Video - 7. februar, 2014, protesti u Sarajevu, the 7th of February, 2014 - Protests in Sarajevo (by Ruptly)

Aljazeera Balkans: Emina Ganić piše u znak podrške prosvjednicima u BiH, 2014. / Emina Ganic writing in support of the protesters in BaH, 2014

http://balkans.aljazeera.net/blog/o-podrsci-revolucionarima

"Nije to ni važna ni nova spoznaja: nekada vatrom i kamenjem možemo nešto što pameću nismo znali, ili dovoljno htjeli."

9. februar 2014." 

O podršci revolucionarima

Posljednje demonstracije u našim gradovima pokazuju atrofiju naše građanske moći da utječemo na promjene.

Piše:

Emina Ganić

Piše: Emina Ganić

Ima nešto u svima nama što teži da bude saveznik vatre. 

Suočeni s nepravdom, umorni od nemoći, ima nešto u nama što kaže – neka gori. Glasački listići su već dugo rebusi koje ne znamo riješiti, jer uvijek nekako završimo sa odgovorom koji vrh olovke ne vodi iz labirinta. Protesti su već dugo gašeni obećanjima koja stoje neispunjena. Mjeseci česti - plate male i rijetke. Tužna je to istina: od vatre je teže okrenuti glavu nego od čovjeka.

Pišem, polaskana upitom urednika - novinara kuće koju iznimno poštujem, da ponudim kratki tekst vođen sentimentom rečenica objavljenih na vlastitoj facebook-stranici, u kojima kažem da ove posljednje demonstracije u našim gradovima pokazuju atrofiju naše građanske moći da utičemo na promjene i u kojima žalim zbog vatre.

Pišem i zato što trebaju pisati oni koje ne dotiču problemi dnevnog preživljavanja i zbog toga stoje na marginama revolucije u čijem bi epicentru morali biti. Strah se uvukao u kosti ovakvih kao ja, onih koji imaju nešto što bi moglo da gori - kuće i zgrade, planove i ambicije. Podsjećaju me na to neki revolucionari kada žalim zbog vatre i ispisuju me iz svoje revolucije. A revolucija, opet, traži mene. Ili tačnije, i mene.

Zemlja koja korumpira

Povjerenja među ljudima je malo i jasno je zašto je tako. Naša zemlja nije samo korumpirana - ona korumpira.

Degradira tkivo koje nas veže. Svaki uspjeh stavlja pod sumnju i cementira naše predrasude manjkom efektnih procesa kojima bi ih otklonili. Širokim plaštom nas je, nakon jednostranačke, višestranačka diktatura ogrnula.
Pod njim smo svi potencijalno krivi i svi potencijalno nevini.

Godinama, i sistematično, guši se glas nezavisnog i progresivnog pojedinca. Gasi se moć udruženja građana, umjetnika i intelektualaca. Tiho se dese te blage korekcije sebe, da udovoljimo onome ko drži ključ izložbe, naknade, granta od kojeg se mora živjeti kad nemaš zanat u rukama i prodaješ (mada sve manje, sve manje) istinu i ljepotu.

Gasi se moć nevladinih organizacija iscrpljenih od skakutanja s jedne na drugu nogu u borbi da ne ispadnu iz igre prožete tiranijom donatorske kulture, tiranijom pravila neke političke korektnosti koja, možda, samo krije impotenciju (mada imam i bolju riječ) međunarodne zajednice. S kim onda i čim ovu Bosnu, ovu Hercegovinu iskaliti?! Nije ovo eulogija - ovo je poziv.

Danas nije dan za naše razumljive, ljudske i opravdive strahove te zato moramo pitati - praveći se da nema razlike između rulje i demonstranata, huligana i revolucionara - pravdamo li samo sebe? Pomaže li to nekome osim upravo onima zbog kojih dižemo naše oprezne glasove?

Kada zamijenimo razumijevanje (koje ne zahtijeva poseban ni intelektualni ni emotivni napor) sa odobravanjem, ne maskiramo li time samo naš groteskni kukavičluk da se pozovemo u srž revolucije? U kom trenutku smo, napokon i tiho, u sebi pristali na gradaciju pogrešnog u zavisnosti od motivacije počinitelja? Je li to, napokon, naša finalna lekcija za ove nove, bolje generacije? I gdje smo je sami naučili?

