Bosnia Herzegovina

Kako ste/si? (How are you?)

(Note: you're supposed to roll your "r"s)

(Note: the "i" sounds like a "long e" as in “see”)

Dobar Dan! (Good day!)

Zdravo (Hi!)

Overview:

Traveler Tips: Purchasing

Food

Placement

Preview of Next Presentation

Location

General Demographic Information

Transportation

Currency & Traveler Tips

Location

Southeastern Europe on Balkan Peninsula

Surrounded by Croatia,

Serbia, Montenegro,

Adriatic Sea

Capital City: Sarajevo

General Demographic Information

Population: Total: 3.8million Sarajevo: almost 400,000

Language: Bosnian Serbian Croatian

General Demographic Information

Religion

40%

31%

15%4% 10% Muslim

Orthodox

Catholic

Protestant

Other

Muslim 40Orthodox 31Catholic 15Protestant 4Other 10

Bosniak (Muslim)48.3Bosnian Serb 34Bosnian Croat 15.4Other 2.3

Ethnic Groups

Religion

Ethnic Groups

49%

34%

15% 2% Bosniak (Muslim)

Bosnian Serb

Bosnian Croat

Other

General Demographic Information

Heath: Infant Mortality Rate: ~21deaths/1000 (~0.21%) Life Expectancy: M ~70yrs F ~76yrs

Work force: 1.026 million

Adult Literacy Rate: Males: ~94% Females: 78%

Education: Mandatory 8-9yrs primary school 3-4 yrs secondary (vocational/liberal arts) 3-5 yrs university Main public universities in large cities, private institutes

available

Transportation

Interesting fact: Bosnia Herzegovina is amount the rare countries in Europe

that has fewer than 10km of 4-lane hwy

Walking between towns is dangerous (some places are not de-mined)

Police regularly set up road blocks and ask travelers to pull over to check their papers

Best transportation: bus (train: 2nd best)

Transportation Cont’d: Buses: plentiful

Daily coach buses to Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia and Montenegro (Max. trip: 3hrs)

Trains: Service is slowly improving from damages during the conflict

Roads: Still damaged from war Poorly maintained Blocked from landslides, de-mining acts, traffic

accidents\morning/evening fog in mountains (near Serbia) Better to fill up gas on edge of town & cities than within them

Currency & Traveler Tips Konvertibilna Marka (Convertible Mark)

1 EURO=1.95 KM 1 KM= $0.82 Cdn

Tips: Bring small change: more than 20KM is hard to get change from

Credit cards: not widely accepted

ATMs avail. In big cities: mostly provide 50KM, which is problematic

Can pay with EUROS: When changing: up to 50 EUROs When paying: only up to 10 EUROs

Traveler Tips: Purchasing Markets:

They raise prices for foreigners Prices are negotiable

Visoko & central Bosnia: renown for leather work

Mostar (on Croat side): Excellent shopping mall with typical Euro-style clothes & jewelery

Sarajevo: Main streets in Sarajevo: good for black market DVDs, videos

games, CDs Clothing & shoes are good quality & at decent prices

Food: General Info Heavy on meat & fish

Even vegetarian dishes cooked with bacon or smoked meat

Meals usually served with bread

Soups (i.e., chicken & beef soups with noodles or egg dumplings) or salad are usually served with entrees

Caesar salads: unheard of Instead, popular salad is lettuce with mixed tomatoes, onions,

bell peppers and feta

Sugar and fruit only in desserts

Sometimes texture/color is important

Popular Dishes in Sarajevo

Most common meat (my FAVOURITE): Cevapi

~2-4 KM AKA “Balkan” kabab Similar to tubular shaped beef patty in burgers but a lot more

flavorful Barbequed

Popular pastry: Pita

Sometimes greasy pastry made of filo dough Can be stuffed with:

Burek: meat Sirnica: cheese Zeljanica: spinach Krompirusa: potatoes Jabukovaca/ Jabuka: apple (My FAVOURITE dessert)

Must Haves During Special Occasions

Pastrmka (Pronounced “pastrami”): Plate of trout Locally farmed by Blagaj monastery

Janjetina “lamb on the spit”: Rotated over coal fire on spit ~ 25 KM (My family, who are Croats, traditionally roast pigs

during family functions)

