"Replacing tyranny with justice, healing deep scars, exchanging
hatred for hope . . . the women in This Was Not Our War teach us
how."-William Jefferson ClintonThis Was Not Our War shares amazing
first-person accounts of twenty-six Bosnian women who are
reconstructing their society following years of devastating
warfare. A university student working to resettle refugees, a
paramedic who founded a veterans' aid group, a fashion designer
running two nonprofit organizations, a government minister and
professor who survived Auschwitz-these women are advocates,
politicians, farmers, journalists, students, doctors,
businesswomen, engineers, wives, and mothers. They are from all
parts of Bosnia and represent the full range of ethnic traditions
and mixed heritages. Their ages spread across sixty years, and
their wealth ranges from expensive jewels to a few chickens. For
all their differences, they have this much in common: all survived
the war with enough emotional strength to work toward rebuilding
their country. Swanee Hunt met these women through her diplomatic
and humanitarian work in the 1990s. Over the course of seven years,
she conducted multiple interviews with each one. In presenting
those interviews here, Hunt provides a narrative framework that
connects the women's stories, allowing them to speak to one
another. The women describe what it was like living in a vibrant
multicultural community that suddenly imploded in an onslaught of
violence. They relate the chaos; the atrocities, including the
rapes of many neighbors and friends; the hurried decisions whether
to stay or flee; the extraordinary efforts to care for children and
elderly parents and to find food and clean drinking water.
Reflecting on the causes of the war, they vehemently reject the
idea that age-old ethnic hatreds made the war inevitable. The women
share their reactions to the Dayton Accords, the end of
hostilities, and international relief efforts. While they are
candid about the difficulties they face, they are committed to
rebuilding Bosnia based on ideals of truth, justice, and a common
humanity encompassing those of all faiths and ethnicities. Their
wisdom is instructive, their courage and fortitude inspirational.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!