Oni koji opravdavaju mentalitet razjarene mase, čini mi se sasvim sigurno, u njoj ne mogu zamisliti svog brata, sestru, poznatu djecu iz haustora. Prema njima bi strožiji bili. Skuplji bi im bio njihov zločin i njihova (moguća) kazna. Skuplja nenaučena lekcija. Podrška vatri nije podrška bijesu obespravljenih. Ona je odušak naših podbačaja - u njoj je sav raskoš atrofije naše kolektivne građanske moći, u njoj je trijumf dugogodišnjeg i sistematičnog uništavanja naše vjere u mogućnost organizovanog, političkog, nestranačkog djelovanja. I to danas trebamo adresirati.

Revolucija mora pripadati svima

Nije to ni važna ni nova spoznaja: nekada vatrom i kamenjem možemo nešto što pameću nismo znali, ili dovoljno htjeli. Nešto, nikada sve. Zmija naše političke matrice je orourobos, a vatre se kad-tad moraju gasiti. Naše rukovodstvo, trenutno potreseno i potjerano, agilno je.

Ako je ovo početak revolucije, onda umjesto eksklamacija koje svojom žestinom kriju manjak ubjeđenja, trebamo istinsku snagu svih slojeva ovog društva i naš najlucidniji i najhrabriji kutak pameti.

Revolucija mora pripadati svima nama, jer je svima nama potrebna. Danas je vrijeme da stanemo ispred, a ne iza vatre. Tu smo potrebni novim, i boljim generacijama. Usmjerimo našu debatu ka boljoj artikulaciji naših kolektivnih ciljeva, pokrenimo raspravu o što efektnijim načinima pružanja strateške i pravne pomoći narodu koji nas danas vodi.

Vrijeme je da sustignemo odlučnost onih koji više nemaju ni vremena ni strpljenja da nas čekaju. Oružje naših intelektualaca, umjetnika, poduzetnika – što prašnjavo, što glanc novo i nikada iskorišteno – jače je i bolje od kamenja.

Izvor: Al Jazeera

Izjava ambasadorice SAD u BiH povodom posjete vojnom poligonu Barbara u Glamoču/ Statement of the US Ambassador in BiH while visiting the military polygon Barbara in Glamoč

Izjava ambasadorice SAD u BiH Maureen Cormack povodom posjete vojnom poligonu za uništavanje viška naoružanja u Glamoču: "U proteklih pet godina, koliko se provodi ovaj program, uništili smo preko 3.000 tona municije i naoružanja, ali u BiH i dalje ima preko 10.000 tona opasne nestabilne municije i naoružanja. Jako smo ponosni što možemo podržati ovaj program."

The statement of the US Ambassador in BiH, Maureen Cormack while in visit to military polygon for destroying surplus ammunition in Glamoč (Barbara). Over the course of the five years that this programme has been up and running, we have destroyed over 3 thousand tons of ammunition. There still remains in Bosnia and Herzegovina over 10 thousand tons of dangerous and unstable ammunitions... We are very proud to support this programme."

Glamoč: Odvažna Barbara vojni poligon/ The Decisive Barbara Military Polygon

Glamoč: Selo Prijani/  Village Prijani 

Bilten 737. Muslimanska lahka brigada, br. 1, Travnik, januar, 1995/ Bulletin of the 737th Muslim Light Brigade, Issue no. 1, Travnik, January 1995

Bilten 737. Muslimanska lahka brigada, br. 1, Travnik, januar, 1995/ Bulletin of the 737th Muslim Light Brigade, Issue no. 1, Travnik, January 1995

Amir Rizvanović: Mi nemamo veze sa terorizmom/ Amir Rizvanovic: We do not have any links to terrorism (SAN, 16/09/2003)

