Tag: Ideas

“They Would Never Hurt A Fly: War Criminals On Trial in the Hague”

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I finished reading the book earlier this summer, “They Would Never Hurt A Fly: War Criminals on Trial in the Hague” by Croatian auther, Slavenka Drakulić. I couldn’t put it down and the ideas presented stayed with me the past few weeks. I was reminded about the book last night when we watched the film, “The Reader” an account of a German war crimes trial from WWII.

One of the reasons that I came to Serbia was to understand why war broke out when Yugoslavia separated into its constituent republics. This was a war that occurred in the 1990’s and in Europe and I couldn’t fathom how. While it was going on, I was fresh out of university and working in my first international school in Colombia. I remember seeing the reports on the news and I remember when the Dayton Accords were announced. I was thinking, why Dayton, Ohio? I also vaguely remember the bombing of Serbia in 1999 by NATO and seeing the shocking images of refugees. But even though I was interested in foreign affairs, I was busy with falling in love and getting my career going.

What first piqued my interest in the Balkans was the book by Robert Kaplan, “Balkan Ghosts.” The American travel writer married a Greek woman and traveled through here. He mixed history with descriptions of recent events and his own adventures of traveling. I should read that book again now that I have lived here for over a year. When I saw the job opening here in Belgrade, I sent in my application, partly based on my interest in the region.

The war started in 1991 and finally ended in 1999. The worst of the war occurred in Bosnia and Croatia and was ended by the Dayton Accords of 1995. The separation of Kosovo led to NATO intervention in 1999, and what might be the end of it finally, the declaration of independence of Kosovo. I have read accounts of the war ranging from National Geographic to Misha Glenny’s “The Fall of Yugoslavia” which I previously blogged about. All of these works were beneficial to give me background on the “what” of the war. They touched on the “why” and “how” of the war, but the book by Drakulic, really focused on the last two questions.

She travels to the Hague where the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) is convened to get to know and tell the stories of the individuals on trial. It is a personal account, and she weaves her family stories in with the stories of people in front of the tribunal. I loved the book because it delved deeply into how normal people, when put in extraordinary environments, could do horrible things they would not normally do.

The war was messy, and as I think about it, most wars are. I mean “messy” in the sense that the front lines were the cities and villages filled with civilians and not battles in remote areas involving only soldiers. Villages were ripped apart because they were ethnically mixed and people fled or were killed based on their ethnicity. I couldn’t understand why, after years of living together peacefully, that such an intense civil and ethnic war could break out. I now understand that it was a combination of media manipulation, selfish and disastrous leadership, ignorant villagers, bad luck, history, and the uncertainty of what came after Tito and communism. As I read and hear more individual stories, I think I’ll get a better understanding. The stories are tragic from all sides and the book is a sad and terrifying read. I recommend it to all who want to learn more about the break up of Yugoslavia.

I would like to note that the purpose of this blog post is to assist me in processing my reading of the book. I want to learn as much as I can about Serbia. The more I know, the more I get out of the experience of living here. I do this in all of the places I live in my career in international education. This post is not an opinion of validity of the ICTY or a judgment of who was right or wrong in the war. I do believe that every country in the Balkans needs to document what happened better and so some conclusions can be drawn and to prevent this happening again. It will also help future generations of Serbs, Croats, and Bosniaks, as they enter this era of globalization.

Drakulic writes that the ICTY could have prosecuted 15,000 – 20,000 people. That is a staggering figure. I would like to know more about who they decide to prosecute and why. Below is a listing of the people she chose to write about.

