Washington Report by Joe Foley, NFCA Public Affairs Director

[Ratimir Mocnaj]

Washington Report by Joe Foley, NFCA Public Affairs Director
In September, Sarajevo's esteemed Cardinal Vinko Puljic visited Washington for an official tour that included meetings at the US State Department, with Members of Congress, and at the White House for discussions with National Security Council staff. In addition, he delivered several speeches before Washington’s influential think tanks. The Car-dinal's visit also involved attending Croatian American gatherings on the East Coast and celebrating Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immacu-late Conception in Washington. The NFCACF was pleased to again help establish and support Cardinal Puljic’s itinerary so that the ongoing economic and political plight of Croatian Bosnians would be better understood by Washington's foreign policy decision-makers.
Letters were strategically developed by Senator Mark Begich (D-AK) and Con-gressman Elton Gallegly (R-CA) that were sent ahead of these meetings to Secre-tary of State Hillary Clinton and House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH). The letters quoted the NFCA's long standing concerns related to modifying parts of The Day-ton Peace Accords that continue to adversely affect Croatians in BiH and effec-tively retard the political progress of this new nation-state and important south-ern neighbor of Croatia's. Meetings were with Speaker Boehner, Senator Begich, US State Department European Bureau policymakers, the White House National Security Council staff: and US Representatives Gallegly, Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Dan Burton (R-IN), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Russ Carnahan (D-MO), Chris Smith (R-NJ) and others with interest in SE European and Balkan affairs. Follow-on discussions and Congressional hearings evolving from the Cardinal's visit are under development. NFCA members will be able to review these new Congressional letters and other legacy documents and news articles on our new NFCACF web site. (Continued on page 2)
THE CROATIAN AMERICAN ADVOCATE
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER
OF THE NFCA CULTURAL FOUNDATION
National Federation of Croatian Americans Cultural Foundation FALL 2011
2401 Research Blvd, Suite 115, Rockville, Maryland 20850 Issue 22
www.nfcacf.org Email: nfcahdq@verizon.net p 301.208.6650 Volume 1
NFCACF 2011 Assembly of Delegates
Convenes in Pittsburgh
The NFCA Cultural Foundation completed its 18th Annual Assembly of Dele-gates on Saturday, June 4, 2011, at the Clarion Hotel in Pittsburgh. The many Delegates attending represented Croatian communities from through-out the United States.
Speakers included the Co-Speaker of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Parlia-ment, Dr. Bozo Ljubic, and the out-going Croatian Ambassador to the Unit-ed States, Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, who was recently named Assistant Sec-retary General for Public Diplomacy to NATO’s General Secretary Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The Ambassador graciously thanked the NFCACF and its members for their support during her tenure in Washington.
On Saturday night, the NFCA Delegates and guests attended an elegant wine tasting at the home of Peter Karlo-vich and Steve Herforth, where they both were presented with the NFCACF Presidential Medal.
NFCA President Bill Vergot gives Cardinal Puljic our Sarajevo hos-pital donation.
Bill Vergot, Ambassador Grabar Kitarov-ic, Dr. Bozo Ljubic, NFCA past Presi-dent John Kraljic.
CFU Scholarship Fund: A Croatian Success Story
The CFU established the CFU Scholarship Fund 53 years ago and has provided assistance to 8,832 stu-dents of the CFU in Canada, USA, and Croatia total-ing $2,880,355. This year $185,500 in assistance was given to students in amounts ranging from $500 to $1,000. CFU members have donated $182,903.95 thus far in 2011. To make a donation to this Fund, please make your check payable to: CFU Scholarship Fund and mail to Bernard M. Luketich, Croatian Fra-ternal Union, 100 Delaney Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15235. This is a tax deductible charitable donation. You must be a member of the CFU to be eligible for
Profile: Edward J. Damich
Edward Damich, the first President of the NFCA, was appointed a Judge of the US Court of Federal Claims in Washington on October 22, 1998, by President Bill Clinton. He served as Chief Judge from 2002-09 and testified before Congress five times regarding US foreign policy affecting the former Republic of Yugo-slavia and copyright issues.