Amir Rizvanović, direktor Vakufske banke za SAN: Izmislili su da imamo veze sa terorizmom!
Izvještaj JCB-a je pun montaža i podmetanja/ Šta je napisao Klod Brisard/ Ko stoji iza izmišljotina/ Kadijev status i novac zamrznuti
Izvještaj o istraživanju ilegalnih finansijskih aktivnosti i finansiranju terorizma na teritoriji FBiH koji je, po nalogu rodbine nastradalih prije dvije godine u terorističkom napadu na Njujork, sastavio Žan Klod Brisard, direktor JCB konstaltinga i ekspert za finansiranje "Al Kaide" je lažan. Ovo je za SAN ustvrdio Amir Rizvanović, direktor Vakufske banke. - Radi se o montažama, izmišljenim konstrukcijama i pozivanju na izvore kao što su AID, Finansijska policija FBiH i časopis BH Dani - kaže Rizvanović. (skeniran članak i dio izvještaja Brisarda u prilogu)

Amir Rizvanovic, a director of Vakufska Bank for SAN: They made up that we had links with terrorism! The JCB Report is full of fake and false information/ What was written by Claude Brisard/ Who is behind the false information/ Kadi's status and money frozen

The report on investigation of illegal financial activities and funding terrorism at the territory of the FBiH produced by Jean-Claude Brisard, a director of JCB Consulting and expert for financing of Al-Qaeda, upon the request of the relatives of the victims of the terrorist attack in New York two years ago - is fake. This was stated for SAN by Amir Rizvanovic, a director of Vakufska Bank. - This is all about the fake information, made-up falsifications and referring to sources such as AID, Financial Police of the FBiH and magazine Dani - stated Rizvanovic. (scanned article and relevant extract from Brisard's article attached). 

Bosnia’s simmering Black Gold (article by Nadina Ronc for Anadolu Agency published on 12/09/2017)

A recent analysis on the potentials of Bosnia and Herzegovina for becoming a new actor at the global oil market. The analysis takes as a starting point the research of the US company Amoco that as early as in 1989 obtained exclusive rights to explore oil in Bosnia and Herzegovina, along with the UK consultancy Exploration Consultants Ltd. (ECL). ECL obtained funding for this project from the World Bank. In parallel, according to a more recent estimate by Key Petroleum from Australia, only in the entity of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are 600 million tonnes of oil reserves. Since the tests began 70 roles have shown positive results. 

On the other hand, the analysis also mentions the US tests performed in the Dinaric Alps, where not only the presence of oil was established, but also the presence of gas. In May this year, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro signed a joint deal to develop a natural gas pipeline in a project supported by the USAID.

The full analysis available at: http://aa.com.tr/en/analysis-news/bosnia-s-simmering-black-gold/908286

The extract of the analysis by the Anadolu Agency journalist Nadina Ronc available below:

In 1989, an American oil company Amoco won exclusive access to assess oil fields in Bosnia, joining them was a British consultancy, Exploration Consultants Limited (ECL), to conduct exploratory research.

This resulted in an oil find in the north and south of the country. However, the 1990s war in Bosnia prevented the start of oil investment and drilling and this halt lasted nearly two decades.

The oil dispersed between two entities - the Federation of Bosnia and the Republic Srpska has seen its most promising find in Orasje in northern Bosnia, with 180 million barrels that are priced today at US$14 billion and rising.

The ECL project lasted for two full years paid for by a $2.5 million loan from the World Bank, while Amoco funded the entire project from their own funds for which they managed to secure the exclusive contract with Bosnia’s firm Energoinvest.

With the latest weather crises in the U.S. and surrounding islands, oil traders went from expecting turbulent days ahead to oil sliding 3 percent on worries that energy demand would be hit hard.

But if Bosnia plays its cards right, it could lay the ground for becoming Europe’s cradle of black gold. With this discovery in Bosnia, the country could enjoy cheaper oil prices and could export it to its neighbors.

A recent estimate by Australia’s Key Petroleum states that in the Federation entity, there are 600 million tonnes of oil reserves. As of Sept. 4, 2017, the price of unleaded petrol per liter in Bosnia amounted to €0.87, while in oil-rich Kuwait prices of merely €0.18 per liter were seen.

