Ivan Nogalo 1950-2006

U Clevelandu (SAD), u petak 7. srpnja 2006., u 56. godini zivota preminuo g. Ivan Nogalo, jedan od osniva a Hrvatskoga bloka i lan Glavnog odbora stranke. Detaljne informacije o posljednjem ispraaju g. Nogala objavit emo naknadno.

Ivan Nogalo
Slivno, 3. IX. 1950. - Cleveland, 7. VII. 2006.
Roen 3. rujna 1950. u Slivnu, Imotski. Ozenjen, otac dvojice odraslih sinova. Osnovnu skolu zavrsio u Slivnu, a Srednju ekonomsku u Vukovaru. Od godine 1968. zivi u Clevelandu, SAD. lan HDZ-a od godine 1989. do 14. rujna 2002., do osnivanja Hrvatskoga bloka iji je osniva . Obnasao duznost predsjednika Koordinacije HDZ-a do godine 1998. Od godine 1981. privatni poduzetnik. lan Glavnoga odbora Hrvatskoga bloka.

Guest Book for Ivan Nogalo
Please visit the Guest Book for Ivan Nogalo.
http://www.legacy.com/Link.asp?Id=GB18384254X 
Click on the above link or cut and paste the url into your browser's address bar.

http://www.hrvatski-blok.hr/default.aspx?clanak=2760
 

Ecotourism on the rise in Croatia
 

07/07/2006

Most visitors to Croatia come for the beaches and islands. But an emerging trend in tourism is drawing more and more of them inland, while also helping to boost ecological awareness.
By Kristina Cuk for Southeast European Times in Zagreb -- 07/7/06

Snowboarder_Brezovica_Croatia.jpg
A snowboarder hits the slopes in Brezovica, Croatia. [Getty Images]

Ecological tourism is a rapidly developing branch of tourism, appealing to those eager to follow the road less travelled, see natural treasures firsthand, relax in the countryside, enjoy traditional cuisine and -- most importantly -- preserve the environment.

Such tourists are drawn to locations offering natural rugged beauty and diversity of animal and plant life. They enjoy activities such as cycling, mountain climbing, horseback riding, swimming, fishing and hiking. Alternatively, some come to plant trees or clean up the area.

Because of its unique geographical location, Croatia stands to benefit from this emerging trend. It is a country of great regional diversity, with mountains, lowlands, coastlines, rivers and lakes. Summer tourism is usually concentrated along the coast and centres on the sea and islands. Now, however, ecological and rural tourism is leading more and more visitors to turn their focus inland.

Across the country, cabins, motels and even small castles are being opened, while traditional old houses are undergoing renovation. Guests can relax and take in the scenery while enjoying domestic cuisine prepared according to the specific customs of each particular area.

Ecotourism is growing rapidly and will be profitable in years to come, says the owner of one rural house near Zagreb. Croatia's coming entry into the EU means more financial support for these endeavours, as well as the likelihood of more visitors.

However, this style of tourism is not only about enjoyment. It also aims at developing greater awareness of and responsibility towards the natural environment. The United States, for instance, has an organisation called "Green Hostels" that how to travel responsibly by following certain ecological rules.

These include using organised transport rather than renting cars, cleaning up waste, and conserving water while showering. While eco-tourism remains a new phenomenon in Croatia, over time it may help foster similar awareness in this country too.

http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2006/07/07/feature-02

Croatia Glows
 

SIMONA RABINOVITCH

A simple appreciation of life and love that requires no analysis,

a sensibility Croatia continues to embrace.

From Saturday's Globe and Mail

Zagreb — Two groomsmen duck into the courtyard for a smoke. I watch them from the restaurant doorway, taking in their black tuxedos, champagne grins, and stumbly ease with one another. The serene, magnolia darkness offers a much-needed break from the heated conversation at our table.

I'm dining with two other foreign journalists and a group of locals at Okrugljak, an eatery just outside Zagreb. We had all met for the first time a few hours earlier in the lobby of the Regent Esplanade hotel, but any awkwardness at dinner is soon soothed by the relaxed chatter and laughter of the families filling the dining room — not to mention the bevanda, a traditional Croatian mixture of red wine and water.

In fact, we feel so at ease that our uncensored chit-chat reveals cultural differences. For instance, the New Yorker in our entourage can't understand why requesting a doggie bag for my dessert might be a faux-pas. "You've heard of fast food? This is slow food," says our hostess Amelia Tomasevic, graciously looking us each in the eye, as Croats do.

The evening was the first of many that would highlight the contrast between North America's rat race and Croatia's laid-back lifestyle. A decade removed from civil war, the union of Old World warmth and modern sophistication — everyone, for instance, seems to own fancy cellphones — is one reason Croatia is regaining its A-list status among jet setters and discriminating European travellers. Actors Sean Connery, Gwyneth Paltrow and Tom Cruise have been spotted vacationing (separately) on the Dalmatian Coast. Princess Caroline of Monaco is reportedly buying one of the 1,185 islands in the region, and Robert e Niro, Clint Eastwood and Sharon Stone are also rumoured to be eyeing real-estate along Croatia's 1,778-kilometre Adriatic coastline.

Many influential publications — from GQ and Condé Nast Traveler magazines to National Geographic and the New York Times — are dubbing this Adriatic country "the new Riviera," equating Croatia with what Western Europe once was, before the onset of commercialism and gaudiness. The Dalmatian Coast — notably lavender-skinned Hvar Island and the ancient resort town of Split — is being referred to as "the new Côte d'Azur." Dubrovnik, the thousand-year-old seaside city of marble streets and stone walls that poet Lord Byron called "the pearl of the Adriatic," is "the new St-Tropez." Inland, the green hills and wineries of Istria make up "the new Tuscany."

