iz Pandorine kutije u njoj je ostala samo varava nada. Mi zivimo tu varavu nadu u kojoj progonitelji postaju izbavitelji već desetljećjima. Gospodari zivota i smrti, kako se ginekologe često naziva, obmanjuju varljivom nadom i ovih dana kako treba educirati mlade o budućnosti koja će na taj način prema njihovim riječima biti bez pobačaja. Novinari, već desetljećima sluge vlasti, nastoje istjerati svoje kolege koji drugačije misle iz novinarstva, postajući urednici, bogataši koji iz prikrajka gledaju obogaljene i osiromašene ratom, kupuju automobile i jahte astronomskih vrijednosti, postaju ugledni poduzetnici, intelektualni knjizevni teroristi, postaju nagradjeni pisci, preko leševa istinskih pisaca. U slikarstvu caruje konceptuala koja moze biti zgodan vic za kratkotrajnu upotrebu, ali ne kao odraz umjetnosti jednog vremena. Mrtva kazališta s glumcima koje na televiziji i u zivotu zamjenjuju političari. Horror vacui, koji vapije do neba. Varljiva nada na koju se mnogi lijepe. U toj rasprodaji identiteta, i uništavanja drugačijeg treba izdrzati, treba vjerovati, ne izgubiti se u mrznji, biti dostojanstven i u šutnji.
Gibson: <Svi smo ubili Isusa>
Walter Benjamin u svojoj knjizi <Jednosmjerna ulica>, Židov kojega je usud odveo u <samoizabranu> smrt u vrijeme susreta s radikalnom komunistkinjom Asijom Lacis, kojoj će presuditi sovjetski logori, i još mladenački pun zivota i trazenja, piše neopterećen ni jednom ideologijom u kratkoj prozi o
restoranu: >....nekada je prosjak za stolom obogaćivao svaki ručak. Vazno je dijeljenje i darivanje, a ne svjetski razgovor u krugu za stolom. Ali, neobično je da je druzenje nemoguće bez jela. Jelo povezuje. Grof od Saint-Germaniea ostajao je gladan pred punim stolom, i već je zbog toga bio gospodar razgovora.> Koliko je danas gospodara razgovora koji bi htjeli ostati gladni za stolom, zapravo koliko je u prenesenom smislu rada, iskrenosti i karizme medju vladajućima? Ali ne smije se zdvajati, treba izdrzati unatoč svemu, vjerovati i ne izgubiti se u mrznji.
Mel Gibson u razgovoru o filmu <Pasija> novinarki ABC-a Dijani Sawer govori, spoznajući sve kontraste koje taj film donosi, jednu od najtezih rečenica - <Svi smo ubili Isusa>.
U svojoj samoizabranoj tišini mimoilazenju bilo kakve tezine i odgovornosti za situaciju u kojoj se nalazi Hrvatska - svi ubijamo Hrvatsku. Iako je šutnja često glasna, trebalo bi svjedočiti i djelom i ne bojati se, vjerujući da ništa nije uzalud jer će inače proročki naziv knjige pjesnika Drage Štambuka <I šišmiši su ptice u bezpjevnoj zemlji>, postati naša stvarnost ziveći u varljivoj nadi, izgubit ćemo istinsku Nadu koja mora bdjeti posebno u nama i u vrijeme korizmene pustinje.
Broj: 10 (1550), 7.3.2004.

U prodaji je novi brojhrvatsko-americkog mjesecnog glasila

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-Why Croatia needs to join NATO?
-Sto donosi Bushova inicijativa novog zakona o legalizaciji stranaca?
-Business profile: Steve Bubalo- "Ulagat cu u Hrvatsku ako nova Vlada ispuni svoja obecanja"
-Condura Croatica - After nine centuries proudly sails again
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- Business Profile: Steve Bubalo – “I will invest in Croatia if the new government keeps its promises”
-Condura Croatica - After nine centuries proudly sails again
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From lounge lizards to cravat crusaders

By Simon Brooke
Published: March 5 2004 20:25 | Last Updated: March 5 2004 20:25

There can be few items of clothing that have been ridiculed so mercilessly and banished for so long to fashion Siberia as the cravat. Damned as the accessory of choice for lounge lizards, dodgy colonels and amateur theatre productions, the cravat has had a hard time of it since being discarded at the beginning of the last century in favour of the less flamboyant tie.


It is hardly surprising that modern men have rejected a look whose chief sponsors would seem to include Terri Thomas and Bertie Wooster. Only men like Aristotle Onassis, Gianni Agnelli or Conrad Hilton, who were so wealthy that either no one dared tell them or who knew but didn't care, would have been sporting such an extravagant accessory.

But now the cravat is coming in from the cold. On the cravat crusade are Jude Law, Tom Ford at Yves Saint Laurent, Ewan McGregor, Guy Ritchie and Nick Moran, and assorted retailers. "Bring back the cravat," demands Jeremy Hackett of Hackett, one of the main sponsors of the revival. "It's about time people started taking an interest in the cravat again. It's a great half-way house between the casual look and a return to the tie."