Currently, Bosnia does not export oil, but in 2013, imports were estimated at 20,690 barrels per day. Bosnia’s GDP growth in 2016 exceeded 3 percent a year.

Since tests begun, 70 holes have shown positive results. The majority of fields rich in oil can be found in northern Bosnia at a depth of more than 600 meters.

When the Americans tested in the Dinaric Alps (or Dinarides, a mountain range in south-western Balkans), they also found the presence of gas as well as oil. To drill one kilometer would cost one million KM (Convertible Mark Bosnia’s currency), so for Dinarides, it would cost 10 million KM, equivalent to about US$6 million.

Amoco, contracted by Energoinvest, took three years to complete the first phase of its prospecting work in the Dinarides region. Back in 1973, the Executive Council, the government of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Hercegovina granted Energoinvest a concession to start prospecting for oil throughout Bosnia.

During the previous 10 years, from 1963-1973, Croatia's INA was the main concessionary and it conducted several extensive surveys especially in northern Bosnia.

Looking for oil in Bosnia goes back to the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire when the first oil field was discovered in Mount Majevica near Tuzla and Brcko in 1898. In 2016, French oil giant Total expressed interest in oil and gas exploration in Bosnia and was ready to offer $1 billion for a contract.

But Total was not the first company to express an interest in exploration in post-war Bosnia, it is the third company so far. Originally Shell Exploration entered talks but pulled out in September 2016 after Bosnia’s government changed the law on oil and gas exploration.

In December 2015, Key Petroleum also expressed interest. Bosnia’s government planned to release a public call for expression of interest for oil and gas exploration in the Federation of Bosnia by the end of November 2016, but this was postponed.

In May 2017, the Bosnian government was planning to appoint a body to carry out the search for consultants that would ultimately also end up with awarding the contract to the highest bidder for exploration of oil and gas in the Federation of Bosnia. 

Ionian Adriatic Pipeline

However, one way Bosnia’s energy is moving forward is through the Ionian Adriatic Pipeline (IAP) - a 516 kilometer-long gas pipeline running from Fier in Albania through to Montenegro, Bosnia to Split in Croatia. Azerbaijan’s company SOCAR built the project that is sponsored by the European Union.

In May 2017, Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro signed a joint deal to develop a natural gas pipeline that could stop their reliance on Russian gas. The project itself is backed by the U.S. development agency, USAID.

The IAP would be bi-directional and would connect to the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, which will run from Greece via Albania and the Adriatic Sea to Italy and onto Western Europe. It is planned that the IAP will carry 5 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year.

In January 2009, Bosnia and its neighbors, who rely heavily on Russian gas, almost froze as the dispute between Russia and Ukraine over the price the latter should pay the former. At the time about 70 percent of Russian gas flowed through Ukrainian gas pipelines and onto Europe including Bosnia.

But it is this exact monopoly Russia holds on gas and uses political means to control the Balkan countries that the EU and the USAID are seeking to stop, and it is with the IAP that they just might win the energy war with Russia. 

Renewable Energy

But Bosnia is also capable and self-sufficient with 41 percent of all consumption deriving from renewables. The country generates 40 percent from hydropower and 60 percent from coal-fired power plants.

In 2016, there was a 10 percent production increase in coal mines meaning a significant increase in its greenhouse gas emissions.

To decrease greenhouse gas emissions, Bosnia’s arm of the Nordic Power Partners (NPP) will build a 48-megawatt (MW) wind farm in Mostar, in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina at a cost of $74 million, which will take three years to complete starting this summer.

NPP is also planning to build another 48 MW in Podvelezje near Mostar as well as another 500 MW of wind power over the next few years.

Bosnia is in a prime position because it is able to export power due to its hydro capacity.

If it can also sign a deal with Total or another oil company, it could soon export oil too and with that, pay all its debts, rebuilt the country and provide much-needed jobs for its population of frustrated unemployed but well educated young people.

Sarajevo and Barcelona - Friends Forever (28/08/2017) - translation of the extract from the article published by STAV

Translation of the extract of the article published by The stav magazine

Full article available at: http://stav.ba/barcelona-vise-od-grada/ 

BARCELONA, MORE THAN A CITY

By 
• Nedim HASIC
 
•  28.08.2017.