Despite the recent hype, Croatia remains refreshingly inexpensive compared with such Mediterranean destinations as Italy, France and Spain. Main courses of grilled sea bass and roasted lamb in the finest restaurants, for example, usually remain well below the $20 mark.

Wine with dinner is also quite inexpensive ($10 to $20 for a bottle of Istria's white malmsey or red teran), but a round of cocktails in a popular club may yield a Toronto-esque tab. Of course, prices in Zagreb and the country's popular coastal towns jump drastically during the crowded summer months, but during the off-season — September through May — are well below Western European levels.

Croatia's position between Eastern and Western Europe has allowed Italian, German, Hungarian, Mediterranean, Balkan and Slavic customs to surface in its art, food, architecture, and society. The latter is noticeable in the hospitable and strikingly attractive population. Visitors hoping men will measure up to Croatian actor Goran Visnjic — sexy Dr. Luka Kovac on TV's ER — won't be disappointed.

Which brings me back to the tipsy groomsmen, who had been part of a wedding taking place in a banquet hall adjoining the restaurant. Theirs was the seventh ceremony I had come across earlier that day, strolling through the city's medieval Upper Town. (The Lower Town, meanwhile, is home to most of the city's 50 museums and galleries, as well as countless parks, shops, cafés, and trendy nightclubs like Boogalo, Sokol, Saloon, and Gap club.) Weaving my way through the Upper Town's cobblestone laneways, wedding parties spilled into the streets, drawing me into flurries of flashbulbs and satin, then spitting me out the other side. Truth be told, walking through moments of other people's happiness made me feel like the ultimate tourist. I realized I was a stranger not only to this country, but to the ease with which Croats interact and rejoice.

But life in Croatia isn't all easygoing dinners and wedded bliss. The other side of this kuna (Croatia's currency) is rampant unemployment, relatively low wages, corruption, and declining standards of living. Some of these problems stem from the civil war and transition from a socialist-communist economy. But nobody talks about the past. At least, not to me. Things they do talk about: Whether or not to join the European Union. Art, music, movies, sex, sports.

Leisure is certainly important here, and most Croats love to sit with their coffee. In Zagreb, I did just that at the elegant Regent Esplanade, a five-star, art-deco hotel built in 1925 for passengers of the Orient Express. (The train station is still across the street).

For handicrafts, housewares, and fresh fruit and vegetables, don't miss Zagreb's outdoor Dolac market, nor the beautiful Mirogoj cemetery, which is also a flower-filled park and houses an outdoor sculpture gallery. For people-watching and café culture, Trg Jelacic is the bustling town square linking the city's upper and lower halves.

Leaving the capital with Nino, our driver, at the wheel of a rented car, our dinner group heads north into Istria after two days in Zagreb. This region is so close to Italy that it feels Italian — its population includes a 10-per-cent minority of ethnic Italians. Asparagus grow like dandelions in Istria's hilly green interior, where other culinary specialties include cheese and truffles.

A pair of villages — each perched on a mountaintop, separated like estranged cousins — have witnessed the region's slow evolution since medieval times. Motovun, which local legend says was once inhabited by giants, was fortified by the Venetians in the 14th century. Every July during the Motovun Film Festival, fans of independent cinema overrun the town and pitch tents in the surrounding foothills (a practise that has yielded the nickname "Film Woodstock").

The other village is Groznjan, less famous, but in my mind just as alluring. Walled in the 12th century, this artist colony emanates stillness, as if the forces of modernism can't make it up the hill (I wasn't sure our car would, either). I fantasize about living there, just to write.

I'm in good company. In 1904, James Joyce moved from Trieste, Italy, to Pula, the Istrian port town where Roman ruins stand beside busy, modern shops. (He lived there for a year with his partner Nora Barnacle, writing and teaching English to Austro-Hungarian officers.)

In the town centre near the majestic Arch of Sergius (erected in 27 BC) and Temple of Augustus (2 BC to AD 12), we happen upon a brass band performing on a side street near the town square; a gastronomical festival; even an archeological dig beside the temple, where a woman in a red suit barks directions at archeologists who, just five days earlier, had uncovered the original pavement of the town's Roman forum. Pula's main attraction — its first-century Roman amphitheatre — is now used as a concert venue for big rock shows.

The next day we drive to Opatija, a lovely seaside resort town in the neighbouring Kvarner region that was once the preferred playground of the Austro-Hungarian elite. Its 12-kilometre-long waterfront promenade offers great views of Cres, Croatia's largest island.

Accessible by ferry, Cres is a rocky landscape of ancient towns and sandy beaches. Cres Town evokes an Italian fishing village, while northern Cres is home to the Eco-Centre Caput Insulae, a sanctuary for griffon vultures. An "outdoor museum" of walking trails leads us through forests, medieval ruins and stone sculptures inscribed with ancient Glagolitic script.

Back in Opatija, the freshest of fish is served at Mali Raj, a family-owned seafood restaurant nestled into the coastline. For dessert, we sip sorbetta, a marvellous concoction of lime sorbet whipped with vodka. Our host is Ante Stampalija, a jolly, robust gentleman from a long line of fisherman who personified the Mediterranean way of life I am beginning to covet. "We say fish three times swim," he jokes. "First in the sea, second in olive oil, and third in wine — when you drink it."

During the next day's four-hour drive to Plitvice Lakes National Park, a World Heritage Site of 16 lakes connected by waterfalls, Nino suggests we stop for espresso at a roadside bar. This break in the action reminds me of my favourite moment of the trip: Of that first night in Zagreb when I stood outside, smelled the flowers, and watched two guys share a cigarette.

