From: wam@zamir-zg.comlink.de (Wam Kat)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.yugoslavia
Subject: Zagreb Diary
Date: 16 Aug 92 04:00:00 GMT
Organization: ComLink-Network Germany - For Peace Zagreb

Zagreb Diary
15-08-1992

Dobar Dan,

I never realised what it is to see houses and places you know 
getting shelled and destroyed. It is strange how it makes you 
realising how close the war is. Just some hours ago I heard 
that the pictures from the shelling of Slavonski Brod also 
meant that Vesna J. was in the middle of it. And I am looking 
at the shellings of Brod from this afternoon, knowing that 
some of our volunteers couldn't resist the strange attraction 
of going there to see it themselves and are probably caught 
(or were caught, I don't know yet) in the middle of it.

What is that strange attraction of people to see it with 
their own eyes. And how does it work on me, I know that they 
choice themselves to go there and still my neck is stiff and 
I am feeling responsible for their safety (what I am not in 
principle, but still.....).

It was Marie something today and everywhere in Croatia people 
went to some kind of open air procession or service. 
Thousands and thousands of people asking, praying for peace 
and still just a few kilometres away the sirens go of and 
people live in the shelters. What a reality, 

Another reality is the phrase books, or let's say the more or 
less touristic war guide-books which cities make for tourist. 
Today I found another from Nova Gradiska , which is published 
by the 121 brigade of HV. I think that the more war related 
part of this small guide is not so interested, everybody who 
followed the war in Croatia a bit and who looks on the map 
knows that this municipality was in the middle of the mid 
Croatian war zone, heavily damaged and that parts of it are 
not excisable from Croatian side. It give the basic story 
about how many schools, buildings and churches are damaged 
and photo's to state this facts. You can buy many of this 
photobooks in the information Center of Croatian government.

The interesting part is the second part of this booklet. Like 
this nice booklet I described before, which was made for 
UNPROFOR soldiers, this booklet also consist around 30 pages 
of phrases, under the header "some useful phrases", you will 
find (some Croatians among you see that some nice Croatian 
characters are missing, but that is English ascii):

I am exile - Ja sam prognanik
I am refugee - Ja sam izbjeglica
My house has been demolished - Kuca mi je srusena 
My son is a prisoner of war - Moj sin je ratni zarobljenik
He is dead - On je mrtav
I am afraid - Bojim se
Please, call the police - Molim Vas, zovite policiju

If that last thing would be helpful I doubt it, they probably 
will answer you : "It is war, what can we do ?". And since 
the elections is over somehow I have got the feeling that the 
war in Croatia is getting a bit more on the fore ground 

again. It can be my imagination of course.

One of the major point where we send journalist nowerday is 
the Islamic Center, All are coming back with about the 
simular stories, it looks being in the middle east. The 
mosque with in from of always at least a few hunderd women 
and children (refugees from Bosnia) sitting in big circles 
talking and eating a bit. Inside it is a strange mixture of 
religious, press, relief and draft center.But they said this 
Moslims drink alcohol (outside) and some of the women are 
wearing short skirts. Especially the reporters who also "did" 
the golf war are a bit confused.

When I was there some days ago they asked me if I could help 
to write a application to get a field hospital for Bosnia and 
it cost me some time before I explained them that something 
like a field hospital of 18 million dollars needs a little 
bit more work than just writing a nice application. After the 
succes with small stuff and medicines they belive that I just 
write 3 lines and trucks start to roll in. But where there is 
hope there is life and maybe somebody has an idea where to 
get a field hospital from (crazy things are happening, so why 
not a hospital).  

I talk today with our workcamp in Gasinci, since I have to 
organise a lot for this visits of parliamentarians and 
journalists next week, I decided to cancel my trip to East 
Slavonia. The camp is getting well, the children are happy 
and the volunteers also. Some of the volunteers from the 
Savudrija camp came back yesterday and went straight to 
Osijek in order to help the peace group there to build clean 
and build up thier office. 

Vesna J. went also to Nustar, very near to the frontline or 
let's say UNPA land, and she made appointments in order to 
make it possible to help rebuilding the school there. Now the 
war seems to be more or less over there in that area people 
will go back and the children also will return, but the 
village is nearly totally destroyed.

Very slowly my dream are getting realised, our Center is like 
an international mad house where journalist, hitch-hikers, 
peace groups, etc. run in and out. It took some time and we 
all are deadly tired but it starts to become hopeful for the 
near future. Around the globe a network of supporters grows 
and that gives dreams back to the people of ARK and the 
Center. 

Also the big flows of food for the refugees are coming in 
now, the world is moved by the pictures and start to react. 
Hopefully they wouldn't forget about the other parts of the 
globe where people live in war or other hells.

With Love from ZA-mir-GREB,

Wam:-)


P.s. Lynn (joel's wife, who is still in the states) found 

Joel back, he still was in the peace camp in Serbia, nothing 
special, only the E-mail message he send from ZaMir-ZG didn't 
came through, so we are all a little more relaxed now. 
strange how such small things can play around in your head 
the whole day, in a normal situation you never would be 
thinking so much about it. You nearly know that nothing will 
have happened, but still .....