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| FSU's Croatia Program Summer 2002 We deeply appreciate the chance to use the auspices of your organization to inform about and recruit for our Summer 2002 Croatia Program. I am attaching text from our International Programs web site (www.international.fsu.edu) which gives a program description, courses offered, program dates, and cost. Application deadline is January 15, 2002. At our web site, click on "college-level programs." Click on "summer" on the left of the screen. Click on "Dubrovnik, Croatia." If there is any other material you need or can suggest, please let me know. Contact person: Leslie E. Vega, Ph.D., (800) 374-8581, lvega@admin.fsu.edu. If this material is not in a usable format, let us know and we'll try another tack. Could you give us some idea of when we might view it on your web site? Again, thank you, and best wishes.... Delores Bryant Assistant to Dr. Vega dbryant@admin.fsu.edu (800) 374-8581; Fax (850) 644-8817 distributed by CROWN (Croatian World Net) - CroworldNet@aol.com |
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| Dear All, Please take time to politely call and email Dr.Vega and ms. Bryant and explain them that Serbo-Croatian Dubrovnik, especially culture of such kind does not exist. Politely! Thanks, Nenad Leslie E. Vega, Ph.D., (800) 374-8581, lvega@admin.fsu.edu. Delores Bryant Assistant to Dr. Vega, dbryant@admin.fsu.edu (800) 374-8581; Fax (850) 644-8817 FSU's Croatia Program Summer 2002 We deeply appreciate the chance to use the auspices of your organization to inform about and recruit for our Summer 2002 Croatia Program. I am attaching text from our International Programs web site (www.international.fsu.edu) which gives a program description, courses offered, program dates, and cost. Application deadline is January 15, 2002. At our web site, click on "college-level programs." Click on "summer" on the left of the screen. Click on "Dubrovnik, Croatia." If there is any distributed by CROWN (Croatian World Net) - CroworldNet@aol.com |
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| Dear new subscribers, I welcome you. We already entered the third year how I started this CROWN (Croatian World Net) network out of desperation, not an inspiration. You who read it and act upon it are the value of this network. My function is to keep it going and not allow to discuss old rhetoric over and over. Not preach to the choir but to the audience. It is a NONCONFORMIST type of communication, because I think that poetry and music and news and history and politics and many more are part of our daily life. We who are outside of Croatia, and the list is 99% of such, have a common interest and many of us have similar experiences in our out-of-country living. So, we are the focus of this global group. On the list there are Hollywood producers and Harvard students, Sydney's entrepreneurs and New York musicians, New Mexico poets and Italian businesswomen. The range is wide and beautiful. Friends from Sweden and Japan. Doctors from Zagreb and Norway. We are all over the globe and willing to help "our beautiful" as well as ourselves. Coordination, exchange of ideas, tolerance and allowing others to be who they are...Small minds talk about other people, average about events and great ones about ideas. I witnessed many new friendships, employment, published letters in the major world publications, even a real estate deals. These were all done in volunteers manner and I intend it to stay that way till we are able to employ few editors. People distinguish themselves with their inner ability, whether that is their intention or not. I see quality and that makes me very hopeful. Our intentions can be accomplished in a short period of time. As of now I do not advertise and the number of recipients are in thousands. I want quality. Period. When the webpage will be functioning, then we can spread the word. I get daily up to 400 of your emails and on an average day I forward 2-3. If we had a webpage it could be done in the way that you will receive once a week all the titles with the link and you will pick the subject you are interested in. Most of the ideas fell apart when people started to discuss among themselves old themes that are not resolved within us. My idea is to deal with them on the paper and post them for the audience, but all the FOCUS is FUTURE. It's a tough job, believe me, to stay to the center. It is very easy to go left and right, but to stay on the course is difficult. We entered the third year of our not so small community that spreads to all the continents. I hope to find financing to put this idea on the webpage so it will stay permanently for everybody who wants to know about us to hear it FROM us. Not from the third party as it was for the last 13 centuries. I also want to make such a webpage self-sustained. Few rules. No, curse words. Civilized behavior. Otherwise you disqualify yourself in posting your letter of interest. There is a way to tell the truth and not offend everybody on the way to the victory. Croatian daily domestic politics is not our focus. Letter in the Subject title is either E or H or both which determines the language in the letter. English, Croatian or both. Svako dobro, (all the best) Nenad Bach founder CROWN (Croatian World Net) |