Suddenly, I understand what people miss when they reminisce about the old days: a simple appreciation of life and love that requires no analysis — a sensibility Croatia continues to embrace.!

Special to The Globe and Mail

GETTING THERE

Although Air Canada doesn't fly to Croatia, fellow Star Alliance member Lufthansa (www.lufthansa.com) operates flights to Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik from various airports in Western Europe. National carrier Croatia Airlines (www.croatiaairlines.hr) also operates flights to European hubs.

WHERE TO STAY

Regent Esplanade: Mihanoviceva 1, Zagreb; 1-800-545-4000; www.regenthotels.com. Built in 1925 for passengers of the Orient Express, this five-star property combines traditional elegance and contemporary chic. Rooms start at $200 a night.

Hotel Kastel: Trg Andrea Antico 7, Motovun; 385 (1) 5268 1607; www.hotel-kastel-motovun.hr. Located in the town square of this ancient hilltop village. Rooms start at $55.

Hotel Bristol: Lica Marsala Tita 108, Opatija; 385 (1) 5170 6300; hotel-bristol.hr. Newly renovated, this seaside four-star has retained its architectural highlights dating back to 1906. Rooms start at $100.

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK

Okrugljak: Mlinovi 28, Zagreb; 385 (1) 467 4112; www.okrugljak.hr . A splendid traditional family restaurant with an adjoining banquet hall.

Mali Raj: Opatija; 385 (1) 5170 4074. With a name that translates to "Little Paradise," this restaurant and pension specializes in seafood fresh from the Adriatic it overlooks.!

THINGS TO DO

Motovun Film Festival: www.motovunfilmfestival.com. Annual festival takes over the village from July 24 to 28.

Eco-Centre Caput Insulae: Beli 4, Island of Cres; 385 (5) 184 0525; www.caput-insulae.com. This private non-profit organization houses a sanctuary for endangered griffon vultures, as well as an "outdoor museum" of walking trails.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060708.wcroatiatrav0708/BNStory/specialTravel/home

Medicina je ljubav

Razgovarao: Valerije Vr ek

O medicini razgovaramo s Matkom Marusiem, sveu ilisnim profesorom fiziologije i imunologije na Medicinskom fakultetu u Zagrebu.

Predstavite svoju knjigu 'Medicina iznutra'. Kakva je medicina izvana?
Ja sam lije nik, istraziva i nastavnik u medicini i moja knjiga o tim stvarima govori 'iznutra'. Govori o ozbiljnim i vaznim stvarima, ali na smijesan na in, pa se svia i nemedicinarima. Prepri ava konkretne dogaaje. Smije se slabostima lije nika, bolesnika, studenata, profesora i istraziva a. Ne stedi korupciju, ali nije zla i gorka, nego vesela i optimisti na.
'Medicina izvana' bila bi medicina koju vidi i dozivljava bolesnik. Bolesnik voli svojega lije nika i ezne da on bude sto u eniji i moniji i da mu posveti sto vise vremena i pozornosti. I lije nik voli i treba bolesnika, jer je lije enje posao kojemu je posvetio svoj zivot. Bolesnikovo priznanje i ljubav smisao su njegova rada i zivota. I onda se te dvije ljubavi traze i susreu u razli itim uvjetima. Nesporazumi su prirodni, a mogli bi se opisati i na smijesan na in. No treba znati da se radi o ljubavi, i da je ljubav dar Bozji. Zato bi taj dar i u slu aju medicine trebalo marljivije traziti i vise postovati.
Zasto dio znanstvene javnosti prigovara da su medicinski asopisi produzena ruka industrije?
Te je prigovore iznio glasoviti 'New York Times', ali oni nisu na mjestu. Prvo treba rei da farmaceutska industrija uvelike financira tzv. klini ka ispitivanja lijekova. Ona se provode na bolesnicima i vrlo su skupa. Potom istraziva i zele dobiveni rezultat objaviti u uglednom znanstvenom asopisu, jer je to na in prijenosa informacije iz pokusa u prakti nu medicinu. Znanstveni asopisi prije objavljivanja provode strogu provjeru valjanosti i vrijednosti podastrtih rezultata, pa njihovim vijestima medicina vjeruje i po njima se ravna. Drugim rije ima, nema prodaje lijeka bez objavljivanja rezultata o njemu u uglednom asopisu.
Nas se asopis zove 'Croatian Medical Journal'. lan je Meunarodne udruge urednika medicinskih asopisa, koja odreuje sva pravila publiciranja u medicini. Ta skupina, u kojoj su i najugledniji medicinski asopisi na svijetu, kao ameri ki 'New England Journal of Medicine' i 'JAMA', te engleski 'British Medical Journal' i 'The Lancet', donijela je 2005. u Cavtatu iznimno vaznu odluku - da asopisi nee objavljivati lanke o rezultatima klini kih pokusa ako ti pokusi nisu prije po etka istrazivanja registrirani u nekoj javnoj pismohrani. Propisali su 20 klju nih podataka o planu pokusa koji se moraju pohraniti u pismohranu i poslije pokazati - zajedno s dobivenim rezultatima. Tako registracija plana rada na po etku omoguuje kontrolu rezultata koji se dobiju na kraju i rezultati klini kih istrazivanja sada ne mogu 'uljepsavati' sliku o lijeku.
O odgovornosti urednika za neke pogreske i prijevare koje su se otkrile, moja supruga i ja, kao urednici, napisali smo raspravu za 'Medical Journal of Australia'. Drzimo da se urednike napada samo zbog toga sto su njihovi asopisi mjesto gdje se nalazi osnovni javni dokument o u incima lijekova. Objavljeni znanstveni lanak glavni je oblik komunikacije u znanosti i mjerilo znanstvene valjanosti, ali vrlo vjeste varalice kadsto izmaknu i najstru nijim provjerama. Takve probleme najbolje mogu suzbiti preventivne i obrazovne mjere cijele istraziva ke zajednice! Uvoenje obveze prethodne registracije plana klini kog istrazivanja u inkovit je potez, ali bez promicanja morala ipak se moze provui kakva poluistina ili prijevara.
Mozete li komentirati prigovore da se zbog financijskih interesa 'izmisljaju bolesti'?
U posljednje se vrijeme puno govori o nekim novim bolestima i mnogi sumnjaju da su one 'izmisljene' zbog financijskih interesa farmaceutskih tvrtka, zbog prodaje novih lijekova. Primjeri su 'sindrom kroni nog umora', razli ite nijanse neuroze i depresije, ili grani ni slu ajevi posttraumatskog stresnog sindroma. Odgovor na takve dvojbe mogu dati samo sustavna znanstvena istrazivanja.
Ina e je izmisljanje bolesti poznato otkad je svijeta i vijeka. Kad bolesnik izmislja bolest, onda je to ve samo po sebi bolest! Kadsto moze i lije nik, suosjeajui s bolesnikom, svjesno ili nesvjesno - sudjelovati u izmisljanju. I za to bi trebalo imati razumijevanja. No, kad se upletu izravni materijalni dobici, napose na strani lije nika, prekrsaj treba prokazati i kazniti.
Poseban je problem izmisljanje novih postupka lije enja i lijekova. To je ona prijevara koja se krije pod imenima alternativne medicine, narodne medicine ili 'otkria' koja ne postuju pravila istraziva kog rada. Ljudima treba jasno rei da je znanstvena medicina jedini put do boljega zdravlja. Nazalost, paramedicina se sve vise siri. Vjera suvremenoga ovjeka sve vise slabi, a zivot postaje sve ugodniji i ljepsi. Danasnji ovjek sve vise vjeruje u svjetovne uzitke, a sve manje u zagrobni zivot i - postaje mu sve teze ostarjeti i umrijeti. Znanstvena medicina zapravo ne daje nadu, nego ovozemaljsko olaksanje. Nadu daje samo vjera. Na kraju ispada da vjera, obi na ljudska, svakodnevna vjera, ja a i nase povjerenje u znanost! Bez vjere nema ni ovostranog ni onostranog zivota! Nego samo strah od smrti i privremeni i nemirni zaborav.

