Justice? Politics!

The former academic looked tense as the verdict was read out. Dressed in a green jumper and blue blazer, she stood as the presiding U.N. judge pronounced sentence. A large gold cross hung prominently around her neck. 

Globe and Mail (AP)

"The crimes were of the utmost gravity: that is the starting point for the determination of sentence," Judge May said. "Having given due weight to the factors set out, the Trial Chamber sentences you to a period of 11 years."
Experts estimate that more than 200,000 people were killed in the Bosnian war, the worst carnage seen in Europe since the Second World War, as Serbs led a campaign to drive out Muslims and Croats from Serb-dominated areas and create a unified greater Serbia.
May recounted that Bosnians were "mistreated, raped, tortured and killed" in a campaign of ethnic cleansing that Plavsic embraced and promoted.
"No sentence which the trial chamber passes can fully reflect the horror of what occurred or the terrible impact on thousands of victims," Judge May said.

Globe and Mail (AP)

Judge Richard May said Ms. Plavsic participated in crimes of "utmost gravity" during the 1992-95 war in Bosnia and that "undue lenience would be misplaced."

(what would, in light of pronounced sentence, undue leniancy be? being declared UN Ambassador of Peace?)

Globe and Mail (AP)

It also discounted the prosecution's argument that her refusal to testify against Mr. Milosevic should be held against her.

Globe and Mail (AP)

In changing her plea, Ms. Plavsic conceded that she was responsible for the crimes listed in the indictment, including "forced transfer or deportation, unlawful detention and killing, cruel and inhumane treatment and inhumane conditions in detention facilities, destruction of cultural and sacred objects, plunder, wanton destruction, forced labor and use of human shields."

Swissinfo

Judith Armatta from the Coalition for International Justice commented: "I imagine many victims will be distressed and feel that it's not
sufficient. I think the court wanted to make a strong statement about her attempts for reconciliation."

Canadian Press (AP)

Judith Armatta, an expert on war crimes law at the Coalition for International Justice, was surprised at the brevity of Plavsic's sentence. But she said the decision was unusually difficult because of the contrast between the severity of Plavsic's crimes and the many mitigating factors. 
"There should be more consistency in sentencing, but the rules are still being developed," she said. "This panel wanted to give some credence to her conduct, especially after the war."

Canadian Press (AP)

At a sentence hearing in December, Albright said she had found Plavsic's policies of Serb superiority "repugnant." But she changed her mind about the Bosnian leader after their first one-on-one meeting in 1997. 

Tomislav Petricevic

Nenad Ban

Nenad Ban has been Assistant Professor of structural molecular biology sinceSeptember 1, 2000.

He was born in Zagreb, Croatia and educated at the University of Zagreb wherehe obtained a BS degree in Molecular Biology. His main research interest at thattime was the evolution of the components of the protein synthesis machinery. Bythe end of his studies, he received an award of the University of Zagreb foracademic achievements.

Dr. Ban s research interests during his Ph.D. study (1990-1994), at theUniversity of California at Riverside, focused on structural immunology andvirology. His continuing interest in the process of protein synthesis led him tothe Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale University wherehe joined the group of Dr. Thomas Steitz as a Damon Runyon - Walter Winchellfund fellow and initiated the structural work on the large ribosomal subunit inthe fall of 1995. The structure was completed by spring 2000, and during thelast year of Dr. Ban s stay at Yale University he was appointed in anindependent position and established a small research group upon receiving aBurroughs Wellcome Career Award. The structure of the large ribosomal subunitprovided first glimpses into the architecture of all cellular ribonucleoproteinparticles and revealed that its active site is formed out of RNA making theribosome a ribozyme. In 2002 Dr. Ban was a co-recipient of the Newcomb-Clevelandprize, awarded by the American Association for Advancement of Science, for thisdiscovery. Since many clinically available antibacterial drugs inhibit theribosome, the structure of the large ribosomal subunit has importantimplications on the development of new and improvement of existing antibioticsand in efforts to overcome bacterial drug resistance.