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| Dear All, In its effort to clear land mines around the world, the Organization of American States (OAS) is sponsoring a cocktail event Thursday, Nov. 29, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at its beautiful headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Organization of American States Main Building; 17th Street and Constitution Ave. N.W.; Washington, D.C.). The event is open to the public, and a donation of $10 is requested. Please e-mail me (frankmustac@att.net) if anyone would like a copy of the invitation in Microsoft Word format. The cocktail event is being held in conjunction with the world-wide fund-raiser to clear land mines called "Night of a Thousand Dinners." On Friday, Nov. 30, people around the world will host and attend dinner parties to raise funds and awareness for land mine clearing. Croatia is one of the countries listed on the "Night of a Thousand Dinners" Web site, http://www.1000dinners.com, in which "land mines problems are most prevalent." I understand that a large dinner will be held at the Sheraton Hotel in Zagreb. President Mesic may attend that event. I'm not sure if any of the money raised at the Thursday night event in Washington will go towards clearing land mines in Croatia, but it should be fun and worthwhile nonetheless. Frank Mustac, reporter frankmustac@att.net ------------------------- Here's the text of the invitation: The Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Dr. César Gaviria, and The Permanent Representative of Canada to the OAS, Ambassador Paul Durand, cordially invite you to a cocktail reception “The Night of a Thousand Dinners” celebrating our joint efforts to rid the Americas of landmines on Thursday, November 29, 2001, From 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The Organization of American States Main Building 17th Street and Constitution Ave. N.W. Washington, D.C. ABOUT THE NIGHT OF A THOUSAND DINNERS The Organization of American States (OAS) and the Permanent Mission of Canada to the OAS are proud to be affiliated with the Night of a Thousand Dinners, an initiative which encourages individuals and businesses across the world to host dinners for friends, family, and co-workers in order to raise awareness and resources for mine action. This initiative was launched by the Canadian Landmine Foundation, a private sector charitable organization dedicated to the eradication of anti-personnel landmines throughout the world and to ending the human and economic suffering caused by these mines. The OAS has a particular interest in raising awareness and funds for mine action as its Member States have adopted the goal of the global elimination of antipersonnel landmines and the conversion of the Western Hemisphere into an antipersonnel-land-mine-free zone. For the Americas to accomplish this goal, financial and human resources are needed. Your kind contribution will be greatly appreciated; we suggest a minimum of $10.00. Checks may be made payable to the Victim Assistance Fund. Please send your payments along with your ticket stubs to the OAS Mine Action Program, Room 850-K, 1889 F Street UPD/ AICMA Washington, DC 20006-4499. If you have any further questions, please contact Claudia Estrada at the OAS Mine Action Program, 202.458.3343, or via email at cxestrada@oas.org, or Patrick Alwine at the OAS Mine Action Program, 202.458.3023, or via email at updint7@oas.org Frank Mustac, reporter frankmustac@att.net distributed by CROWN (Croatian World Net) - CroworldNet@aol.com |
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| http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/printedition/calendar/la-000094606nov28.story?coll=la%2Dheadlines%2Dcalendar LA Times Initiatives November 28, 2001 A War's Sharp Shooter Director John Moore brought lifelong knowledge of battle to 'Behind Enemy Lines.' Times Headlines By GINA PICCALO, TIMES STAFF WRITER Warfare in one form or another has always been a part of John Moore's life. He grew up in Dundalk, Ireland, the hardscrabble border town long known as a hide-out for the Irish Republican Army where car bombs killed a few of his relatives and bloody riots were commonplace. As a news cameraman years later, Moore braved Israeli shelling while covering the peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon. The wars in Bosnia so haunted him that he studied the ethnic conflicts and visited the war-torn nation looking for answers. So it's not surprising that Moore's first feature film, "Behind Enemy Lines," would depict the complexities of modern warfare with such a visceral edge that at times it feels more like a documentary than a big studio action-thriller. In the 20th Century Fox film that opens Friday, Owen Wilson stars as a naval aviator who must fight his way out of Bosnia with the help of his admiral, played by Gene Hackman. The story is loosely based on the experience of American pilot Scott O'Grady after he was shot down in Bosnia in 1995. Moore employed a variety of styles to film the civil war in Bosnia in all its surrealistic horror. In one particularly vivid scene, a satellite camera tracks Wilson as he hides under a pile of dead bodies in a mass grave site. In another, images flash by with the staccato rhythm of live news footage as we watch, close-up, a fierce battle inside a village. Moore said he used hand-held cameras in that scene to prevent "the distancing that goes on with the more glamorous techniques in the film." The $35-million film was originally set to open Jan. 18, but the studio cut production time by seven weeks to open it this year. It's one of two war movies moved up after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks--Sony's military thriller "Black Hawk Down" opens Dec. 28; it had been scheduled for a March 2002 release. Both Fox and Sony felt that the timing was right for films