Glas Koncila, broj 25 (1669), 18.6.2006.

http://www.glas-koncila.hr/rubrike_prigovor_znanosti.html?broj_ID=7526 

Matko Marusic
Editor-in-Chief
Croatian Medical Journal
Zagreb University School of Medicine
Salata 3, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Phone: + 385 1 4566 782; fax: ++ 4590 222
mmarusic@mef.hr 
www.cmj.hr
 
Visit the web site of the Croatian Medical Journal - www.cmj.hr  for the free full text of all articles.
Croatian Medical Journal is the window to the best health research in developing and newly emerging countries.

PROFILE
Pete Radovich: Man Behind the Scenes
Emmy award winning CBS Sports producer, fundraiser, and proud Croatian-American

By Josip Bogovic

Did you ever wonder as you sit on your comfortable couch watching a major sports event like the U.S. Tennis Open, an NFL football game or the Olympics, what it takes and who the people are behind the scenes that make the broadcast possible? During the 2005 U.S. Tennis Open and the NFL game between the Giants and the Denver Broncos, Croatian Chronicle had an opportunity to go behind the scenes to witness the grand operation of sports broadcasting, courtesy of Pete Radovich. Who is Pete Radovich? To begin with, he is a CBS sports producer, a feature story Emmy award winner and a gentleman who has raised tens of thousands of dollars to help de-mine Croatia. That’s already too much factual information, so let’s take it slow and find out what he does, how he got there, and what makes him tick. Let’s also discover how he got us on to center court 10 minutes before a match between Roger Federer and Andre Agassi and on to the New York Giants’ field during team practice.

At CBS Sports, the A-team covers major sporting events and Pete Radovich is one of its principal members. The A-team travels around the country in mobile trailers that broadcast in high definition; CBS is one of the few networks that have such a setup. The operation is huge and complex and the communication and coordination between the more than one hundred workers is at the core of a successful broadcast. Everyone has to get it right because it’s a live, unedited broadcast. As the replay producer, Radovich is one of five people that are at the center of the sport broadcast operation. In this role he gives the viewer information about a replay or some other aspect or action of the game. This is one of the roles of Pete Radovich in his capacity as a live producer. As a tape producer, he goes out, creates a story then films it with a crew. The footage is then broadcast during a live telecast or separately on its own. In this role he is a creative force, a filmmaker and a storyteller.

As we walk around the secret corridors of the stadium, he gives us details about the operation. Radovich is warmly greeted by his colleagues as we pass them. This guy carries weight, we think to ourselves. “You want to find out more about me, go to my colleagues and ask them some questions,” he suggests. So off we went forty minutes before game time. We were warmly received at the Giants Stadium skybox by Jim Nantz, the veteran sportscaster who has more than 20 years of broadcasting under his belt at CBS. He and co-sportscaster Phil Simms worked their 31st games together. Nantz is a true professional in every respect. “Look,” I said to Mr. Nantz, “I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about Pete. Surely you can tell us about a time when he dropped the ball? Some secret the world is eager to know?”