Soon after the discovery was published, in the fall of 2000, Dr. Ban moved asan Assistant Professor of structural molecular biology to the Swiss FederalInstitute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) where he expanded his group whilemaintaining the focus of his research interest towards better understanding ofthe protein synthesis process. At ETH, Dr. Ban is involved in directing researchand teaching undergraduate and graduate level classes. Dr. Ban is married to Dr.Eilika Weber-Ban and they have a son, Arvid, who was born at the end of 2000 inZürich.

Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics
ETH Hönggerberg, HPK D 9.2
CH-8093 Zürich
Tel. + 41 1 633 27 85 , Fax + 41 1 633 12 46

POLITIKA, BUSINESS, SPORT I IZOLIRANA DIJASPORA

Ovim clankom zelim zbuniti gospodina urednika pri odredivanju rubrike ovog clanka.

U danasnjoj "ponudi" tema na CROWNu su 3 iz businessa, 13 iz politike, 30- tak iz sporta. To bi znacilo da imamo najmanje problema s i oko gospodarstva, politika i politicari su na tragovima projekcija, koje su dali, pa je stanje drzave i u njoj sve bolje. Mozemo se onda amimirati sportom, mahati zastavama i slaviti na trgovima, uzvikivali Kostelicima, da bi sutra na tim istim trgovima uzvikivali zaposljavanju i vecim placama.

A tada se vidi stanje gospodarstva i umjesnost politicara da ponesto hrvatske imovine prodaju, ponesto posude od MMFa - bit cu pristojan, pa za uvjete necu pitati.

Zamislite da su nasi Kostelici austrijski Kostelichi, kako bi im mogla biti drugacija karijera. Herr Anton Kostelich bi odmah dobio uvjete da u nekom prekrasnom zimskom ambijentu postane sef tima skijaskih trenera u Europskom centru za skijanje, jer on jamacno zna prenositi skijaska znanja. Moglo bi se raditi u vise klasa, neke po kasi, dakle "de luxe", neke po znanju ucesnika. Mogli bi se tiskati udzbenici skijanja na vise jezika, mogli bi se organizirati sportski treninzi ljeti, na svjezem planinskom zraku....

Ali kod nas nista od svega toga, kada zanos prode ostaju sumorni problemi od jucer, danas. sutra.
Umjesto zaposljavanja, novaca za sve + PDV, pa bi crkve ministra Crkvenca zvonile do neba! Mora li tako biti? Hrvatska je sigurna zemlja, dijaspora navodno ima novac za investicije i osjeca se izolirana.

Prijedlog: formirati inesticijsku grupu kod vas zaintresiranih, razgovarati s gospodinom Antom, , vidjeti vidi li on u Hrvatsjoj pogodan teren, zakupiti ga, organizirati pocetak Europske skole skijanja, javno ponuditi partnerstvo s privatnim hrvatskim investitorima, naci potpore tvornica sportske opreme, ukljuciti promicbenu infrastrukturu Ministarstva turizma, spremno docekati zimu...Bude li u nas bez snijega odvesti grupu tamo gdje ga ima i tako minimalizirati rizik..

A ni sampioni nece vjecno ostati u vrhu, ali ipak dovoljno dugo da skola stekne ime "Kostelici", pa se i za njih kasnije nade posao pedagoga... Ja ne vidim zapreke za gornju ideju, pa ju ovim putem nudim.....

prof Dubravko HEINRICH 
duhein@net4u.hr 

dipl. ing fizike,
bio profesor gimnazije, a sada sudski vjestak za cestovni promet

Something to correct

Dear Fellow Croatians:

I work in the film business and recently was doing research on a very
popular internet website IMDb, Internet Movie Database. To my horror, all
Croatian language films were listed as Serbo-Croatian. IMDb is a very
widely used research tool for professionals and film buffs alike, the world
over. Everyone uses it.