about the U.S. military, even if they aren't conventionally patriotic. Fox Chairman Tom Rothman hired Moore after he saw Moore's commercial for Sega. It aired during the 1999 MTV Music Video Awards and featured a chase scene with dozens of sophisticated stunts. "It got a lot of attention in the movie world, which was something I didn't really expect," noted Alex Blum, who produced the commercial and co-produced "Behind Enemy Lines." Moore could hardly believe that he had landed a film about the conflict in Bosnia. After years in the commercial world, he was anxious to use his technical skill and storytelling ability to share his understanding of the region's ethnic conflict. "I always imagined that somebody ripped open Pandora's box," he said of the beginning of the conflict in Bosnia. "I felt obsessed about researching it. I couldn't accept the fact that it had just flared up. It was so enticing and appalling at the same time." The burly, bearded Moore, 31, favors camouflage fatigues as a wardrobe staple. Compromise has never been easy for him, and his early success did little to soften his all-or-nothing attitude on the job, Blum said. "I don't think he expected to live past 30," Blum added. "I think he expected to have a very intense and short life. For him to have his life turn out this way is surprising." Moore's fearlessness shocked his producers while scouting locations in Eastern Europe last year. "He wanted to shoot the movie in Sarajevo and went there on his own," producer John Davis said. "We had to say to him, 'We can't shoot this movie anywhere that they're going to shoot at you.'" Ultimately, the film was shot in remote areas near Bratislava, Slovakia, during three months in late 2000. The second oldest of three brothers and one sister, Moore's roots were Irish working-class. His father was a carpenter, his mother worked at a computer hardware manufacturing plant, and the family didn't have a car. His younger brother Paul went on to become a sniper for the Irish military. (Paul has a cameo role as a sniper in "Behind Enemy Lines.") Moore said he got "hooked on imaging" at age 11 after he watched the televised assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat by Muslim radicals. As a teenager, Moore dreamed of becoming a combat photographer and idolized British television war correspondent Aernout Van Lynden. While shooting his film last year, Moore spent months tracking down the journalist to play himself in the movie. Moore graduated from Dublin Technical Film School just as Ireland's film industry was booming. He worked as an assistant cameraman on several films including "The Miracle," "The Butcher Boy" and "Braveheart." He also directed music videos for Irish bands. Around that time, Moore took interest in the Bosnian conflicts and began researching the complicated history of the region's ethnic strife. The director's knowledge became useful years later when producer Davis asked for his feedback on the original "Behind Enemy Lines" script. "It [the script] was so horrendously out of whack," Moore said. "I had studied the wars in Bosnia. I'd been there. I took that stuff very seriously. [This script] was genuinely ridiculous with the actors escaping in World War I biplanes and stuff." For the next several weeks, "Natural Born Killers" writer David Veloz and screenwriter Zak Penn rewrote the script, adding a survival element and structuring it more as a traditional action film. Still, Moore wasn't satisfied. When the director first met Owen Wilson, he told the actor flat out, "There's not one good line in this script." "That was kind of an interesting way to try to sell your movie to an actor," Wilson said in a recent interview. "But I appreciated it, because I agreed with him." Moore admired Wilson's talent for improvisation. "I've looked at executives and seen them look slightly puzzled when you're saying Owen can carry an entire drama," Moore said. "But the guy is a straight-up Steve McQueen." Hackman was another matter. Moore prepared himself for directing the veteran by watching every film the actor had made, including multiple viewings of "The French Connection." Still, he was incredibly intimidated when the two-time Oscar winner arrived on set a day early. They exchanged a curt introduction and then Hackman urged him to "get back to work." Moore, with his stubborn nature and unwavering intensity, clashed with Hackman. One scene resulted in Hackman storming off the set. "I got blasted once," Moore said. "We were all sleep-deprived.... He wanted a rehearsal and I wasn't ready for it." As the production continued, Moore learned to be more prepared. In fact, he said, the crew's work style became somewhat militaristic as the shoot wore on. "You have to know what you want [with Hackman]," Moore said. "You don't disrespect him by over-explaining on set." Actors aside, Moore's toughest scene was depicting a horrific battle in a Muslim-occupied village. "In many ways, it's very badly shot," he said. The only cameras used were hand-held to add realism. As a commercial director, Moore said this type of filming felt counterintuitive: "I've sat on sets and spent four hours to get the condensation on a Coke can perfect." For his most technically difficult scene, the shoot-down of Wilson's jet fighter, Moore spent two months planning and four months shooting. With the help of military technical advisors, he depicted nearly every one of the 164 different mechanical operations that occur in 1.2 seconds of a pilot ejection. Now that the film is complete, Moore is conflicted about the idea of the picture serving to boost American morale after Sept. 11. He said he doesn't want the more subtle messages of his work to be lost. One key example, Moore said, is when a French admiral accuses Americans of protecting their own lives before fighting for justice. "Part of me is afraid that the film will be perceived as uber-patriotic and uber-jingoistic," Moore said. "But if the public decides for themselves that the film gives them a sense of comfort and satisfaction, then I think they're absolutely entitled to do that." For information about reprinting this article, go to http://www.lats.com Copyright 2001 Los Angeles Times By visiting this site, you are agreeing to our Terms of Service. distributed by CROWN (Croatian World Net) - CroworldNet@aol.com |