The sportscaster smiles at my comment. “Sorry to disappoint you, but when we are talking about Pete we’re speaking about a true professional. Pete’s a very talented guy who gives texture and a polished look to our broadcasts, making them look and feel unique. Pete produces little vignettes (stories) on players and teams; this too adds spice to our broadcast,” says Nantz.

So how does one become a nine-time Emmy award winning sports producer?

Pete Radovich’s father was born on the island of Kaprije near Šibenik; his mother was born in Nevidane on the island of Pašman. Radovich’s parents immigrated to the U.S. in the mid 1960’s and settled in New York where they met and got married. Peter was born in Astoria, Queens. Since Croatian was the spoken language at home, it was Peter’s first language. He recalls his parents as working hard since the family lived a small apartment in Astoria. “My parents taught me the value of hard work. They have always taken their jobs seriously and never missed a day of work for trivial reasons. I can say from experience that Croatian people are proud people who take their work seriously. This is one of the attributes I carry with me from my Croatian heritage,” he recalls.

Throughout his youth Pete played soccer, basketball and baseball. In the early 1980’s he played soccer for Croatia-New York as a goaltender when the team was in the Metropolitan league. “I played for the team at a time when it wasn’t politically correct to be Croatian. What was also great about the experience was that our team played against Dinamo in 1989 at the Croatian Highlands in Boonton, New Jersey. I was good at everything but great at no one particular sport,” he recalls. The other thing that he excelled at was art - drawing, painting and photography in particular. He was voted “most artistic student” several times in grade and high school. It was this combination, together with several other factors, he believes, that allowed him to be where he is.

Croatian experience changed my life

In most peoples’ lives there comes a time when their direction and focus is not clear. But there usually follows a pivotal point from which their life takes a turn for the better. This was the case with Radovich when he started high school in Queens. “When I started high school I wasn’t focused. I didn’t know what I should do. I then decided to go to high school in Croatia for two years and see what would happen. Off to Zadar I went, alone and ready to experience the land of my parents. This experience most definitely changed my life. I became more patient and appreciative of what I had and the fact that my life was comprised of two cultures. From an American kid I became a Croatian-American kid. I learned the language, the culture, made life-long friends. Ever since then I go back every year. At my job at CBS everyone knows of Croatia and my roots. In a small way I try to give Croatia some positive and well deserved publicity,” he explains. Radovich played baseball for the Zadar high school he attended and was the best player on the team, having the U.S. experience under his belt. “I was the only player to have hit two home runs in the same day - one in Varaždin and one in akovec,” he says proudly. Upon entering college in the U.S. he came upon an internship at NBC Sports. That’s when everything clicked for him; his love of sports and art became one body.

“In the last 10 years of my career I’ve been fortunate to have been a part of great moments in sports. But the biggest and most memorable are those where Croatia has made incredible results. I was covering the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. It was at these Olympics that Croatia received its first Olympic gold medal, in handball. I was standing behind the Croatian bench for the game and for the singing of the Croatian national anthem. I will never forget these moments; I get goose-bumps whenever I think of them. In 2000 I covered Wimbledon for NBC. Goran Ivaniševi dedicated the final match in memory of Dražen Petrovi, the Nets Hall-of-Famer. What I did was to put together a live footage montage of Dražen, inter-spliced with live footage of Goran in action. I gave him the completed project the morning of the match. Goran watched the footage before the match. I believe that it must have stirred his emotions quite a bit. The final match stirred my emotions to the point where my coworkers told me to leave my post and go watch the game. I was so emotional I could only think of Goran winning. That’s all that was on my mind that day. Well, the good news is that he did win and I got to see it as a spectator as well as from behind the scenes. I hope my reel made a little difference in the great outcome,” says Pete with the expression of a great moment relived in his memory.

Radovich has combined his love of his heritage with his work to help Croatia in other ways as well. “When I started at NBC I was very fortunate to be taken under the wing of Jim Bell. Jim was my mentor and I owe him a lot. Jim is now the executive producer of the Today Show. Matt Lauer does this three hour show once a year showcasing a particular country. The show is seen by millions of viewers. So I said to Jim in a somewhat joking way, “Jim, you should have Matt check out Croatia; maybe you’ll like it. Maybe do a showcase on it. I didn’t think anything of my comment. Next thing I know, I get a call the day before the airing of the show only to find that Matt was showcasing Dubrovnik, Croatia. I was pleasantly shocked and should have told Jim to include Zadar,” he says smiling.

Radovich won his solo Emmy award for a feature story he did called “Super Bowl Quarterbacks and their Sick Sons.” He picked up on the idea that there was this coincidence of more than six Super Bowl quarterbacks having sons that were very sick so he put together a very emotional story that moved everyone who saw the work. Radovich shies away from the notoriety of being an Emmy winner. “It’s a good conversation piece at home when friends and family come to visit. I’m sure my parents told more people about me winning the Emmy than I did. An Emmy is a benefit of doing my job.” He says that giving the speech when receiving the award really racked his nerves like few other things before.

Radovich’s ties to his heritage extend beyond the professional realm. He is also involved in fundraising, particularly for the annual Croatian-American Golf Outing to raise money for de-mining in Croatia and the work of the American Cancer Society. He auctions off tickets for special sporting events like the one we experienced. “I’ve been fortunate in my life and this is a way for me to use my position to give back to Croatia and society at large,” he says of his fundraising activities.

“Professionally, I take it as it comes. I love what I do now. So far, I feel like I’ve won the lottery so I don’t play the regular one. The only drawback to my job is that I miss many family functions since I’m always booked on the weekends. I’d like to semi-retire early so I could perhaps do some projects in Croatia and spend more time there.” Radovich may have the opportunity to rework some of the Croatian tourism commercials shown abroad. He believes they don’t measure up to a higher standard.