Judge Damich will be a guest speaker at the 2012 Assembly of Delegates in Cleveland, Ohio. For a more detailed biography of Edward J. Damich, please visit the website: http://www.uscfc.uscourts.gov/edward-j-damich
Zvonko Labas, BiH Ambassador Mitar Kujundzic, Don Dar-ko, Cardinal Puljic, U.S. Speaker of the House John Boehner, and NFCA Public Affairs Director Joe Foley during the Cardinal’s visit to Congressional offices in Washington, DC on September 8, 2011.
Washington Report continued
NFCA's current Washington initiatives also include support for liberalizing the US Visa Waiver Program so that Croatia can soon join. This will permit easi-er access to the US for Croatian nationals and is a natural outgrowth of Croatia's new NATO member-ship and her continued western assimilation. We also plan to help grow the Congressional Croatian Caucus in the coming months and continue to ap-pear before Congress on matters of concern for NFCA and the Republic of Croatia where applica-ble. In July, NFCACF Executive Vice President Zvonko Labas appeared before a hearing of the Hel-sinki Commission on Capitol Hill regarding needed political, human rights, economic, and other re-forms required in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is NFCA's position that instituting fair and progressive treatment of Croatians in this country will be the lynch pin for a viable Bosnia and Herzegovina as a functioning nation-state in the future.
How is the NFCACF Benefitting Croatians
and the Republic of Croatia?
As the only national Croatian organization with head-quarters in our nation’s capital, we are always pro-moting our language, history, and culture for the public benefit generated through the charitable pro-motion of mutual understanding, tolerance, respect, and diversity of the American society.
Our recent activities include:
 Supporting the DORA Foundation.
 Sponsoring Wine Tastings for the De-Mining Effort in Croatia.
 Interacting with the Croatian Caucus in Congress, especially on VISA Waiver Program issues.
 Helping Cardinal Puljic build a new Catholic hos-pital in Sarajevo.
 Coordinating with the Croatian Embassy in Wash-ington on matters of concern to the Republic.
 Meeting with the National Security Council staff and State Department foreign policy implement-ers.
 Publicizing our activities via the “Zajednicar”, the official organ of the Croatian Fraternal Un-ion, and other press outlets.
The officers of this volunteer organization appreciate your valued membership and continued support.
these scholarships. To become a member of this fraternal family, call the CFU at 412.843.0380. The CFU was an original founder of the NFCA in 1993 and continues to remain our prime patron.
Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, NFCA Exec. VP Zvonko Labas, and former NFCA President Slavko Yam-brusich at the Congressional Croatian Caucus event on Capitol Hill honoring the Prime Minister on May 24, 2011.
A Man for All Seasons:
Vice Skracic
The Deputy Chief of Mission, Vice Skracic, is an indi-vidual of many talents. The Croatian Embassy staff in Washington and all those who interact with him will attest to this.
Vice is an extremely dedicated and versatile man who knows how to accomplish tasks with the least amount of frustration and friction. During the tenure of former Ambassador Grabar Kitarovic, this astute Croatian of Australian descent supported her most successful tour of duty, ensured her goals were ef-fectively met, and will continue to manage a talent-ed team of diplomats in Washington.
Now as Acting Ambassador, he is skillfully and dili-gently working to fulfill one of the former Ambassa-dor’s goals of having the Visa Waiver granted to Cro-atians wishing to visit the US. The US Congress has the sole power to include Croatia in the Visa Waiver Program. To obtain this difficult objective, Vice is providing assistance to the NFCACF in working with the Croatian Caucus to get necessary legislation passed. Vice also establishes periodic meetings for Croatian Americans in the DC area.
Yes, he is a “Man for all Seasons,” and Vice is cer-tainly filling important diplomatic shoes most ade-quately as acting “Mr. Ambassador” - pending an-nouncement of a new Ambassador from Croatia to the United States.
NFCACF 2012 Assembly of Delegates
June 1-2, Cleveland, Ohio
Please see our website www.nfcacf.org for information on our upcoming 19th Annual As-sembly of Delegates.
Ambassador Grabar Kitarov-ic and NFCA President Ver-got present NFCA Presi-dent's Appreci-ation Award to Ms. Nadine Bognar in Pitts-burgh.