Check it out:
http://us.imdb.com/List?language=Serbo-Croatian&&tv=on&&heading=10;Serbo-Croatian&&nav=/Sections/Languages/Serbo-Croatian/include-titles  

write to:

simeon@imdb.com 

Obviously, they're not so much at fault as the website they use that
disseminates the erroneous information, Rosetta Project. Please help me in convincing both
websites that they need to make corrections.

www.Rosettaproject.org     

do a search for Croatian and it brings you to the serbo-croatian page

http://www.rosettaproject.org/live/search/showcomplexsearchresult?do2stagese
arch=yes&searchkey=croatian&searchtype=langname&maincountry=&familylist=&
searchset=1000&searchsizelimit=50

Contact info for Rosetta Project:

jimmason@longnow.org 

or

(415) 561-6582
The Rosetta Project
Long Now Foundation
PO Box 29462 
San Francisco, CA 94129-0462

For other questions, comments, concerns or input, we encourage you to
contact Jim Mason, the Director of the Rosetta Project.

Please help me in convincing both websites that they need to
make corrections. IMDb have not responded to my emails since I sent them
the CIA website information. This was almost a month ago. Please be
polite when responding, as I know you will be. We need to show we are
civilized people and would just prefer that they correct their mistake. 
Unless we tell them, no one else will stand up and tell them for us.

Best,
Ziggy Mrkich

Op-ed

We need 20-50 letters. Each time we've done that, it was success.

NB

ZARKO DOLINAR1920 2003

In Memoriam

by Tim Boggan, USATT Historian

Dr. Zarko Dolinar who died Mar. 7, at 82, from prostrate cancer was often heard to say, in his definitive way,  Everything s in the genes. If so, he must have had some good ones, for in the mid-1950 s he would be one of the world s best players in 1954, with Vilim Harangozo, he became the World Doubles Champion; in 1955 he was World Singles runner-up to Toshiaki Tanaka.
 What a loss, lamented Marty Reisman, whose win over Zarko at the  49 World s didn t diminish for a moment his awe of the man.  He had such an aura about him, said Marty.  You felt an overwhelming presence there was table tennis magic in him.  
I wish, like Marty, I d had the fun of seeing Zarko in action. But at least the English Table Tennis magazine gives us a late  40 s snapshot of him:  & large youngYugoslav (op-ed, at that time Croatia was a Republic in Yugoslavia), wielding an enormous lop-sided wooden-clacker bat with deadly affect, attacking with penholder grip and chopping with orthodox grip! Incongruously clad in tiny shorts and a green celluloid cap, he looked&  well, inimitable. 
He was a gentleman, this 1955 Yugoslav  Sportsman of the Year  and yet one of a kind. On the non-playing side of his racket he had a skull and crossbones, accompanied by the signatures of his world-class victims, or, rather, as Reisman puts it, his heroes, for he revered the players. Revered humanity, really, as his near unmatchable collection of autographs of well-known personages from politicians to pop artists would attest. There is something intriguing about the way a famous person writes his (her) name Zarko s collection will surely last for all time.
In 1954 in Swaythling Cup play, Zarko had beaten World #3 Ivan Andreadis. So before he and Dick Miles went on court for Singles play, Dolinar, now playing with sponge, said drolly,  You might as well sign now, Dickie. But Miles beat him, and after the match kidded back,  Zarko, you want to sign my racket?
Both Miles and Reisman stressed Zarko s warmth, his humor. And I echo them, for, years later, when Dolinar was the ITTF s Sport Science Committee Chair, I had occasion to have some late night drinks with him and others who d gathered round. Then because I found Zarko so personable, and so persistent, I managed to stay awake long enough to edit his late night Committee Report due in the morning. 
As we finally finished, I felt anew the imprint of his individuality, saw, on a page sure to be read by others, his name writ large an autograph, as it were, for the International World of Table Tennis to cherish.