Hackett has a range of red and white spotted cravats in its spring collection. The owner's advice on how to avoid the "anyone-for-tennis?" pitfall is to keep it relaxed. "It looks better loose - hanging down a bit rather than neatly tied or completely straight. That way it looks quite artistic, quite Bohemian."

Despite its absurd image in recent years, the cravat has a long, distinguished and stylish history. It first emerged during the 17th century when France recruited legions of mercenaries to fight in the Thirty-Years war. Among them were Croatians who sported colourful neckerchiefs to contrast with their drab uniforms and the mud that covered them.

The French soldiers adopted this snazzy look and before long the trend had spread to the court of Louis XIV and eventually throughout Europe. During the 1800s, these neck scarves became longer and narrower and men began to tie them until, in 1924, an American named Jesse Langsdorf patented what has become the modern tie.

The cravat has always been stronger in Europe than Britain and America. In Scandinavian countries, cravats are increasingly popular as a substitute for ties and scarves. "Cravats are stylish and trendy especially when worn loosely," says Ann-Britt Myers of Swedish designer Eton Shirts which is also offering cravats this season. She advises wearing a cravat with a plain white shirt and jeans as "the best antidote to the Bertie Wooster look". It also means you can experiment with a stronger pattern. "We have lots of bold designs such as stripes and colours including hot pinks, pistachio green and lilac, which are part of the new look for cravats," says Myers.

But it has traditionally been Latin men with their natural sartorial adventurousness and self-confidence who have carried off the cravat with greater panache than British blokes in recent decades.

At its autumn/winter shows, Hermčs featured men in cravats in patterns and coloured drawings on the signature Hermčs designs. Again bright colours and strong patterns here suggest that the cravat is becoming less self-effacing.

Dark, understated colours will always work for the traditional British wearer but if you've got the colouring - and the nerve - you go for some pretty striking effects.

"It makes for a very smart look with a smoking jacket instead of a black tie," says a Hermčs spokeswoman. "It's slightly decadent, slightly louche, but lots of men can get away with it."

Angelo Galasso, designer at quirky Italian label Interno8, says: "I'd advise men to wear one in a plain pattern in strong contrast to the colour of the outfit." Keep it simple is the message from one continental cravat expert to a nervous British man considering this accessory.

"By contrasting colours," he adds, "it can soften a formal suit or make a casual suit more elegant, but it should always be 100 per cent pure silk."

Nascent cravat wearers, take note.

http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=

StoryFT&cid=1078381566077&p=1016625900932

VIEWPOINT FROM LONDON

THE U.N. SPIRIT AT SREBRENICA LIVES ON AT THE HAGUE

by Brian Gallagher

The Croatian Herald, Australia No. 1005 - 05.03.04

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia (ICTY) in the Hague has often colluded with
Serbian interests in much the same way UN personnel
did throughout the wars in the former Yugoslavia. This
is obscured by Serbian complaints that the Tribunal is
biased against them. Not only have they openly
provided intelligence to the Serbs, they have not
investigated major Serbian war crimes suspects in
relation to crimes in Croatia. This is no doubt due to
a political effort by the Prosecutor's office to
revise and distort history to play down Serbian
aggression and show that "all sides are equally
guilty".

The attitude of the Office of the Prosecutor can be
clearly seen by their views on Srebrenica. The UN has
been condemned and held responsible by many for the
slaughter of thousands of Bosnian men and boys.
Indeed, the Milosevic trial itself has seen testimony
damning the UN role at Srebrenica.

One would think then that UN personnel would be
investigated for their involvement in war crimes by
the Hague Prosecutor. Not a bit of it. On the
contrary, the Prosecutor seems to think the UN's role
was an innocent one. In 2000, the pro-prosecutor
Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) wrote that
a group called the 'Mothers of Srebrenica and
Podrinje' had - quite reasonably - asked the
Prosecutor to investigate UN officials such as former
Secretary-General Boutros-Boutros Ghali for complicity
in the massacre at Srebrenica. Deputy Prosecutor
Graham Blewitt had this to say: "Some common sense has
to be exercised here." He elaborated further, "To
suggest the UN in its role as peacemaker in the former
Yugoslavia, and particularly in Bosnia, had motives
which would amount to crimes is unrealistic."

A prosecution witness in the Milosevic trial, former
Venezuelan ambassador to the UN, Diego Arria, has
claimed that UN personnel - including Boutros-Boutros
Ghali - deliberately withheld intelligence from the
security council. This may have prevented action to
save lives. Arria had warned of a massacre at
Srebrenica; he was ignored. He has called this the
biggest cover-up in UN history. Will Graham Blewitt
now start an investigation? I suspect not. UN
officials will breathe easy.