CFU Secretary-Treasurer Ed Pazo, Embassy Defense Atta-ché General Mate Paden, CFU VP Bernadette Luketich-Sikaras, and Embassy Acting Ambassador Vice Skracic
Richard Mereu, Staff Director to Rep. Gallegly, Joe Foley, Steve Rukavina, Zvonko Labas, and Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA)
NFCA members Zvonko Labas, Steve Rukavina, White House NSC SE Europe Director Rick Holtzapple, WH Ethnic Communities Coordinator Kyle Lierman, and Tom Steich
Croatia President Ivo Josipovic re-quested a formal meeting with NFCACF leaders while in Washing-ton on May 3rd. This historic Willard Hotel Sum-mit was led by immediate past President Steven Rukavina and also included Mijo Radocaj, Anne Pavlich, Bill Vergot, Jelena Rudela, Joe Foley, and Zvonko Labas. Each attendee presented NFCA's concerns in turn to President Josipovic and his foreign policy advisors. Issues that arose included the recent and extreme sentencing of Generals Gotovina and Markac, the implementation plan for the new Diaspora Law passed by the Sabor in April, the current dysfunctional political situation in BiH, and the need for appropriately designed bilateral trade goals between our two countries.
Recent ICTY Decisions
The NFCA is critical of the severe judgment against Generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac. We also called for expansion of the indictment against Ratko Mladic and the prompt arrest of Goran Hadzic. Our organization’s analysis on these mat-ters can be seen on the NFCACF’s updated website.
NFCA Cultural Foundation
2401 Research Blvd. Suite 115
Rockville, MD 20850
NFCACF Promotes Croatian Scholarship Fund
The CSF is a non-profit focused on developing leaders in Croatia by providing financial assistance to highly qualified students of Croatian origin - living in Croatia or BiH - to attend a university in these countries. To learn how you can support the CSF, go to www.croatianscholarship.org or call 925.867.3768. CSF Exec. Board Member Dr. Joseph Cindrich is a NFCACF Regional VP.
If you would like to see more articles and pictures, please visit our website: www.nfcacf.org

[Ratimir Mocnaj]

Washington Report by Joe Foley, NFCA Public Affairs Director
In September, Sarajevo's esteemed Cardinal Vinko Puljic visited Washington for an official tour that included meetings at the US State Department, with Members of Congress, and at the White House for discussions with National Security Council staff. In addition, he delivered several speeches before Washington’s influential think tanks. The Car-dinal's visit also involved attending Croatian American gatherings on the East Coast and celebrating Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immacu-late Conception in Washington. The NFCACF was pleased to again help establish and support Cardinal Puljic’s itinerary so that the ongoing economic and political plight of Croatian Bosnians would be better understood by Washington's foreign policy decision-makers.
Letters were strategically developed by Senator Mark Begich (D-AK) and Con-gressman Elton Gallegly (R-CA) that were sent ahead of these meetings to Secre-tary of State Hillary Clinton and House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH). The letters quoted the NFCA's long standing concerns related to modifying parts of The Day-ton Peace Accords that continue to adversely affect Croatians in BiH and effec-tively retard the political progress of this new nation-state and important south-ern neighbor of Croatia's. Meetings were with Speaker Boehner, Senator Begich, US State Department European Bureau policymakers, the White House National Security Council staff: and US Representatives Gallegly, Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Dan Burton (R-IN), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Russ Carnahan (D-MO), Chris Smith (R-NJ) and others with interest in SE European and Balkan affairs. Follow-on discussions and Congressional hearings evolving from the Cardinal's visit are under development. NFCA members will be able to review these new Congressional letters and other legacy documents and news articles on our new NFCACF web site. (Continued on page 2)
THE CROATIAN AMERICAN ADVOCATE
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER
OF THE NFCA CULTURAL FOUNDATION
National Federation of Croatian Americans Cultural Foundation FALL 2011
2401 Research Blvd, Suite 115, Rockville, Maryland 20850 Issue 22
www.nfcacf.org Email: nfcahdq@verizon.net p 301.208.6650 Volume 1
NFCACF 2011 Assembly of Delegates
Convenes in Pittsburgh
The NFCA Cultural Foundation completed its 18th Annual Assembly of Dele-gates on Saturday, June 4, 2011, at the Clarion Hotel in Pittsburgh. The many Delegates attending represented Croatian communities from through-out the United States.