CROATIA and CROATIANS
and the
LOST COLONY
1585-1590

By Adam S. Eterovich

NEW BOOK 2003

America was being colonized by the English in 1585-1590 at Croatoan-Roanoke on the Atlantic coast in the Carolinas. This was called the Lost Colony. Sir Walter Raleigh was given a Royal Charter to colonize. When the English returned in 1590 they found carved on a tree “Croatoan” and no colonists. Western historians state that Croatoan-Croatan is an Indian word. This was the first English attempt to colonize in America.
In 1588 the great Spanish Armada attacked England. It is estimated that at least fifteen percent of the war galleons and merchant fleet under Spanish flag were from Dalmatia, Croatia. 
In 1588 the Pope, Sixtus V, was a Croatian and the Great Vizier or Prime Minister of the Turkish Empire, Siavus Pasha Hrvat (Hrvat means Croatian) was a Croatian. At that point in time these two individuals were the most powerful and influential men in all of Europe. Both were immigrants; one an “Italian”, the other a “Turk”.
A Croatian traveling west in Europe or to the New World from 1300-1700 could have been identified in documents as Hungarian, Venetian, Austrian, Turkish, Italian-Venetian, Schiavon, Slavonian, Illyrian, Dalmatian or from the Republic of Ragusa (Dubrovnik). 
In 2002 to state or assume that Croatians participated in discovery of new lands and were with Columbus would not be believed and probably questioned in many circles. The 1400's-1650's were in fact a golden age for Croatia disproportionate to her size in territory and population, considering the Ottoman Turk invasion and conquest of Croatia up to Croatian-Dalmatia and the Republic of Ragusa. 
Previous, during and after the discovery of America, Croatians participated in mercantile and diplomatic activities in Spain, Portugal, England, France, Florence, Venice, Genoa and in India, America, Canada, Central and South America. Their presence in England at the time of colonization was neither accidental nor luck. 

Voyages on the American Coast

In 1498 John Cabot, discoverer of North America, started on his second voyage and then coasted along the East shore of the American mainland to Cape Hatteras. Explorations of later date found pieces of a broken sword of Italian workmanship, and that two silver earrings of Venetian make had been seen upon a boy who was a native of the North-West country in America which might indicate the destruction of part of Cabot's fleet. Cabot’s lawyer was a Dalmatian from Dubrovnik-Ragusa.

New Dalmatia

The New England Coast was first called New Dalmatia by explorer Verrazano in 1524. This had been written about by French, Italian and American historians. Verrazano mentions Sclavonia, Dalmatia and names four islands after Dalmatian islands. Isola Lunga is Dugi Otok or Long Island, New York. Verrazano discovered New York and may have lost ships off the Carolina coast.

San Blas-Saint Vlaho

Jean Alfonse in the Alfonse Voyages of the 1540's along the Atlantic coast comments on passing Cap S. Blas, not naming it, with a notation of northeast of Florida in beautiful country at the port of Chatelain which would be Charleston, South Carolina. S. Blas is Saint Vlaho or Sveti Vlaho in Croatian. Saint Vlaho is the Patron Saint of Dubrovnik in Croatia. 

Levantine Mariners

In 1565 Menendez de Aviles, the new governor of Florida, wiped out a colony of French Huguenots trying to settle near present-day Jacksonville. The “Levantine” mariners aboard the Flagship rebelled and took the ship and disappeared. Navigation would dictate that the ship went north and could have crashed off of Hatteras. Levantine mariners were usually Dalmatian-Croatian Catholics. Spain would not allow on her ships Greek Orthodox or Moslems. 

