The war in Kosovo is only one of many recent examples of a culture of intolerance that envelops the region. The conference was intended to seek ways that educators could build a culture of peace in a region torn apart by ethnic intolerance. Of course I am speaking primarily about Yugoslavia. But if you scratch the surface in Bulgaria, you'll find similar feelings. The same is true for neighboring countries.
Some people joke that Bulgaria is the only country in the world that borders itself.
As the old man spoke some Bulgarians and others in the audience rolled their eyes. And after the old man finished his soliloquy, the conference organizers tried to steer the questions back to the present, but I doubt anyone was really surprised by what took place. And certainly the Croatians, Bosnians, Serbs and Albanians in the audience knew the problems of ethnic clashes and land disputes more intimately than anyone. I was left thinking that the problem of hate speech and intolerance in the United States seems puny in comparison with the Balkan region. This site is maintained by WPSU-FM Operations Director Steve Shipman.