For now, Pete Radovich is on the road and a very busy man. Currently, he is off to Korea to do a story on Hines Ward, the MVP of last year’s Super Bowl who is half Korean. The story will air sometime during the Super Bowl in Miami.

The theme of this story seems to be that when Pete Radovich wins, the world becomes a better place.

Formatted for CROWN by Croatian Chronicle

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RAZGOVOR: VIŠNJA STAREŠINA
Novinarka, autorica knjiga”Vježbe u laboratoriju Balkan” i “Haaška formula” samo za Hrvatsku kroniku govori o Haagu, hrvatskoj politici i iseljeni kim brigama

Meu iseljeništvom je posijana apatija

Razgovarala: Jadranka Jureško-Kero

Višnja Starešina je poznata hrvatska novinarka koja je od 1992. godine pratila meunarodno upravljanje krizom u Hrvatskoj i BiH kao dopisnica Ve ernjeg lista s Meunarodne konferencije o bivšoj Jugoslaviji u Ženevi, i kao posebna izvjestiteljica s brojnih meunarodnih pregovora i konferencija. Pratila je rad Meunarodnog kaznenog suda za bivšu Jugoslaviju u Haagu od samog osnutka, izvještavala s prvih suenja, a kao kolumnistica i urednica u Ve ernjem listu posebno se bavila poslijeratnom politikom meu državama nastalim iz bivše Jugoslavije. Višnja Starešina je autorica dviju zapaženih, i za hrvatsku državu i povijest, te za razumijevanje meunarodnih odnosa i rada suda u Haagu, vrlo važnih knjiga; “Vježbe u laboratoriju Balkan”, objavljena 2004. godine i “Haaška formula” objavljena krajem 2005. godine. Zamoljena za razgovor za Hrvatsku kroniku odmah je pristala, komentirajui kako izuzetno cijeni ulogu i pomo hrvatskih iseljenika u stvaranju i obrani naše države.

Hrvatska kronika:  Mislite li da nakon vaših dviju knjiga Hrvati i naša vlast bolje razumiju što se zapravo dogaa u meunarodnim odnosima prema Hrvatskoj i u radu Tribunala?

Višnja Starešina:  Knjige se u nas malo itaju i njihov sadržaj je dostupan vrlo uskom itateljskom krugu, ako nije predstavljen ili problematiziran u masovnim medijima. A u hrvatskim je masovnim medijima gotovo prešuen sadržaj moje knjige Vježbe u laboratoriju Balkan, koja govori o meunarodnim politi kim igrama u upravljanju ratom u Hrvatskoj i BiH. A gotovo je potpuno bojkotiran sadržaj knjige Haaška formula, koja govori o politi kim manipulacijama iza scene Haaškog suda, koje se dogaaju pod egidom pravde, o krivotvorenju istine i krivotvorenju novije povijesti u ime pravde, koje stvara nove frustracije i sjeme novog sukoba. Kad kažem bojkotiran, želim rei da su u nekim hrvatskim dnevnim listovima urednici ak odbili objaviti desetak redaka vijesti o promociji knjige, iz pera mojih kolega, a svojih svojih vodeih komentatora. A osobito su otklonili objavljivanje recenzija koje bi predo ile itateljstvu sadržaj kniige, i otvorile raspravu o njemu. No to se u Hrvatskoj radi sustavno sa svim knjigama koje nisu u skladu s vladajuim svjetonazorom i njegovim mitovima. Taj prvi zid šutnje postupno je razbijan promocijama knjige u Hrvatskoj i BiH, mojim nastupima na lokalnim televizijama, a zatim i na državnoj televiziji, gdje sam bila u prilici iznijeti svoje argumente. Paradoksalna je injenica da je sarajevsko Osloboenje objavilo informaciju o sarajevskoj promociji i vrlo korektan prikaz “Haaške formule”, a u hrvatskim novinama je i dalje postojala šutnja. Kao da sam pisala o zadnjim nogicama žutih mrava, a ne o klju nom politi kom problemu hrvatske države! S druge strane u Hrvatskoj se ipak nešto dogaa, izvan kontrole i iza scene: knjiga se ita unato prešuivanju, estitaju mi na njoj vratari u javnim institucijama, dok se njihovi šefovi i dalje ponašaju kao da nisu itali.
H.K: Možete li komentirati za naše itatelje od kuda potreba da se piše i govori o politi kim zamkama koje postoje oko nas.

V. Starešina: ini mi se da je normalno nastojanje da se razumije što se zapravo oko nas dogaa, i kakve se politike vode iza naizgled lijepih rije i i plemenitih ciljeva: O pravdi, ljudskim pravima i slobodama. Bitno je znati, da se ne bi donosile pogrešne odluke i vodile naivne politike i da se hrvatska povijest ne bi još jednom pisala u obavještajnim radionicama Londona i Beograda, da ne bi bila skrojena kao krivotvorina koja proizvodi nacionalnu frustraciju i postaje žarište novog sukoba. A bojim se da idemo upravo tim putem. Gotovo zastrašuje kako olako hrvatska politika i mediji usvajaju kao povijesnu istinu tako banalnu propagandu koja dogaaje iz devedesetih godina prošlog stoljea tuma i iz jednog sastanka Tumana i Miloševia u Karaorevu, njihovog navodnog sporazuma, kojeg nitko nije vidio i kojeg su svi kasniji dokumenti demantirali, i famozne karte na jelovniku britanskog obavještajca Paddya Ashdowna. I kako se potcjenjiva ki odnose prema svakom dokumentu koji dovodi u pitanje tu konstrukciju. Gradei optužnice upravo na tim tezama, haaško je tužiteljstvo optužilo hrvatsko državno, vojno, politi ko i policijsko vodstvo, kao i prakti ki sve pripadnike obrambenih snaga za sudjelovanje u dva zlo ina ka prothvata, u Hrvatskoj i BiH. A velikorspska agresija bit e u kona nici svedena na lokalnu srpsku pobunu, osobito nakon Miloševieve smrti. Neshvatljivo je da je službeni hrvatski odgovor na to: Mi smo otvorili arhive, pa tko hoe, može se poslužiti!