Sir Walter Raleigh and Nikola Gozi-Gucetich

Sir Walter Raleigh and Nikola Gozi-Gucetich held meetings in 1585 in London, prior to the voyage, with the admiral Lord Charles Howard of Effingham. Croatoan Island was first called My Lord Admirals Island in honor of Lord Howard of Effingham. Nikola Gozi-Gucetich of Dubrovnik was the second largest foreign banker in England. His nephew, Paolo Gondola-Gundulich, wrote letters to a friend in Florence from London of Drake and Raleigh in Virginia and other voyages. The Dalmatian-Croatian colony had a Fraternity in London. They probably were venture capitalists in a number of English voyages of exploration.

Croatian Place Names in North Carolina

Place names and names found in North Carolina associated with Croatia are: Croatamonge, Croatamung Island, Croatan Indians, Croatan Indian Park, Croatan National Forest, Croatan Sound, Croatan Township, Croatan Wildlife Area, Croatoan and Croatoan Island.

Croato an--Croat an 

Croato-Croata-Croati is the Italian form of Croatia or Croatian. The Italian alphabet does not have a K. When a person is from a place such as Split, Dubrovnik, Ragusa, Zagreb, as examples ---- you can say he is a: Splitcan, Hvaran, Dubrovcan, Ragusan, Zagrebcan, Trogiran, Hercegovan. Croatia was not a country in the 1500s but a part of Venice, Austria, Hungary, Turkey or the Republic of Dubrovnik-Ragusa. One could say they were: Croatians, Croatans or Croatoans. All historians and experts state that Croatoan is an Algonquin Indian name. Other experts state there is no CR or KR sound in the Algonquin language in that area.

Is Ottorasko-Hrvatsko (Croatia)?

Cape Hatteras: Place name variations included Hatarask, Hotoras, Hatorask, Hatorasck, Hatrask, Otterasco, 0ttorasko. Ottorasko was the earliest name given to this island south of Port Ferdinando with Croatoan southward from it again. 

Melingi-Melingoi

The Melungeon, Lumbee, and Croatan groups in America claim to be a mixture of Indian and European mariners, liberated slaves, Lost Colonists, and remnants of Spanish and Portuguese settlements. There is considerable speculation as to the origin of the name Melungeon. The Melingi-Melingoi were Slavic groups in the Balkans that would have willingly served in Turkish fleets.

Turkish Slaves

Sir Frances Drake liberated hundreds of slaves in the Caribbean while plundering Spanish settlements. Drake brought material help to the Roanoke Colony and left the Turks and Moors and some European slaves at Roanoke. These liberated slaves far outnumbered the English Colonists; some left with Drake and were returned to Turkey. The Turkish slaves were captured in sea battles in the Mediterranean. Almost all Turkish admirals in the 1500’s were Croatian-Dalmatians. Bosnia-Hercegovina, one half of Croatia and parts of the Dalmatian coast, all part of the Croatian kingdom, were conquered by Turkey. Many Dalmatian mariners served in Turkish fleets; the second language at the Turkish Court for the military and marine was Croatian. Twenty two Great Viziers (Prime Ministers) of the Turkish Empire were Croatians.

Fish

At the Lost Colony, Ribuckon meant in Algonquin Indian a fishing place or fish; Cipo was mullet fish; Cante-Cante meant to sing and dance and Sat was time. 
There were many other similarities. Gray eyes and blondish hair amongst the Indians was noted for centuries. Gray eyes and light hair is found in Croatia in great numbers and not found in any other Mediterranean people. Research should be done at Istanbul, Turkey to determine the names of those “Turks” returned by the English from the Lost Colony. DNA and blood testing is now being conducted, but is not considering Croatians or Croatia and Bosnia.

