During 2020, when due to the pandemic, we couldn’t travel outside the borders of BiH, we discovered the natural beauties of our country and admired every stream, river, and glade.
Personally, I experienced enlightenment a couple of years earlier, when I travelled the world and admired their rivers and mountains, the hills of Tuscany and the Alps in Switzerland. And then one day, coming out of the tunnel at the entrance to Jablanica, I looked up and saw a beautiful landscape in front of my nose. Every day since then, I find a reason to admire the country I live in and its still untouched nature. On the other hand, the country I live in, I also despise. I thought I was the only one or one of the few, and now I meet more and more like-minded people every day.
Whenever I have the opportunity, I travel through Bosnia and Herzegovina. I love talking to people, listening to their life stories and sharing experiences about living or surviving in this area.
A few days ago I had the opportunity to visit Prozor-Rama. Ramsko Lake is breathtaking, viewed from up close or from afar. The local population is actively considering launching tourist tours for nature lovers. There you certainly have everything to see, from stećci, medieval tombstones authentic for Bosnia and Herzegovina, to the remains of a fourth century church, and you can also cycle through the beautiful landscape.
Brave and Proud People
The municipality of Prozor is trying to make everyday life easier for its citizens, so kindergartens are free for all children. They also give incentives to young people to start private businesses. But they still prefer to go to other countries, rather than stay here and start their own business.
A few days later I went to Vitez. It is a town lying on Lašva, which has a tributary that you have probably heard of, the river Kruščica. The brave women of Kruščica have been fighting for this small, and to the government, insignificant river, for years. The cantonal government persistently issues permits for mini-hydropower plants in Kruščica, and the locals persistently defend their river, sometimes even with their bodies, if needed.
The locals of Kruščica used to be engaged in tourism. Forty years ago, experts from the Vienna Institute came here and determined that there is a high-quality healing thermal water in Kruščica. Now that picnic area is falling apart. The locals maintain it as much as they can, but real help from the municipal level has been lacking. The youth is leaving Kruščica, in search for a better tomorrow, yet they could build their lives here.
Residents of both cities are plagued by the same problems as most of us in BiH: unemployment, the departure of young people and a low standard of life. Both cities are home to brave and proud people who love their country and try to pass that love to younger generations. But they are worried about the future, because they see less and less reason to tell their children to ‘stay here’.
To my direct question, ‘What is the biggest problem in your environment?’ they say, ‘They ruined our state.’
‘I can no longer advise my child to stay here when there is constant talk of war. There is no way we can get out of those wartime 90’s.’ one of the interlocutors tells me.
People do not leave here because of poverty, but because of insecurity. When all is said and done, the quality of life is perhaps even better for our people here than anywhere abroad. But, at least there are no war-inciting stories there. They would rather be second- or third-class citizens out there somewhere, but be able to afford their child safety and a better education than be here and constantly listen to the virtual rattling of weapons.
The political elite, in its desire to rule its part of BiH forever, lying to its people to protect them from the other two, only managed to disgust their people with their state. And on all three sides.
It doesn’t matter which part of BiH you go to, it’s the same story everywhere. One would suffer a lower standard, and be surrounded by people they love and with whom they grew up. But no one wants to endure constant psychological harassment any more.
Earlier, while there was hope that BiH would one day become a member of the EU, people found it harder to leave. But now that the masks have fallen, we have all realized that our politicians are pretending to be in Europe, and Europe is pretending to want to accept us into membership. And that show can last indefinitely. And it will last. And there will be no war.
There Is Neither Russia Nor Superman
There can be no war in a country where more people die than are born, where political elites are so rich that they will do everything to protect that wealth. So where can it be better than here?!
And don’t worry, Russia won’t take us to its bloc either. We are so small and so far from Russia, that they simply do not care about us. We are important to them only when we need to ‘poke’ Europe, so it does not fall asleep.
Joe Biden will not come either, to arrest all corrupt politicians, and like Superman, bring order and peace, ‘starting next Monday’. Joe has bigger problems at home than we do.
It is evident at every step that the criminals in power have killed the will of people to live in this beautiful country of ours. They are literally killing us with technical oxygen and faulty respirators, and we are silent.
No country has a great economic and political situation these days. But other countries are not yours. Only Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country you can call your own. Why did we let bad people rule it?
Only when we realize that our destiny is in our hands and that only we, who let ‘ours’ rob us for years, can stop them. It is not easy or simple, but it is possible. We owe new generations the opportunity to see that a beautiful country can be a beautiful state.