Speakers included the Co-Speaker of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Parlia-ment, Dr. Bozo Ljubic, and the out-going Croatian Ambassador to the Unit-ed States, Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, who was recently named Assistant Sec-retary General for Public Diplomacy to NATO’s General Secretary Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The Ambassador graciously thanked the NFCACF and its members for their support during her tenure in Washington.
On Saturday night, the NFCA Delegates and guests attended an elegant wine tasting at the home of Peter Karlo-vich and Steve Herforth, where they both were presented with the NFCACF Presidential Medal.
NFCA President Bill Vergot gives Cardinal Puljic our Sarajevo hos-pital donation.
Bill Vergot, Ambassador Grabar Kitarov-ic, Dr. Bozo Ljubic, NFCA past Presi-dent John Kraljic.
CFU Scholarship Fund: A Croatian Success Story
The CFU established the CFU Scholarship Fund 53 years ago and has provided assistance to 8,832 stu-dents of the CFU in Canada, USA, and Croatia total-ing $2,880,355. This year $185,500 in assistance was given to students in amounts ranging from $500 to $1,000. CFU members have donated $182,903.95 thus far in 2011. To make a donation to this Fund, please make your check payable to: CFU Scholarship Fund and mail to Bernard M. Luketich, Croatian Fra-ternal Union, 100 Delaney Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15235. This is a tax deductible charitable donation. You must be a member of the CFU to be eligible for
Profile: Edward J. Damich
Edward Damich, the first President of the NFCA, was appointed a Judge of the US Court of Federal Claims in Washington on October 22, 1998, by President Bill Clinton. He served as Chief Judge from 2002-09 and testified before Congress five times regarding US foreign policy affecting the former Republic of Yugo-slavia and copyright issues.
Judge Damich will be a guest speaker at the 2012 Assembly of Delegates in Cleveland, Ohio. For a more detailed biography of Edward J. Damich, please visit the website: http://www.uscfc.uscourts.gov/edward-j-damich
Zvonko Labas, BiH Ambassador Mitar Kujundzic, Don Dar-ko, Cardinal Puljic, U.S. Speaker of the House John Boehner, and NFCA Public Affairs Director Joe Foley during the Cardinal’s visit to Congressional offices in Washington, DC on September 8, 2011.
Washington Report continued
NFCA's current Washington initiatives also include support for liberalizing the US Visa Waiver Program so that Croatia can soon join. This will permit easi-er access to the US for Croatian nationals and is a natural outgrowth of Croatia's new NATO member-ship and her continued western assimilation. We also plan to help grow the Congressional Croatian Caucus in the coming months and continue to ap-pear before Congress on matters of concern for NFCA and the Republic of Croatia where applica-ble. In July, NFCACF Executive Vice President Zvonko Labas appeared before a hearing of the Hel-sinki Commission on Capitol Hill regarding needed political, human rights, economic, and other re-forms required in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is NFCA's position that instituting fair and progressive treatment of Croatians in this country will be the lynch pin for a viable Bosnia and Herzegovina as a functioning nation-state in the future.
How is the NFCACF Benefitting Croatians
and the Republic of Croatia?
As the only national Croatian organization with head-quarters in our nation’s capital, we are always pro-moting our language, history, and culture for the public benefit generated through the charitable pro-motion of mutual understanding, tolerance, respect, and diversity of the American society.
Our recent activities include:
 Supporting the DORA Foundation.
 Sponsoring Wine Tastings for the De-Mining Effort in Croatia.
 Interacting with the Croatian Caucus in Congress, especially on VISA Waiver Program issues.
 Helping Cardinal Puljic build a new Catholic hos-pital in Sarajevo.
 Coordinating with the Croatian Embassy in Wash-ington on matters of concern to the Republic.
 Meeting with the National Security Council staff and State Department foreign policy implement-ers.
 Publicizing our activities via the “Zajednicar”, the official organ of the Croatian Fraternal Un-ion, and other press outlets.