Books Available

Eterovich, Adam S. Croatia and Croatians at the Lost Colony, 1585-1590. San Carlos: Ragusan Press. 2003. Soft Cover, 8 1/2 x 11, 156 pages. Illustrated. $25.00. The first English colony in America. Send check to Adam S. Eterovich, 2527 San Carlos Ave., San Carlos, Ca. 94070. Phone 650-592-1190. E-Mail croatians@aol.com - www.croatians.com
Eterovich, Adam S. Croatian Contributions to San Francisco from 1849-1949 to Restaurants, Coffee Saloons, Oyster Saloons, Saloons, Liquor, Importers-Exporters, Fruits-Produce, Fishermen-Oystermen and Mariners. San Carlos: Ragusan Press, 2003. Soft Cover. 215 pages. Illustrated. $25.00. Make check to Adam S. Eterovich, 2527 San Carlos Ave., San Carlos, CA 94070. Phone 650-592-1190. E-Mail croatians@aol.com. www.croatians.com
Eterovich, Adam S. Gold Rush Pioneers From Croatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina and the Boka Kotor. San Carlos: Ragusan Press, 2003, 2527 San Carlos Ave., San Carlos, CA 94070. Soft Cover, 81/2x11. $25.00. Covers the Gold Rush of 1848 in California and the Silver Boom of 1859 in Nevada. Included are the saloons, coffee saloons, and restaurants. All pioneers are listed in an extensive Index.
Eterovich, Adam S. A Guide to Croatian Genealogy. San Carlos, Calif.: Ragusan Press, 1995. 50 pages. Booklet. $14.00. Includes Maps, Translations, Archives.
Eterovich, Adam S. A Guide and Index to Croatian Coats of Arms. San Carlos: Ragusan Press, 2003. 70 pages. Soft Cover. Spiral Bound. $15.00. An index and guide to the Nobility of Croatia. Over 7000 names and variations.
Eterovich, Adam S. Croatian Popes and Saints and the Croatian Checkered Arms. San Carlos: Ragusan Press, 1998. 60 pages. $15.00. A booklet containing all forms of family and state arms with the Croatian checkered arms. Thirteen Popes had similar Arms.
Eterovich, Adam S. Croatians in California, 1849-1999. San Carlos, Ca: Ragusan Press, 2000. 650 pages. $30.00. Gold Rush pioneers, the wild west-saloons, restaurants, farms, orchards, vineyards, fishermen, music, celebrations, societies, churches and 1000's of individuals. 800 biographies. 115 Illustrations.
Eterovich, Adam S. and Simich, Jerry L. General Index to Croatian Pioneers in California, 1849-1999. San Carlos, Ca.: Ragusan Press. 1999. 370 pages. $30.00. An Index by Name, Date, Occupation or Activity, Location, Town of Origin and Reference Source. Abstracted from cemeteries, voting registers, census, society records church records and other source. 45,000 individuals plus mariages.
Eterovich, Adam S. Croatian Pioneers in America, 1685-1900. San Carlos, Ca.: Ragusan Press, 1979. 205 pages. $20.00. Covers those that came to the Southern United States and to the West for the Gold Rush.
Eterovich, Adam S. Marco Polo Croatian Adventurer. San Carlos. Calif.: Ragusan Press, 1987. 12 page Booklet. $6.00. Marko Polo born on Island of Korcula, Dalmatia, Croatia.
Eterovich, Adam S. Croatia in the New World: Columbus, The Republic of Ragusa (Dubrovnik) and Saint Vlaho (Saint Blaise) Patron Saint of Dubrovnik. San Carlos, Calif.: Ragusan Press, 1993. Booklet. $8.00. Four Croatians with Columbus.
Eterovich, Adam S. Croatia in the New World: Sebastian Cabot's Voyage to the Rio De La Plata, 1526-1530. San Carlos, Calif.: Ragusan Press, 1990. Booklet $6.00. Croatian officers and mariners with Cabot. Cabot could be Croatian.
Eterovich, Adam S. Croatia in the New World: The Verrazano Voyages to America and Canada, 1523-1524. San Carlos, Calif.: Ragusan Press, 1990. Booklet $6.00. New England was first named New Dalmatia. Verrazano could be Croatian.

Croatians explore US University

By Laura Newsome
Published , February 27, 2003, 12:00:01 PM EDT 

A delegation of 11 people, including faculty and staff members from Croatia's University of Zagreb, are visiting the University to learn about its public outreach programs.