HK: Kako objašnjavate ponašanje Carle del Ponte i haškog tužiteljstva u slu aju podizanja optužnica protiv novinara, i ovaj zadnji slu aj u kojem jedino novinar Jovi ostaje "boljka" Haagu?

V.Starešina: Institut zaštite svjedoka je strahovito zloupotrebljavan pred Haaškim sudom i postao je jedno od klju nih sredstava manipulacije. On ne služi tome da zaštiti žrtve od nelagode ili moguih osveta, ve tome da štiti od provjere nevjerodostojne iskaze nevjerodostojnih svjedoka. Nije trebala zaštita nizozemskom asniku koji je 1998. godine razgovarao s Miroslavom Bralom i kom, patološkim ubojicom iz Ahmia i tada ve optuženikom Haaškog suda, koji se predao SFOR-u želei u Haag. Zaštita je trebala tužiteljstvu, koje nije željelo ubojicu u Haagu, da ne naškodi njegovoj tezi o zapovjednoj odgovornosti politi kog i vojnog vodstva. Vjerujem da nije trebala zaštita Stjepanu Mesiu ni 1998. godine kao svjedoku tužiteljstva u postupku protiv Blaškia, a osobito nije trebala predsjedniku Stjepanu Mesiu nakon 2000. godine. Zaštitom svjedoka štitila se injeni na nedosljednost iskaza na kojima je zasnovana presuda o hrvatskom sudjelovanju u meunarodnom sukobu u BiH i na kojima je kasnije izgraena teza o hrvatskom zlo ina kom pothvatu u BiH. Kazneni progon novinara zbog nepoštivanja suda, koji uostalom njegovim Statutom nije predvien, služio je prije svega njihovom zastrašivanju i bio je opomena i drugima koji bi se mogli usuditi ukazati kako je sud štitio identitet stranih i bivših udbinih obavještajaca, i na temelju njihovih konstrukcija, protivnih temeljnim injenicama, donosio presude. Vjerujem da je zastrašivanje razlog zbog kojeg tužiteljica ne povla i optužnicu protiv kolege Jovia, koji se nije pokajao niti je prestao kritizirati Sud. Carla del Ponte voli graditi autoritet na prijetnjama, suci je u tome nažalost pre esto podržavaju.

HK: Možete li komentirati najnovije podizanje prašine oko Bilandžieve nove knjige i u isto vrijeme medijski gotovo ignorirane Tumanove knjige "Vrijeme krivokletnika" ?

V. Starešina: Ne mogu se oteti dojmu da je knjiga profesora Bilandžia pisana po narudžbi, kao svojevrsna “knjiga na knjigu” profesora Tumana, koji je svoju analizu politi kog djelovanja i haaškog svjedo enja Stjepana Mesia dugo i minuciozno pripremao. Tumanova je knjiga vrlo neugodna za predsjednika Mesia, jer ne samo što secira neistine i injeni ne manipulacije vezane uz njegovo svjedo enje i politi ki rad, nego uz to iznosi i ozbiljnjne dokaze koji upuuju na zaklju ak da Mesievo djelovanje suprotno hrvatskim nacionalnim interesima i ponavljanje tue propagande kao vlastite istine nije tek stvar neznanja ili trenuta ne inspiracije. U svakom slu aju ti su argumenti previše ozbiljni da bi bili tek tako prešueni. A upravo se to u Hrvatskoj dogaa. Na promociji knjige profesora Tumana bilo je više od tisuu ljudi, i gotovo da i nije bilo novinara, osobito ne televizije, a sadržaj je prešuen. Na promociji knjige profesora Bilandžia bilo je nešto više od stotinjak, ljudi uklju ujui i predsjednika države s lanovima obitelji, mnoštvo novinara, kamera i knjiga je odmah dobila epitet “prevrijedne”, a da ni im nije argumenatirano zašto. Knjiga “otkriva” tek još jednu promjenu Biladžievih ranijih, takoer višestruko mijenjanih tvrdnji, sukladno potrebama politi kog trenutka. O autoru i o knjizi možda najviše govori posveta koju je napisao predsjedniku Mesiu, a objavljena je u jednom hrvatskom dnevniku: ”Da nije bilo Tebe, ova knjiga vjerojatno ne bi ugledala svjetlo dana. Ti si svojom vizijom daleko nadmašio svog prethodnika kada si uz bok hrvatske nacionalne zastave stavio zastavu EU, jer hrvatsko nacionalno pitanje više nije ni državno ni teritorijalno, ve demokratsko”. Pristojni autori takve posvete nisu pisali ni drugu Titu.

HK: Hoemo li se u Haagu obraniti od "zlo ina kih udruživanja" i što bi, po Vama, sve trebalo napraviti dok još nije kasno da u Haagu sprije imo to što se sprema?