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| Wednesday, November 28, 2001 Source: Dnevni list, November 26, 2001 BISHOP PERIC BLESSES THE PASTORAL CENTER IN BOBANOVO SELO What does the opening of this pastoral center mean for You? "I was in Cleveland, Ohio, this summer. The church, in which the Croatian people gather, was full to capacity. Present were, as they informed me, about 5000 of our people who moved there during the war. Even though it made me happy to meet with the people, it was hard for me to see them on a different continent. They definitely will not return to their homes, especially the young people. Today I thanked God when I saw how many of the people that remained here had gathered. I am grateful to all of those people, as well as to those from various congregations: Jablanica, Konjic, Vares, etc, becase they stayed here. I am also grateful that they hope to start their families and find conditions for life here. I suggest that they stay here, even if that means going through hardships because there are hardships everywhere, and here they have their own land that requires cultivation, on which they should work, live, and support their families. I am glad that this is the beginning of new construction, turning towards the Church, which should be the spiritual strength of this place and the people of this congregation, but I would like it if all the people could have the fundamental conditions for survival. However, if the people are satisfied with their lives, then the Church can prosper as well." The opening of this center also symbolizes much more for these people. "Just as every body has a soul, without which there is no life or consciousness, if this place doesn't have a soul then it's just a mass. But if is has a soul, the Church and a conscience, then the people too will feel different regardless of where they are from or what kind of hardships they may be suffering." foreign press office fpo-mostar@pincom.net distributed by CROWN (Croatian World Net) - CroworldNet@aol.com |
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| Come Join Us! Contemporary Croatian Artists An International Exhibition Devoted to the discovery and introduction of emerging artists Mediums include: photography, fashion, painting, music, etc. Check it out at: http://homepage.mac.com/trogir13/NYC/PhotoAlbum10.html Saturday, December 8th 2001 7pm-11pm Location: Croatian Center: W. 41st St. btw 10th & 11th Ave, New York City, USA distributed by CROWN (Croatian World Net) - CroworldNet@aol.com |
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| Croatian American Family Hosts A Successful Benefit Dinner To Raise Funds For Demining in Croatia FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (December 1, 2001 - North Potomac, MD) - On November 30th, 2001, over forty guests attended the benefit dinner at the Steve Rukavina residence in North Potomac, Maryland. This "Night of a Thousand Dinners" was the first of what will become an annual event as part of the international initiative and social movement worldwide to raise funds to make the world mine-safe and mine-free. This Maryland fundraising dinner was coordinated through the Washington, D.C. based organization, the National Federation of Croatian Americans Cultural Foundation (NFCA). The featured guest speaker was Richard Kidd, IV, from the Bureau of Political and Military Affairs at the US Department of State. Mr. Kidd, is a foreign affairs officer with significant experience with the landmine problems in Southeast Europe and Afghanistan. Also, Dr. Kresimir Pirsl, Minister Plenipotentiary of the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia, Jackie Hanson of the International Committee to Ban Landmines and Jason Rukavina of the NFCA, addressed the well-fed crowd about the pressing challenge and crisis with landmines around the world. The Croatian section of the Voice of America, attended and interviewed several of the guest speakers. "I was pleased that we raised close to $4,500 with the matching funds available for demining in Croatia arranged through the Adopt-A-Minefield organization. It was a fun night, with a great crowd and Chef Ivo Svircic was the hero of the night with his on-site preparation of superb Croatian dishes", said Jason Rukavina, co-host of this benefit event with his father, Steve Rukavina. The Embassy of the Republic of Croatia donated most of the food for this benefit dinner. All funds raised at the North Potomac dinner will be contributed to the Adopt-A-Minefeld organization and then earmarked for demining operations in Croatia and thus, will qualify for U.S. government matching funds. This global dinner effort was arranged by the Canadian Landmine Foundation (CLF) and the United Nations Association of the USA to raise awareness and funds for groups like Adopt-A-Minefield, based in New York. "This