Other Popular Food/Drinks

Trahana: traditional sourdough that’s a staple during fasting month of Ramadan

Popular student food: Pannini sandwiches Served in most youth coffee shops

Popular Drinks: Bosnian and Turkish coffee

Food Common: pickled foods as condiments

i.e., pickled peppers, onions, cucumbers “pickles”, tomatoes

Kajmak (local specialty): Dairy spread made of milk fat that’s removed, salted and canned Smoky, salty cheese taste Exported from Travnick (central city in B.H.: 90km W of Sarajevo)

to as far as Australia

Ajvar: Canned spread similar to Bruchetta Roasted peppers, eggplant, seasoned with salt & pepper, &

slowly cooked

Gornji Vakuf- Uskoplje Youth Center Founded:

Spring 1996

Location: Middle of Gornji Vakuf, central Bosnia Formal front line where the war of Muslims & Croats fought

Major Organizations Involved: Local NGO; National NGO; International NGO; & Local

Leaders Project for: UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief);

UNDP (U.N. Development Project) until 1997; and locals Runs without government assistance, in order to work towards

multi-culturalism ~12 staff members & 15 volunteers Director of Youth Center: Jasminka Drino-Kirlic

Cost of Operation: Runs on ~7000 KM /month

Gornji Vakuf- Uskoplje Youth Center Cont’d

Goal: “Encourage youth to take major roles in peace building” A location where students, teachers and parents can safely

interact cross-culturally

Target Demographic: 500+ 7-18 yr olds take part in the educational and recreational

programs

Hours of Operation: 9am-8pm

Although small in proximity, it has a “tight schedule of activities”

Programs Offered at Gornji Vakuf- Uskoplje Youth

Center

Some programs and courses offered at the center: 4 Computer classes in computer lab for 10-17 yr olds English & German Photography Drama Conflict Resolution & Non-Violent Communication

Currently, classes are intermixed

Computer Classes in Computer Lab

Targeted towards 10-17 yr olds

~200 students are taught computer skills by 5 teachers

Beginners: learn to use DOS

Advanced students: learn how to use Windows, Word, Excel,

Internet and make websites and graphic designs

Scanners and other resources allow students to create a newsletter on the Center

Students, volunteers and stuff at the Center can access the Internet

English & German Classes

Student learn to read, write & speak these foreign languages

Song & games are used to increase the learning process

Some become translators for foreign volunteers & visitors

Photography & Drama

2000:

Croats and Muslim children created a play based on a fairy tale

They won first prize at a spring festival close to Bugojno (NW of Sarajevo)

Conflict Resolution(CR) & Non-Violence (NV)

Communication Courses

2000: 20 teachers were trained on teaching non-violent

communication in schools Supported by UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on

Relief)

2001: 200+ “children participated in training sessions on non-

violent communications, civil initiatives, and human rights

Doviđenja (Bye!)(Note: "đ" makes the "dg" sound)

Hvala (Thank You!)

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General Government Info Federal Democratic Republic

Independent from Yugoslavia in either March or April 1992

3-member rotating presidency: 2 First-order administrative divisions:

Muslim/ Croat Federation of Bosnia & Herzegovina (Federacija Bosnia Hercegovina)

Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska 1 Internationally supervised district:

NE Bosnia: Brcko District

Each member is elected by popular vote for 4 year term (similar to the States)

Last election date: Oct 1st 2006

National Holiday: National Day on Nov 25

Bosnian Conflict Bosnian War: 1992-1995

March 1994 Washington Agreement = uneasy peace

Major town taken over by opposing ethnicity & smaller towns were divided

1993- present: Gornji Vakuf split in the middle (lower part “Uskoplje”: Croats, upper part: Muslims)

Result: city, especially Muslim area, was destroyed

City split created primarily homogenized areas, apart from the previously formed cross-cultural families

Economy has crumbled since the war

Post- War Violence hasn’t erupted since 2004; however, the mixing of

ethnic groups isn’t has prominent

Separate city structures: city councils (2); mayors (2); post offices (2); schools systems (2); & health centers (2)

Mixed city structures: bus station; police force; & public market (both sides shop on Wednesdays)

Main street has two names: Muslim side: Mehmed Beg Stocanin (Muslim hero) Croatian side: Kralj Tomislav (medival Croat king) This is typical with streets in the area

Recommended Vaccinations

Routine Against the following: measles/mumps/rubella (MMR);

diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT); poliovirus; etc.

Hepatitis A & B

Typhoid it is transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with

feces from an infected person The bacteria are deposited in water or food by a human carrier and

are then spread to other people in the area.

Rabies (for long term travelers)

Tickborne Encephalitis (TBE) (& lime disease)

Highly pathogenic Avian Influenza A Virus (bird flu)