V. Starešina: Ja ne primjeujem da se Hrvatska država uope bilo kako brani u Haagu od optužbi za zlo ina ke pothvate, koje su strašne. U zlo ina ki pothvat su uklju eni svi vladajui politi ari na državnom i lokalnom nivou u Hrvatskoj, i svi pripadnici vojnih i policjskih snaga, te prakti ki svi Hrvati u BiH . Hrvatska vlast nije u inila ništa da ukaže koliko je sumanuto koncipirana optužnica, niti primjeujem da se priprema kako bi je pobila. Obrana optuženika prepuštena je njihovim odvjetnicima, koji uz najbolju volju, toliki posao ne mogu obaviti sami. Na optuženi koj je klupi prakti ki cijela država, dokumente za njezinu obranu prikupljali su optuženici vlastitim sredstvima, ponajviše general Praljak, radili su to esto uz ignoranciju, a ponekad i opstrukciju državnih institucija. Na drugoj strani, država je izdašno i u potpunosti plaala obranu generala Blaškia, koja je dokumentima upitne vjerodostojnosti i svjedocima iz bivšeg jugoslavenskog obavještajnog miljea potpomognutih britanskim obavještajcima pomagala tužiteljstvu da potvrde teze o hrvatskom zlo ina kom pothvatu. Presude Haaškog suda, nažalost, izgledaju kao da su kazne odmjerene ve uo i procesa, bez obzira na dokaze izvedene u vrijeme suenja, a ta je “mjera” za Hrvate vrlo loša. Dario Kordi je, uz “pomo” Blaškieve obrane, osuen na 25 godina zatvora za etni ko išenje u opkoljenoj Lašvanskoj dolini, a Biljana Plavši na 11 godina za sve srpske zlo ine u BiH. Prepusti li se obrana od zlo ina kog pothvata samo Sudu, bojim se da e presude ii uhodanom logikom, bez obzira na dokaze. Hrvatska se definitivno ne može obraniti od “udruženih zlo ina kih pothvata” samo u sudnici, ve je nužno razotkriti manipulacije Haaškog suda, opasne po stabilnost cijele regije, u svjetskim medijima, te u meunarodnoj politi koj i pravni koj javnosti. To je ono što bi Hrvatska država trebala initi, i na tu je obvezu uvijek treba podsjeati. Iako je ve jako, jako kasno.

HK: Iseljenici su uvijek upozoravali na tajne službe bivših sustava s kojima su oni imali bliske susrete pa tvrde da su njihove hobotnice još meu nama. Ima li istine u tome i mogu li iseljenici pomoi u razotkrivanju?

V. Starešina: Moram priznati da sam i sama ula istu pri u gostujui u nekim europskim državama na promociji knjige. Model je zapravo uvijek isti: Suradnici bivšh jugoslavenskih obavještajnih službi koji su nadzirali hrvatske emigrante su se jedno vrijeme pritajili, da bi se krajem devedesetih infiltrirali u iseljeni ke udruge i potom ih ili preuzeli ili podijelili i uništili. Tako je posijana jedna apatija meu iseljeništvom. Oni koji su ih pratili za bivšu UDBU, sad ih prate za novu hrvatsku vlast. Oni znaju kako se to radi. No sli na je situacija i u Hrvatskoj: I u institucijama vlasti, i u medijima dominantnu ulogu imaju pripadnici bivšeg obavještajnog sustava, koji su se u meuvremenu nametnuli kao mjera za ljudska rava i slobodu mišljenja. Taj fenomen obnovljene moi komunisti kih obavještajnih struktura prisutan je u svim postkomunisti kim zemljama, no u hrvatskoj je osobito opasan zbog toga što je u osnovi i antihrvatski, odnosno projugoslavenski orijentiran. Neki kolege vjeruju kako e ta mreža, ili kako vi kažete hobotnica, odumrijeti prirodnim putem. No bojim se da je to preoptimisti no o ekivanje.

HK: Planirate li prevesti vaše knjige na engleski i kad ete u Ameriku?

V. Starešina: Uz podršku grupe prijatelja tražimo na in da knjigu prevedemo na engleski i da naemo izdava a. Oni imaju mnogo dobro volje, ali kad u tome nemate podršku institucija vlastite države, to nije jednostavno. Takoer planiramo i promotivnu turneju po SAD-u, vjerojatno najesen.

HK: Na kojim novim projektima radite?

V. Starešina: Upravo ovih dana u Lašvanskoj dolini po injemo snimanje dokumentarca po motivima knjige “Haaška formula”. Filmom zapravo želimo pokazati s kakvom je bezobzirnošu haaška birokracija manipulirala životima obi nih ljudi, poput muzikanata brae Kupreški, koji su lažno optuženi proveli etiri godine u Haaškom pritvoru; želimo pokazati nemo pojednica u žrvnju meunarodne pravde, ali i veli inu nekih njihovih susjeda Muslimana, koji unato osobnim tragedijama zbog gubitka bližnjih, nisu željeli lažno svjedo iti pred sudom.

HK: Ima li još u medijskom prostoru RH mjesta za iseljeni ka ulaganja u TV ili novine?

V. Starešina: Mjesta svakako ima, pitanje je ima li interesa i novca. Hrvatskoj nedostaje jedan ozbiljan i kvalitetan politi ki tjednik. Arhai no je rei – tjednik hrvatske orijentacije, jer bi se to u normalnoj državi valjda trebalo podrazumijevati. No u Hrvatskoj nije tako; u hrvatskom tjedniku Globus vas, recimo pou avaju kako bi za državu bilo dobro i korisno, da TV Novu, koja ima koncesiju na državnoj razini, preuzme srpska mafija. Dakako da bi bilo idealno da iseljeništvo može kupiti Novu TV. No bojim se da je, kako vi kažete “hobotnica” i tu ve obavila posao, proizvodei ulaga ku apatiju meu iseljeništvom, a s druge strane pripremajui one koji e preuzeti televiziju – a da baš na prvi pogled ne izgledaju kao srpska mafija.

Formatted for CROWN by Croatian Chronicle

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