  • Milan Levar – A Croatian war veteran from Gospić, Croatia that was murdered after he testified at the Hague. She describes the trial involving the leaders of that small town.
  • Three Bosnian Serbs from Foča, Republika Srpska that were found guilty torture and mass rape.
  • Goran Jeselić, a Bosnian Serb found guilty of executing prisoners at a detention camp in Brčko, Bosnia.
  • Radislav Krstić, a general in the Bosnian Serb army found guilty of participating in the siege on Srebrenica, Bosnia.
  • Dražen Erdemović, a Serb-Croat soldier from Tuzla, Bosnia.
  • Slobodan Milosević and his wife Mirjana Marković, former President of and First Lady of Yugoslavia.
  • General Ratko Mladić, leader of the Bosnian Serb army.
  • Biljana Plavšić, a female politician, high up in the Republika Srpska government.

She wrote several other books about life here and several novels about the war. I will be looking to read some in the future. Below are some links to other reviews of the book. Here are some other reviews of the book.

Outliers: The Story of Success

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The Administrative Team of the International School of Belgrade is reading and discussing the book, “Outliers: The Story of Success” by Malcolm Gladwell. We annually select a book to discuss throughout the year. Last year Last year we read the management book, Influencer: The Power To Change Anything.   Click on the link to see my notes on it. 

This post will be notes from my reading of Outliers and discussions with my colleagues. I want to focus on the implications for our students, teachers, and parents of our learning community.

The best introduction to the book is the interview below by PBS journalist, Charlie Rose. He talked with Gladwell in December of 2008 about his latest book, Outliers.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “A conversation with Malcolm Gladwell“, posted with vodpod

A Short View of Heaven

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My Angels, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

Below is an article by Marney Keenan of the Detroit Free Press. She captures in words what I feel about the picture above. A little slice of heaven carrying Ocean out of the car seat and putting her to bed when we arrive home at night. She snuggles up on my chest and puts her pudgy arms around me. Nothing better. Nadia and I love the time we get to spend together when the kids are sleeping in the car and it is good confined family time. Thanks Marney for an excellent article.

Sleepy rides up north never go out of fashion

If I close my eyes, I think I can recall falling asleep in the back of the station wagon and having my dad scoop me up, both of us pretending that I’m still sound asleep. He’d carry up me up the stairs, which seemed so long and steep as a child, and gently lay me down on the cool, crisp sheets of my bed whispering, “There, now.”

I was thinking of this as we were coming home from up north on a recent Sunday afternoon. The four-hour drive was just long enough to talk about the highs and lows of the weekend, chow down Subway sandwiches and then read or take a nap, thanks to all the Dad drivers in the world.

I offer to relieve him: “Are you sure you don’t want a break? I’m happy to drive if you’re tired.”

He says he’s fine, and I’m silently thrilled to be off the hook.

We are in transition from the country to suburbia — from moonlit, late-night boat rides, s’mores and roadside farm stands to the grind of deadlines, traffic delays and gruesome headlines.

Mentally preparing for re-entry, which always seems sudden even after a mere weekend away, I try to nap but am not surprised that I can’t stop my brain from making lists.

I turned my head to see our three girls in the back seat sound asleep. Even Lucy, the black Lab, exhausted after all that swimming,was zoned out in a space surrounded by all the luggage.

Somehow the girls, crowded together, had managed to get comfortable enough to doze off. They angled their legs accordion-style, six knees propped in twos on the back of our seats. Pillows were smacked, folded in two and shoved in the crooks of their neck. Finally, they ditched the ever-present ear buds, and the cell phones were somewhere on vibrate. If all goes as planned, they will wake up close to our exit.

By now, they have mastered the art of sleeping in cars. After all, we’ve been driving up north with them all their lives.

We had three babies in four years, so for a while, we had two infant car seats and a toddler bumper seat in back. Nighttime drives up north were very popular. The kids would drift off, sleep the whole way and, in the magic of time lapse, only awaken once we arrived at the lake. More importantly Mom and Dad finally had a decent stretch of time to ourselves.

They, too, remember faking sleep so they wouldn’t have to change into pajamas, the patterned imprint on their cheeks of a seat belt. I remember the smell of their sweaty scalps, how their heads perfectly fit into our palms.

