With the 20th anniversary of the war in Bosnia Herzegovina, we thought it might be useful to review a 2006 interview with Activist and Author, Dr. Svetlana Broz, at her home outside Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina. She is the granddaughter of former Yugoslavia President, Josip Broz Tito.
Although Broz’s interview was recorded years ago, the themes are timeless, and the message about ethnic conflicts can be duly noted to the leaders in Iraq, Syria, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and many other areas of conflict across the globe.
Broz, the author of the books, Good People in an Evil Time and Having What It Takes: Essays on Civil Courage, discusses how she coped with ethnic conflict during the aftermath of the 1993-1995 Bosnian War, by gathering testimonies of victims and those of people who demonstrated acts of compassion during the conflict. These stories are essential for the healing of the nation that is still recovering today. She is the director of the international NGO, Gardens of The Righteous in Sarajevo where she teaches university, high school and middle school students on the teachings of moral courage in times of war and peace.
In 2007, the NGO Gariwo established the Dusko Kondor Civil Courage Award. Read about the laureates HERE. To get involved and learn more about the Gardens of Righteous Worldwide Sarajevo, please contact Dr. Svetlana Broz.
Also of note is the excellent June, 2014 NPR report by Ari Shapiro on the current state of Sarajevo that validates what Brod said in 2006. As Brod says, “The killing has stopped but the war continues.”