The officers of this volunteer organization appreciate your valued membership and continued support.
these scholarships. To become a member of this fraternal family, call the CFU at 412.843.0380. The CFU was an original founder of the NFCA in 1993 and continues to remain our prime patron.
Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, NFCA Exec. VP Zvonko Labas, and former NFCA President Slavko Yam-brusich at the Congressional Croatian Caucus event on Capitol Hill honoring the Prime Minister on May 24, 2011.
A Man for All Seasons:
Vice Skracic
The Deputy Chief of Mission, Vice Skracic, is an indi-vidual of many talents. The Croatian Embassy staff in Washington and all those who interact with him will attest to this.
Vice is an extremely dedicated and versatile man who knows how to accomplish tasks with the least amount of frustration and friction. During the tenure of former Ambassador Grabar Kitarovic, this astute Croatian of Australian descent supported her most successful tour of duty, ensured her goals were ef-fectively met, and will continue to manage a talent-ed team of diplomats in Washington.
Now as Acting Ambassador, he is skillfully and dili-gently working to fulfill one of the former Ambassa-dor’s goals of having the Visa Waiver granted to Cro-atians wishing to visit the US. The US Congress has the sole power to include Croatia in the Visa Waiver Program. To obtain this difficult objective, Vice is providing assistance to the NFCACF in working with the Croatian Caucus to get necessary legislation passed. Vice also establishes periodic meetings for Croatian Americans in the DC area.
Yes, he is a “Man for all Seasons,” and Vice is cer-tainly filling important diplomatic shoes most ade-quately as acting “Mr. Ambassador” - pending an-nouncement of a new Ambassador from Croatia to the United States.
NFCACF 2012 Assembly of Delegates
June 1-2, Cleveland, Ohio
Please see our website www.nfcacf.org for information on our upcoming 19th Annual As-sembly of Delegates.
Ambassador Grabar Kitarov-ic and NFCA President Ver-got present NFCA Presi-dent's Appreci-ation Award to Ms. Nadine Bognar in Pitts-burgh.
CFU Secretary-Treasurer Ed Pazo, Embassy Defense Atta-ché General Mate Paden, CFU VP Bernadette Luketich-Sikaras, and Embassy Acting Ambassador Vice Skracic
Richard Mereu, Staff Director to Rep. Gallegly, Joe Foley, Steve Rukavina, Zvonko Labas, and Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA)
NFCA members Zvonko Labas, Steve Rukavina, White House NSC SE Europe Director Rick Holtzapple, WH Ethnic Communities Coordinator Kyle Lierman, and Tom Steich
Croatia President Ivo Josipovic re-quested a formal meeting with NFCACF leaders while in Washing-ton on May 3rd. This historic Willard Hotel Sum-mit was led by immediate past President Steven Rukavina and also included Mijo Radocaj, Anne Pavlich, Bill Vergot, Jelena Rudela, Joe Foley, and Zvonko Labas. Each attendee presented NFCA's concerns in turn to President Josipovic and his foreign policy advisors. Issues that arose included the recent and extreme sentencing of Generals Gotovina and Markac, the implementation plan for the new Diaspora Law passed by the Sabor in April, the current dysfunctional political situation in BiH, and the need for appropriately designed bilateral trade goals between our two countries.
Recent ICTY Decisions
The NFCA is critical of the severe judgment against Generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac. We also called for expansion of the indictment against Ratko Mladic and the prompt arrest of Goran Hadzic. Our organization’s analysis on these mat-ters can be seen on the NFCACF’s updated website.
NFCA Cultural Foundation
2401 Research Blvd. Suite 115
Rockville, MD 20850
NFCACF Promotes Croatian Scholarship Fund
The CSF is a non-profit focused on developing leaders in Croatia by providing financial assistance to highly qualified students of Croatian origin - living in Croatia or BiH - to attend a university in these countries. To learn how you can support the CSF, go to www.croatianscholarship.org or call 925.867.3768. CSF Exec. Board Member Dr. Joseph Cindrich is a NFCACF Regional VP.
If you would like to see more articles and pictures, please visit our website: www.nfcacf.org