The Office of the Prosecutor has often provided
intelligence on their investigations to the Serbs - no
doubt helping suspects elude justice. The Hague
Prosecutor used to produce sealed indictments -
meaning suspects could be arrested by surprise. In
2001, IWPR reported that the Hague Prosecutor handed
over sealed indictments to the Bosnian Serb leadership
in Bosnia-Herzegovina. They in turn promptly handed
these indictments to the suspects, without arresting
them. The suspects were thus alerted to the fact they
were being hunted, and would no doubt adopt a low
profile.

Deputy Prosecutor Blewitt's comments on the matter
seemed more geared to exonerating Bosnian Serb leaders
of blame for this leak. "I do not believe the
government did it intentionally. The responsibility is
on an individual in the government who wanted to slow
down justice" he said.

The Bosnian Serb leadership have never been supportive
of the Tribunal. What possessed the Office of the
Prosecutor to hand over such sensitive material? And
why did Blewitt minimize the responsibility of the
Bosnian Serb leadership?

Had the indictments been leaked by the Office of the
Prosecutor there would have been an outcry. But as
they were leaked by the Bosnian Serbs - having been
given them officially by the Prosecutor - there was no
such outcry.

In 2003, The UK's Spectator magazine criticised Hague
Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte for handing over
intelligence on the whereabouts of Radovan Karadzic to
the Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic. The
Spectator pointed out that Djukanovic was under
investigation by Italian judges for directing a
cigarette-smuggling ring and was facing an
OSCE/Council of Europe investigation for allegedly
nobbling a prosecution of alleged human traffickers
high in government.

Another charmer that Del Ponte handed intelligence to
was assassinated Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindic,
this time on Ratko Mladic. Djindic was lauded in the
West for being a democrat and so on. In reality he was
a Greater Serbia enthusiast and admirer of Radovan
Karadzic. Not really the sort of person a prosecutor
should give such intelligence to. Del Ponte claimed
that Djindic told her he was going to hand over
Mladic. She actually believed this. Given that he had
not already done so and that in the supposed crackdown
that followed his death Mladic was not arrested, it
seems that Djindic and his 'reformers' took Del Ponte
for quite a ride. Does the Hague Prosecutor still have
any intelligence the Serbs don't know?

Then we have Savo Strbac and his 'Veritas'
organisation - ostensibly an organisation providing
information on the alleged wrongs to Serbs by Croats.
Strbac and Veritas work closely with the Hague
Prosecutor in order to prosecute Croats. This beggars
belief. Strbac is an unapologetic believer in a
Greater Serbia. His Veritas website -
www.veritas.org.yu - carries Greater Serbia imagery on
its homepage.

He was a senior official in the occupation 'Republika
Srpska Krajina' (RSK) structure in Croatia between
1991-5. The RSK was set up on the back of ethnic
cleansing and mass murder - including the destruction
of Vukovar. It actively persecuted Croats. It was part
of the "criminal enterprise" as related in the Hague's
own Milosevic indictment. The Prosecutor has been
working with Veritas since 1994 - when Veritas
operated from occupied Croat territory. All
investigations into Croats are compromised by Strbac's
involvement.

Strbac himself was named in the Milosevic trial by a
prosecution witness as head of a bodies exchange
commission. During one exchange of bodies with Bosnia
six of the dead the Serbs handed over were murdered
for this purpose. It was stated that the commission
was fully aware of this.

Yet Strbac and his organisation are considered
perfectly suitable by the Prosecutor to assist in
prosecuting Croats.

Its gets worse. The Prosecutor gave Strbac a 'Letter
of Endorsement' to help raise funds for his
organisation, which he proudly displays on his
website. That says it all.

Serbs complain they are disproportionately targeted by
the Prosecutor. In reality, not enough Serb war
criminals have been indicted. The majority of Serbian
war crimes in Croatia have not been investigated
properly - if at all. How is it that Yugoslav Chief of
Staff General Zivota Panic, who oversaw the
destruction of Vukovar and the slaughter of Eastern
Slavonia for months was left to live out his final
years in peace, recently dying in his bed, undisturbed
by Carla del Ponte?

In contrast, Croatian Chief of Staff Bobetko died in
his bed with a dubious indictment for an alleged
massacre that was on a vastly smaller scale than
Panic's atrocities.

Clearly, the prosecutor is not operating on the basis
of charging those responsible for the worst crimes.
She must therefore be operating on a political basis -
the UN one of "all sides are equally guilty".

When one considers all this, much becomes clear. We
see that the UN policies in former Yugoslavia of
colluding with Serbs have been carried over to the
Hague Prosecutor. The result of all this is that those
Serbs responsible for slaughtering thousands in
Croatia, destroying cities and ethnically cleansing
one third of the country have got away with it. Who,
exactly, is demanding the bringing to book of all
those - possibly thousands of - Serbs responsible for
what happened to Croats? No-one. Certainly not the
Hague Prosecutor.

The UN spirit at Srebrenica lives on.


Š Brian Gallagher

My 'Viewpoint from London' column appears fortnightly
in the Australian 'Croatian Herald' and thereafter atwww.croatiafocus.com