Facebook

The authorities and citizens of Barcelona organized dozens of charities and spent millions of EUR to aid Sarajevo. They felt the tragedy of Bosnians and Herzegovinians as their own. Barcelona is a city that established the 11th city district and called it Sarajevo District. During the years of war, the citizens of Barcelona were collecting money and humanitarian aid for Sarajevo. Every Monday at 08:00 in the evening they were gathering in front of the City Hall and expressing their protests against the siege of the capital of BaH with a minute of silence.  

Humanitarna pomoć

Samaranch u Sarajevu 1994.

Marti Anglada, NVO Igman

Čitanje imena ubijenih Srebreničana, 11. juli 2015

kup sjećanja na Srebrenicu na trgu Sant Jaume

Pasqual Maragall

Sarajevo paid its respects to the victims of terrorist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils, in which 14 persons were killed and over a hundred were injured. The letter of support to the citizens of Barcelona was addressed by the Mayor Abdulah Skaka, Reis-ul-ulema Husein Kavazovic, sportsmen, artists … Ibrahim Spahic, a president of the International Peace Center organized a performance in the Tito Street:"We are all one genus, stop the terrorism”. Fatima Mehmedovic and Nejla Komar, students of the Music School in Sarajevo to pay respects to all victims of terrorist attacks, not only in Spain, but all over the world performed Albinoni's Adagio,  a piece that during the siege of Sarajevo was performed every day at noon for the victims of terror against the city (Sarajevo) and its citizens at the alley La Rambla. “La Rambla is a symbol of freedom and the place where together with Pasqual Maragall we marched for peace and lifting siege around Sarajevo. They even named one block in Barcelona after Sarajevo", said Spahic....

“CALL FOR SARAJEVO”

...

After the war, their assistance was mainly addressed via the Embassy of the Local Democracy (note by blogger: for further explanation on this NGO see bellow the article). 

For example, a fundraising event was organised in Barcelona named "Call for Sarajevo", which, by having people dial the humanitarian hotline, collected money for the reconstruction of the book fund of the National Library. The hotline was dialed by 300 thousand people. In 1996 Barcelona donated 205 thousand euros for the reconstruction of the Kosevo stadium, at which the athletic event "Meeting of Solidarity" was held. The first organised tour group to visit Sarajevo after the war came from Barcelona and consisted of 50 people. Barcelona donated two buses to GRAS. A total of 2.887.000 euros was donated for the reconstruction of apartments in the Mojmilo residential area. Aside from that, 650 thousand euros was donated for the reconstruction of the clinic, and another 150 thousand for the kindergarten facilities. 250 thousand euros was donated for the reconstruction of 80 houses in Hadzici and Tarcin municipalities. The Olympic Hall Zetra was reconstructed with the help of Juan Antonio Samaranch and Barcelona. Barcelona donated 150 thousand euros for the reconstruction of the "Kamerni Teatar 55" theater. Money was donated for the hospitals of Sarajevo and Tuzla, for books, promotions, concerts, student visits, businessman visits...

When the war began in Kosovo, 400 thousand euros was donated for the refugees from Kosovo accommodated in the Sarajevo area. 50 thousand euros for the shelter, 120 thousand euros for the reconstruction of the primary school in Semizovac... And that's just a part of the money and some of the projects that Barcelona organised to help Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since November 2000 Sarajevo and Barcelona are twin cities, and the Catalan cities Sankt Perptu and San Sebastian are the twin cities of Tesanj and Gorazde.

... The heads of FC Barcelona were also involved in humanitarian missions. Ramon Pujol, a member of the club's administration, a head of the club protocol, spent three months in BaH during the war as part of a humanitarian mission. He took an unpaid leave and arrived to BaH. He came back when the company he worked for  threatened to fire him. "I felt like Bosnia was a place that I needed to help, and I did just that, and not because it'd look good in my biography later on," stated Pujol. Spanish humanitarian aid workers came to BaH for the first time in 1992, arriving to Pazaric and to the mountain Igman. During three years of the war they drove in 105 trucks of humanitarian aid, mostly food and clothing, and through this organisation, 107 refugees from BaH departed to Catalonia. It's interesting that three Catalan aid workers managed to get married during their stay in BaH. According to some calculations, a total of 2.000 tonnes of food was delivered to BaH.