fundraising dinner was a new challenge for me and my first serious attempt at organizing an event that benefits a Croatian cause, and overall it was very satisfying that it was so successful. I hope more Croatian Americans will plan and participate in next year's round of global dinners," concluded Jason Rukavina. op-ed On this somber day when we lost George Harrison, I felt a great satisfaction that the third generation of Croatian Americans are involved in such a precious cause, to show that we care and that we can make a difference. We found friends in organizations like Adopt-A-Minefield and Roots of Peace, who selflessly help our country without asking for any rewards. These contributions that will come from all over the world will show them that we are as well committed to the cause. Great job Jason and all of you unnamed who contributed. Love and Light in the spirit of George Harrison ! Nenad Bach editor in chief distributed by CROWN (Croatian World Net) - CroworldNet@aol.com |
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| Hello Nenad, My name is Diana. I am a nurse/health educator. I live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of South West Virginia. I grew up in New York. At the age of 6, my parents left Brooklyn and moved to Oceanside, Long Island, in pursuit of the American Dream. However, I remember that Brooklyn neighborhood with fondness and love. It was a place where people lingered on the sidewalk, where the corner candy store provided a pretzel and egg cream, and penny candy was plentiful. It was a place where we played stoop ball, and stick ball, and roller skated the hours away. There was a lot of activity, and a lot of emotion. Little did I know, however, that while I was growing up in an Italian/Jewish/African American neighborhood, I had a biological grandmother living close by who came from Croatia. In 1928, she gave birth to Helen Agnus, the child who would grow up to become my biological mother. She was born at a Catholic Hospital in Manhattan, close to where my grandmother, Luce, lived, (somewhere near the George Washington Bridge). When I was 6 months old, my birth mother set me free to be adopted. From that moment on, I lost contact with her until 45 years later. A few months before finding her, I found her brother, my biological uncle, George. He too, had not seen my birth mother for almost 5 decades. He was 82 when I found him. That was about 3 years ago. It was he who had the history of my biological grandmother, Luce. He told me she came from Dubrovnik, and immigrated to America around 1913. She originally went to Watsonville, California to live with her brother, Bozo. Another brother, Mato, left Croatia in 1902, but returned to Dubrovnik in 1911 and worked to arrange for my grandmother's fare to America. Unfortunately, she died in 1962. I was still a young girl, and of course knew nothing of her. Now, many years later, I am trying to reconnect with her by "resurrecting" her life. It is a fascinating story of a young Croatian immigrant woman, struggling to make a life for herself in a strange land. It is a story of unrequited love, loss, pain, and suffering. But, it is also a story of faith, determination, strong will, and an unyielding belief in God. Indeed, it was her Catholic religion that sustained her. Two years ago, after inquiring about her birth records from the Dubrovnik Historical Society, I was able to find the village where she was born. Searching the Internet, I found her brother's family (the one who returned to Croatia), still living in the hamlet where she grew up. I have connected with them. It is an exciting and wonderful revelation for me to learn I am Croatian and actually have cousins still living in the land of my ancestors. It is especially amazing for me, since I grew up without an identity--never knowing what nationality or ethnic roots I descended from. I now know who I am, and wish to celebrate my heritage. I want to live and learn everything Croatian. For some reason, I believe it is the voice of my ancestors who call me to this journey. When I first found my cousin Mato (44), and his father, Duro (89),the son of my grandmother's brother who returned to Croatia in 1911, I wrote this poem: Distance can never separate hearts that really care. So think of me Mato, and I will be right there. You can hear my footsteps walking along your mountain side---- You can feel my heartbeat beating with much Croatian pride. The blood of our ancestors runs deep in both our veins. We honor every memory by sharing their joys and pains. So please remember Mato, when you see the sky, that I am right there with you standing so close by. Let the miles between us vanish as we listen to the wind -- our voices it will carry across a distant land. Bozo, Mato, and Luce once traveled over the sea Look at the ocean now Mato, and please remember me. We can visit anytime -- no matter when or where. For distance never separates hearts that really care. So this is part of my story. I am on a discovery to connect with my origins and biological past. Thank you for including me in your newsletter. I want to keep up with everything. Diana op-ed I am very proud to be able to connect to the second and third and "n"t Croatian generation. All the effort seems suddenly appropriate. This is our own strenght and honor. Welcome ! Nenad Bach p.s. Anybody knows Croatians from South West Virginia? Any school to learn Croatian language near by? Please contact me if you hear of one. distributed by CROWN (Croatian World Net) - CroworldNet@aol.com |
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