In the minivan days, we took out the back seat and let the kids put sleeping bags and pillows back there. And while this resides in the “what were we thinking?” category, I could look back and see the cloudy circles of flashlights dancing on the roof.

Now, they are teenagers, the oldest only months away from 20. They are all limbs, long hair and smiles that will inevitably launch a thousand ships, I know, but right now they are here, asleep, all three together, in my line of vision, cherished ever more. Better yet, our exit is still several miles away.

Book Review: “The Forever War” by Dexter Filkins

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Many people called this book the best one so far on the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. I can see why! I couldn’t put the book down.

Filkins spent a lot of time in Afghanistan, the World Trade Center, and Iraq, covering Bush’s “War on Terror” and it shows with the breadth and depth of the vignettes presented in the book. He may have the best overall view of the war. Filkins was embedded with US troops on many missions. As a NY Times Reporter, he got to interview not only regular troops, but the commanders and higher ups in the military, CIA, and US government. He also lived outside the “Green Zone” so he got to know many ordinary Iraqis. He also gets the perspective of the insurgents and it is amazing how he got to experience both sides of combat. The guy talked to everyone involved in the war. It gives the complete picture of war. He is also a great writer and the book has a poetic sense to it. The characters and their stories really grip you.  

He was almost killed or kidnapped several times. He is deeply affected by the violence and suffering he saw, similar to many of our troops. He really brought home the great difference between what is happening in Iraq and normal, everyday life in the USA. Many of his Iraqi friends are now living in the US.

I remember when we declared war on Iraq. I opposed the war and thought it was a bad idea. I agree that it was good to get rid of Sadaam Hussein, but there are many other dictators just as bad. Why go into Iraq? The war has cost the USA lots of money, energy, and lives. Not worth it in my opinion. It is sad and tragic. I felt sorry for the troops. They are mostly young kids from small towns like mine. It is not a fair fight as the “insurgents” hide behind civilians. No nation ever wins a war of occupation. We should get out as soon as possible. The book gave the impression that there could be a war between the Shiite and Sunni sects of Islam. We are not going to turn Iraq into a beacon of freedom and democracy for the Middle East. The Islamic tribal culture is so different to ours that it would takes several generations to make any profound change. And that is only if they wanted us to change them.

The book is reviewed in the NY Times  and the NY Times’ bureau has a good blog. Many conservatives in the US say that the NY Times coverage of the war is biased, but Filkins points out they have spent the most money and provided the most coverage and reflective thinking about the war than any other media. The Los Angeles Public Library also has a podcast interview with Filkins.

The Benefits of Bilingualism

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For Kids, Two Languages Can Be as Easy as One

By Peter West
HealthDay Reporter by Peter West
healthday Reporter – Thu Jul 9, 7:04 pm ET

THURSDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) – European researchers are contesting the assumption that bilingual toddlers have more trouble learning language skills than children who know just one language.

“While the remarkable performance of children acquiring one language is impressive, many children acquire more than one language simultaneously,” said study author Agnes Melinda Kovacs, a research fellow at the International School for Advanced Studies, in Trieste, Italy. “As bilingual children presumably have to learn roughly twice as much as their monolingual peers [because they learn two languages instead of one], one would expect their language acquisition to be somewhat delayed. However, bilinguals pass the language development milestones at the same ages as their monolingual peers.”

The finding, which appears online July 9 in Science, came from a test of the responses to verbal and visual cues from 64 babies who were 12 months old. They came from monolingual and bilingual families, although the study did not specify which languages the families spoke.

The toddlers were exposed to two sets of words that had different structural characteristics. After each word, the children viewed a special toy on either the left or right side of a screen, depending on the word’s structure. They then were presented with words they had never heard before but that conformed to one of the two verbal structures. No toy followed.

Researchers determined whether the infants had learned the word structures by measuring the direction of their gaze after hearing each new word. Judging by their eye movements, the bilingual kids did better in recognizing words than their monolingual peers.