In 1994, during the war, Catalan humanitarian aid workers fully equipped the hospital in the Suhodol residential area, and three years later, rebuilt the destroyed school in Lokve from scratch. They built bleachers, a tartan-track and a management building on a stadium in Hadzici. These establishments were formally opened in 2005 by Joan Laporta, the then-president of FC Barcelona, one of the heads of the Catalan humanitarian organisation "Accio Solidaria Igman Catalunia", which organised dozens of humanitarian actions for BaH, from the reconstruction of houses, mine removal projects to memorials dedicated to Srebrenica.

Laporta came to BaH on the 11th of July 2005, visited Mostar and Sarajevo, and intended to attend the commemoration of the victims of the Srebrenica genocide, but, due to security reasons, the organisation of that trip wasn't possible..

Near the very end of the siege of Sarajevo, a visit was made by the delegation of the Barcelona City Council. The summer of that year was marked in Barcelona by protests organised due to the long-standing siege of Sarajevo, continuing even after the fall of Srebrenica. The main initiator of those protests was the late Jose Maria Mendiluce, who saw the beginning of the war in the BaH as one of the heads of UNHCR, and witnessed the murders committed by the White Eagles (Beli Orlovi) in Zvornik in 1992. During the war, the citizens of Barcelona were collecting money and humanitarian aid for Sarajevo. Every Monday at 08:00 in the evening they were gathering in front of the City Hall and expressing their protests against the siege of the capital of BaH with a minute of silence. Even though the "set" of people in charge in Barcelona and Catalonia has changed since 1992, the wish to help Sarajevo remained the same.

BARCELONA AND SREBRENICA

The artists and journalists of Barcelona often dealt with Srebrenica, talking about and reminding the people of the genocide in the town. Along with gatherings in the years during the war, almost every summer, manifestations are held at which it's spoken about the events in the former UN enclave. For example, the citizens of Barcelona marked the 16th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide by gathering on the Sant Jaume square. At the gathering, the messages of mothers from Srebrenica as well as the letter from General Jovan Divjak, were read, along with the letters of the Catalan NGOs. The citizens of Barcelona honoured the victims by lighting candles. During this gathering, they also demanded the release of General Jovan Divjak from detention**. In the General's letter which was read in this occasion it was stated: "I am honoured to be able to thank you for your tribute, for your remembrance of the highest scale genocide in Europe after WW2, the genocide committed against Bosniaks Muslims in Srebrenica. The truth about Srebrenica is denied by Serbian nationalist-chauvinists, so thank you for not forgetting the over 8.000 killed in just five days in July, 1995 right before the eyes of members of the UN."    

In 2008 the monograph Srebrenica by Tarik Samarah was translate to Catalan and launched in Barcelona in 4.000 copies on the 10th of July. Photo-journalist Alfons Rodriguez was awarded on the 11th of November, 2010 in Sevilla a national journalist award for his reportage from Srebrenica, published in El Mundo. 

...

*The Foundation of Local Democracy has stemmed from the international organization Embassy of Local Democracy Barcelona-Sarajevo, founded in 1996 upon the initiative of the Council of Europe, with the aim of linking and twinning with other European cities, the development of democracy, cultural exchanges, and socio-economic development. During the existence of the Embassy of Local Democracy, it has implemented over 300 projects. The projects were implemented in the areas of reconstruction, sustainable returns, health and social care and education.In January 2003, the registration was renewed as a local organization - the Foundation of Local Democracy, as the legal successor of the Embassy of Local Democracy Barcelona-Sarajevo. More info available at: http://www.fld.ba/stranica/donors

** In March 2011 General Jovan Divjak was arrested by the Austrian authorities at the Vienna airport following the arrest warrant issued by Serbia for the allegations that he had committed a war crime in the "Dobrovoljacka Street" case in 1992 when the soldiers of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) were attacked in the process of withdrawal from Sarajevo.