The group is examining programs at the University to learn how to implement similar programs in rural Croatia.

They will be observing many programs including those involving economic development, agriculture and urban planning.

The visiting group consists of eight University of Zagreb faculty members, two PILAR employees (a social science research institute in Croatia) and one non-government employee interested in developing tourism in Croatia.

"The intended goal is to help the University of Zagreb and Croatia's economic development," said Rusty Brooks, a professor at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government and joint-director of the Croatia project.

"In Croatia, there is no such thing as a land grant university, so there are no programs in place that reach out to the community," Brooks said.

The University of Zagreb, with 65,000 students, is the principle university in Croatia.

Since their arrival in Athens, the group of visitors have met with the University's Small Business Development Center, the School of Forest Resources and many other departments within the University.

Next week they will travel to south Georgia where they will visit a University outreach program in Tifton.

The visitors also have been sitting in on classes and talking with students who are majoring in their fields of specialty.

"Through this visit, students can have a better understanding of the unique Croatian culture, and they can learn of the challenges related to Croatia's economic and political development," said Jennifer Frum, assistant director of the University's International Public Service and Outreach department.

For three weeks last summer, Brooks took a group of 10 students to Croatia to study urban development and the viability of tourism in the Eastern European country.

Although many University employees and students have visited Croatia, this is the first time the University has been able to bring a delegation to Athens.

The Zagreb visitors arrived Saturday and are scheduled to depart on March 8. Their visit is funded by a grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

http://www.redandblack.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/02/27/3e5e1b0bc6a8a 

Veleposlanstvo Republike Hrvatske u Sjedinjenim Američkim Drzavama
Embassy of the Republic of Croatia to the United States of America
2343 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C. 20008
Press office, Phone: (202) 986 9476 Fax: (202) 588 8938
E-mail: press@croatiaemb.org  www.croatiaemb.org 

PRESS RELASE 08/03

CROATIAN AMBASSADOR SPOKE AT MIDWEST CONFERENCE ON WORLD AFFAIRS

Kearney Nebraska, March 11 - The Croatian Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Ivan Grdesic, spoke on Monday March 10 at 9:30am, at the James E. Smith Midwest Conference on World Affairs at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. The annual three-day conference was sponsored by the College of Business and Technology and was entitled  Global Economy: Promises and Perils of an Uncertain Frontier .

The Croatian Ambassador offered his insight and knowledge on globalization. He offered a unique perspective to the panel discussion, due to Croatia s fairly new independence and current success in the rebuilding of their economy. 

The Ambassador spoke about Croatian economic and social prospects, following their initial exposure to globalization. Grdesic said results of a recent research conducted by The Foreign Policy magazine conclude that small and middle-sized countries, such as Croatia, are more opened to the effects of globalization then larger countries. As a Central European country, Croatia can t avoid effects of globalization, said Grdesic. But, by focusing on several economical niches, such as, for instance, tourism and healthy food production, it will exploit its competitive advantages and use those effects to its benefit, said Croatian Ambassador.

He also pointed out, that cheaper transport and communication expenses bring advantages to experts and scientists and may put a halt to the dreaded  brain-drain , that is the loss of great intellectual potential leaving those countries. Croatian experts need to go to foreign centres in pursuit of professional excellence no longer as they can exchange ideas with their colleagues and thus advance their research from Croatia too, said Grdesic.

On a broader spectrum, the Croatian Ambassador discussed the democratic transition and Croatian foreign policy priorities, such as joining the EU and NATO. He also talked about the importance of economic reform in the era of globalization and on economic relations with the US.

Grdesic used the opportunity and discussed Croatian transitional experiences, particularly related to dealing with anxiety and Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder (PTSD) among refugees and war-veterans, with the students at the Universities Multi-Cultural Psychology Class.

Also in attendance of the conference were representatives of several other countries.