“We showed that pre-verbal, 12-month-old, bilingual infants have become more flexible at learning speech structures than monolinguals,” Kovacs said. “When given the opportunity to simultaneously learn two different regularities, bilingual infants learned both, while monolinguals learned only one of them.”

This means, she said, that “bilinguals may acquire two languages in the time in which monolinguals acquire one because they quickly become more flexible learners.”

According to the study, the cognitive pathways developed during the learning of two languages might make bilingual children more efficient in acquiring new information.

Earlier research has often confirmed the benefits of learning more than one language. In a 2004 Canadian study, for example, researchers found that bilingual speakers were more proficient at dealing with distractions than those who spoke only a single language. That ability was even more pronounced for older people, suggesting that multilingualism might help elderly speakers avoid age-related cognitive problems.

A significant percentage of humanity speaks more than one language. In the United States, more than 18 percent of the population aged 5 and older speaks a language other than English at home, according to the 2000 U.S. census.

One child psychologist who read the Italian study found the results intriguing and said she would like to see further research on how children learn different languages, especially ones with different tonal structures, such as Chinese and English.

“We now know, thanks to [functional MRI] studies that allow us to observe the working brain, that learning does result in discrete changes in ‘wiring,'” said Marta Flaum, whose practice in Chappaqua, N.Y. specializes in diagnosing and helping children with dyslexia and other language handicaps. “It would make sense that learning a second language affects brain changes as well.”

However, Flaum said, “we know that the young brain is more plastic than the older brain, making it easier to learn at an earlier age.”

More information

The Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics has more on the emerging field of psycholinguistics.

 

 

Religion in America

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I snapped the photo above during the Iron River Independence Day parade last week.

I think sometimes people forget that America is a very religious country. Many people came to the USA seeking religious freedom. Pennsylvania was founded by Quakers, there are large colonies of Amish and Mennonites, and there are many more examples. In my state of Michigan, in the lower peninsula near the city of Holland, Dutch Reformed (Calvinists) church settlers from the Netherlands came and still form a majority in that part of the state. Many of the early settlers in New England were Puritans, as well as other Protestant religions fleeing the Catholic church.

The religious beginnings of America are still seen today. That is one of the things that foreigners need to realize to understand America. I have a large number of friends and acquaintances that mention Jesus daily in conversation like he is a neighbor. There are many fundamentalist, enthusiastic Christians like the marchers above. I noticed in the Iron County Summer Fun Guide, published by the local newspaper, the Iron County Reporter, on the Church Guide page, there were over 30 churches listed for our county. Iron County has a population of 13,000 and is about one-third the size of Kosovo. The churches run the gamut of Protestant religions. There are seven different Lutheran churches, three Catholic, and several Baptists. The high number of Lutheran churches probably is a result of large numbers of Swedish and Finnish immigrants to Iron County. Other interesting points are as follows;

There are two Episcopal churches. They were formed after the Revolutionary War because the clergy of the Anglican Church had to pledge alligiance to the monarch in England. To avoid this, they formed their own church.

An American religion, the Seventh Day Adventists, have a beautiful stone church in Iron River.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses have churches in Iron County. The term “Jehovah” is a mis-translation of Yahweh.

There are no non-Christian parishes. The Upper Peninsula is mostly Caucasian with very few Jews and people of color. I’ll be surprised if there ever is a mosque or synagogue built here.

The number of Catholic churches is dwindling. The Catholic churches were originally affliated with ethnic groups. In my town of Caspian, the St. Cecilia Parish was founded by Italian immigrants. In Iron River, the Assumption Church, which is no longer functioning, was founded by Polish immigrants. I know of three Catholic churches that are no longer in service and parishes have consolidated.

I was surprised not to find the fastest growing American religion, the Church of the Latter Day Saints (mormons) do not have a church here.

There are many smaller, Bible-based churches. These as well as the evangelical churches are very popular in the USA.

It is nice to have such a variety of faiths able to practice together peaceably. I don’t particularly like the effects of a high percentage of religious people have on America. As a former science teacher, I find it ridiculous to walk around with a placard denouncing evolution and human reasoning. It is denying the Enlightenment and humanity’s progress. But there are huge numbers of Americans who think like this and literally take every word of the Bible as truth. It is very similar to Islamic countries and the Koran. I know that an atheist could never be elected President. The strong religious nature of America is the greatest in the south and small towns like the one I am from. It coincides with the Red State / Blue State dichotomy of US politics.

I respect the American ideals of freedom of speech and the separation of the church and government. I am happy that people like those above can do this, but I don’ t have to agree with their message. I am raising my children to be secular humanists and to think for themselves. That doesn’t mean ignoring right and wrong and many of the messages of the organized religions. Our family has a strong sense of ethics.

Pine Mountain Music Festival

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Yesterday we took the kids to a presentation by the artists of the Pine Mountain Music Festival’s (PMMF) opera performance. The PMMF is a five-week festival that brings classical music, workshops, and master classes to the small towns in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It was started by a former cellist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra that was from Iron Mountain. It is quite an opportunity to see world-class performances in this remote area. I guess the artists enjoy the beauty of the north woods .

The video above shows the performers in The Secret Marriage, an opera written by Italian Cimarosa, a contemporary of Mozart. They did a workshop for kids. We were impressed by the voices of the performers! We hope it inspires our chlidren to develop themselves in the performing arts. The audience got to ask questions and Owen asked the performers if they ever got sick and couldn’t go to a performance. The baritone answered that is how young artists such as themselves break into the business. When the veteran performer is ill, they serve as alternates and get their chance for gaining experience. Most of the performers came from music families, either having parents as music teachers and/or performers.

I was a bit disappointed at how many people came to the workshop. What a great opportunity for kids! I feel bad that I have not been able to support the festival by attending many of the performances. We don’t have babysitters here in Michigan. Perhaps as the kids get older, I’ll be able to. I encourage everyone in the area to take advantage and enjoy any of the performances. I would also like to thank the artists and the organizers of the festival for reaching out to the UP and providing us with this enlightening entertainment.

American Hero: Thomas Paine

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Hitchens Book on Thomas Paine
Hitchen's Book on Thomas Paine

I finished reading Christopher Hitchen’s book on Thomas Paine’s “Rights of Man.” It was interesting to learn more about Thomas Paine and with today being Independence Day in the US, an appropriate blog post.

Paine is famous in the US for his pamphlet, “Common Sense.” This was an era before television and blogging, and it is today’s equivalent. Paine with his writing, motivated Americans to break free from England. He was the first to use the phrase, “United States of America” and his line, “a continent ruled by an island” resonated with the revolutionaries.

I still am amazed at the experiment called the USA and on its 233rd birthday, am proud to be an American. I admire the wisdom and boldness of the founding fathers to do something so original and new. What a great concept and opportunity – to start a nation based on individual freedoms and ideals (especially the pursuit of happiness) and not on race, religion, or a higher power anointed monarch or individual. Of course over the past two centuries, we have not lived up to the ideals set forth by our constitution and declaration of independence, but we have led the way for a better world.

The world is my country, all mankind my brethren, and to do good is my religion.
"The world is my country, all mankind my brethren, and to do good is my religion."

Getting back to Paine, I didn’t realize that he really didn’t spend much time in the US. He didn’t come to the US until 1774 and he was 39 years old. He lived a full life back in Thetford, East Anglia, and if his wife hadn’t died, and his second marriage didn’t fail, he never would have come over. It reminds me of Simon Bolivar. His bride died a few months after reaching Venezuela, and if not, he probably would have lived a quiet existence as a plantation owner instead of liberating 5 countries. The same with Paine, and he could have just worked in the customs office and own his tobacco shop. I did like the “Headstrong Club” a group of guys at the local tavern in Thetford that would get together for “spirited dining and debate.” This practice would help him in the Pennsylvania.