For further information, please contact:
Alan Vojvodic, Embassy of the Republic of Croatia to the United States of America, (202) 986 9476,press@croatiaemb.org  

Gina Kuljanic from New Jersey in contestfor Eurosong 2003

GINA KULJANIC-PICINIC STARTED HER SINGER'S CAREER AT CROATIAN CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL IN NEW YORK - TODAY SHE IS IN THE FINALE TO BE VOTED AMONG POPULAR CROATIAN SINGERS IN CROATIA TO REPRESENT CROATIA AT EUROSONG 2003 - CROATIAN COMMUNITY IN ASTORIA 

Gina Kuljanic, mlada Hrvatica koja ce i ove godine nastupiti na Festivalu u New Yorku za dva tjedna, plasirala se u finale za izbor pjesme koja ce predstavljati Hrvatsku na Eurosongu ove godine. Ovo sam nasao na sluzbenoj web stranici Hrvatske Radio Televizije i evo sto pise o nasoj Gini:
"Gina Kuljanic zivi u New Jerseyu, a rodom je s otoka Suska. Prvo festivalsko iskustvo stekla je na Hrvatskom djecjem festivalu u New Yorku gdje je prije tri godine osvojila nagradu strucnog ocjenjivackog suda. Umjetnicki direktor tog festivala Andrej Basa pozvao ju je prosle godine na Melodije Istre i Kvarnera (MIK). S pjesmom "Sansego gradicu" koja je napravljena bas za nju zbog njezine povezanosti sa Suskom(Sansego), Gina je, iako debitantica, postigla zapazen uspjeh. Pjesma jos drzi visoko mjesto na top-ljestvicama radijskih postaja Istre i Kvarnera. Proslog ljeta snimljen je na Susku istoimeni video spot sa zenskom i muskom klapom "Kastav" koja je sudjelovala i na MIK-u u izvodjenju pjesme. Gina je zapazena po specificnoj boji glasa, kao i vibratu koji je cesce prisutan kod francuskih pjevaca, a mnogi njezin glas usporedjuju sa Celine Dion. Uz pjevanje uci flautu. Planira izdati prvi CD s novim skladbama i s vec do sada snimljenim materijalom. Na ovogodisnjoj "DORI" nastupa s pjesmom "Sanjam". Autor stihova je Drago Britvic, a glazbe Andrej Basa, koji je s Djordjem Novkovicem bio koautor "Don't Ever Cry" nase prve predstavnice na Eurosongu 1993."

I tako to vide nasi u Zagrebu, a mi u New Yorku mozemo im jedino poruciti da ovdje na Festivalu djece i mladih mogu otkriti jos mnogo talentiranih Gina i Marina. Svi smo ponosni i sretni s ovim uspjehom talentirane Gine Kuljanic. 

Josip Remenar - SutrA magazine - New York

P.S. Za informacije o festivalu budite slobodni kliknuti na www.cro-zone.com i tu cete sve saznati sto vas zanima.

Dive's Great Success at Carnegie

This is just a short report about the young, talented, Croatian 
flutist Dive Franetovic. Croatians were out in force to cheer her on, as 
was my family (father, son, their spouses, and myself). Dive played 
third on the program. She looked stunning in a floor-long, white, 
shimmering gown as she played beautifully and expressively the slow 
movement of the Mozart Concerto in D. Everyone was very proud of her 
performance and her poise.
At the intermission, she was mobbed by members of her family, 
friends, and well-wishers.
The rest of the concert was very interesting, to say the least! 
Performances ranged from a movement of a 20th century violin concerto to 
a performer with an unusual talent for whistling (he whistled the "Queen 
of the Night" aria from Mozart's Magic Flute!). It was a great night -- 
and, as I later discovered, it was also Dive's birthday!
Many thanks to CROWN for providing a means of information so 
that young Croatian artists can be recognized and supported! 

Suzanne Lord