I liked many of Paine’s ideas such as being anti-slavery, anti-monarch, anti-church controlled government, and seeing the absurdness and contradictions in the Bible. These beliefs were ahead of their time and he took a lot of criticism and back lash for them. After writing Common Sense and helping the US gain their independence, he left for 20 years and became a French legislator during the French revolution.

He eventually returned to US and died penniless in New York. But what a life he lived. His works still are quoted often and he continues to influence politicians and thinkers like Hitchens. Obama quoted him in his inaugural address and his works are required reading for many important leaders in the US. He was at the center of two major revolutions that changed the world. He experienced the equivalent of several lifetimes of others, with two families and two careers in England, and then his two famous periods in the USA and France. And what a nice legacy to leave with his published works. I can’t disagree with one of his quotes, found on the bottom of his portrait above.

So on this Independence Day, a big thank you to Mr. Paine!

New Vocabulary For Me from the book

absolutism – The idea of all power or authority vested in an individual

pertinacity – the trait of being determined to do or achieve something; firmness of purpose

repudiate – to reject the authority of, to refuse to recognize

demotic – of or relating to the common people (from demographics)

The Jacobins – a political group during the French revolution that believed in the need to remove all social classes, universal vote, and social welfare for the poor

Robespierre – A leader of the French revolution who is known for leading the “reign of terror” and who also ended up on the wrong end of the chopping block

Words of Tolerance and Understanding

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“Young people, you have the ability to remake or re-imagine this world.”

“It is easier to start wars than to end them.”

“It is easier to blame others than to look inward.”

“It is easier to see what is different about someone, than to find the things we share.

“We should choose the right path, just not the easy path.”

“Do unto others as we would have them do unto us.”

Obama
Obama's speech in Cairo - June 2009

Obama spoke on June 4, 2009 at Cairo University in Egypt. What an honest and inspiring speech! I put some pearls of wisdom above that are very applicable to our International School of Belgrade community.

You can listen to the speech in its entirety here.

My Impressions of Finland

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Finnish Language, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

I snapped this photo of a sign during a walk around Helsinki on Saturday morning.

I didn’t realize how far north Finland was. Helsinki is at 60 degrees north latitude which in North America would be Fort Smith, Northwest Territory in Canada. The city is only 400 miles from the arctic circle.

Being that far north must have an effect on the culture. They are the kings of the snow and cold. Finns are known for excellence in ski jumping, cross country skiing, and saunas. I learned that wood fired sauna is much better than an electric one. I am not sure if it has to do with the darkness and cold, but the alcoholism and suicide is a problem there.

The city is beautiful and clean. The country is Scandinavian in the sense that it is a social welfare state. Everyone I talked to appreciated the excellent public transportation, schools, and health care (all basically free). It differs from the rest of Scandinavia in the language as you see above. It is a difficult language to learn. It is more related Estonian and Hungarian than neighbor Sweden. There are only about 5 million Finns in the country and perhaps 6-7 million worldwide.

The trip had special significance to me as the ancestry on my mother’s side is Finnish. There is a significant enclave of Finnish immigrants in the western Upper Peninsula. It was funny to hear the correct pronunciation of last names such as Heikkila, Niemi, etc. I also learned that Wurtanen is the most common last name in the country. In researching my trip, I learned that Finland has the highest percentage of blonds in the world. Many of the young people I saw in the city also had rebellious hair cuts and piercings. The landscape and vegetation reminded me of northern Michigan, plenty of pine and birch trees, as well as rocky outcroppings. I see why the Finns settled this part of Michigan as they must have felt at home.

Downtown at Night
Downtown at Night

I hope to come back to Finland someday and travel in the north of the country.