Balkan Ways 5 by Valerie Palacios

August 25, 2011 Balkan Ways Volume 1, Issue 5

Balkan Ways

In this issue:

Club News

Culture: Letnica Church, Home of Mother Teresa

Guest Speaker Bio: Lush Gjergji, Deputy Archbishop of Kosovo

Culture: 3 Mother Teresa - Background Current Events: UNHCR — The UN Refugee Agency

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Food: Lahmacun, a Turkish Dish

Current Calendar 26 Aug: Mother Teresa biographer and Diocese of Kosovo Deputy Archbishop Lush Gjergji 2 Sep: TBD (Tentative: Country Presentation) 9 Sep: TBD 16 Sep: TBD (Tentative: Art Exhibit)

Notes of Interest Presenters Needed: Upcoming meeting dates open! Presentation suggestions, proposals are welcome! Balkan Club Online: Balkan Club presentation files and organizational documents are now online in the network share directory for all to read, located at: \\bond13405sgs308\

President’s Greeting — Club News Hello again, friends and members of The Balkan Club. These are busy times for everyone, as demands of the KFOR mission have increased. I‘d like everyone to remember our fellow soldiers currently deployed away from Camp Bondsteel by reaching out to them and sharing news from our club. It‘s important that our friends and members feel that, although they are away, they remain connected to us. Please invite your friends to attend our meetings. Our continued use of the DFAC VIP Room is a great success! The smooth transition from evening meal to meeting is a valuable asset (coffee and dessert during the meeting is nice as well). Recently, The Balkan Club hosted guest speakers from The UN High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR). Mr. Bujar Reshtani from the Pristina office and Ms. Vlora Shemsedini from the Gjilan field office gave a presentation to The Balkan Club on the work of the UNHCR in general, as well as their efforts in Kosovo. Mr. Restani traced the origins of UNHCR back to international organizations that existed prior to WWII. He discussed the role of various international treaties and agreements that legally define a refugee versus an internally displaced person (IDP), and the expectations of nation states that offer

safety to refugees. Ms. Shemsedini provided statistical data from the UNHCR Gjilan office, offering specific historical and demographic information on refugees and IDPs by municipality. Our next guest speaker will be visiting this Friday: Deputy Archbishop Lush Gjergji from the Kosova diocese, also parish priest for Binca village in Vitia municipality. He is the author of The Mother of Charity, a Mother Teresa biography which has sold up to five million copies in Europe. His visit corresponds with the anniversary of Mother Teresa‘s birth. We hope for a large turnout! Video presentations since the last newsletter included a continuation of the 6 part BBC documentary The Death of Yugoslavia, and the feature film Shot Through the Heart. When things slow down once more, we‘ll continue with Part 4 of the documentary. Shot Through the Heart is an English language film that gave us a break from the subtitles which we are accustomed to seeing in our Balkan film collection. Please contact SSG Deihl with a date for your own presentation ideas for future meetings. I‘ll see you at the next gathering, 1830 Friday in the VIP room of the DFAC.

SSG Gregory Sell, President

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Culture: Letnica Church, Home of Mother Teresa The church in Letnica, Kosovo, known locally as the Church of the Black Madonna (Të Ngriturit e Zojës së Bekuar në qiell/Zoja e Cërnagorës) is unique for two reasons: it is one of just a few churches to have a ―Black Madonna‖ on the altar, and is also the church where Mother Teresa found her calling.

Prizren. It reports to the Papal Nuncio in Belgrade, which oversees dioceses in Kosova, Montenegro, Novi Sad, and Belgrade. LETNICA CHURCH

Letnica Church is visible as soon as one enters the village. Its twin steeples are easily seen at the far end of town, atop a hill which HISTORY offers a nice view of the village. Abandoned Long ago, the Karadak Mountain Range stone houses give the village an eerie feel, but was an important mining centre, luring exare still beautiful to see. perienced Saxon miners and traders from The church interior is striking, with Dubrovnik. Their legacy lives on in place impressive religious artistry. While crucifixes names like Shashare village (Sasari meaning which dominate the altar of most Catholic ‗Saxosons‘). Descendants of the Saxon, churches, and Madonna seldom commands Croat, and Albanian miners still live in vilit, here the focal point and main attraction is lages like Letnica and Stublle e Epërme. a 300-year-old Black Madonna statue Athough tiny, Letnica was likely a thriving (―Mother of God‖, or ―Crnogorska‖), of center for Virgin Mary mining. In holding the 1584, OttoBaby Jesus. man records The statue is show some made of 500 Christian blackened families lived wood, hence in the area. the term The ―Black church was Madonna‖. It subject to is said by major repairs locals to help in 1737 and childless famiClockwise from top: The twin steeple of Letnica Church; The church occupies high ground on the southern edge of reconstruclies, and is Letnica, as churchgoers celebrate in the village; One of the 2011 festival’s outdoor masses. tion in 1866. venerated by It was later damaged during an earthquake, and construction of the Christian and Muslim couples alike. present-day structure was completed in 1934. THE ANNUAL FESTIVAL When Croatia and Serbia went to war in 1991, Kosovo‘s Croat Letnica is usually a sleepy, quiet place. But each year, the minority was increasingly pressured by Serb hardliners. Most of Church hosts a two-day festival for up to 30,000 believers, includViti‘s Croats were pushed to resettle in western Slavonia. ing many Croats who left Kosova in recent years. Some diehard Only about 32 Croats, 22 Albanian Catholic families, and 33 Letnica fans walk there barefoot, sometimes for kilometers. Albanian families (who came as refugees during the 2001 MaceVisitors come from neighboring countries as well. In recent donia conflict) live in Letnica today. Today villages like Shashare years, high-level political representatives have attended the festiand Vërnakollë resemble ghost towns. val, as well as 25 NATO chaplains and 1300 NATO soldiers KOSOVA’S CATHOLIC CHURCH from KFOR. The village turns into a campsite and picnic area Roman Catholics are a minority in Kosova; most of its estimated with tents set up in the church garden and on surrounding fields. 2 million people are Muslim. Today the Roman Catholic Church The festival includes masses in Croatian and Albanian, and counts about 65,000 Catholics present in Kosova, with another processions that carry the Black Madonna statue from the church 35,000 Kosovar Catholics working outside the region, mainly in through the village. Believers try to touch the Madonna with Western Europe. their jewelry, hoping to catch a piece of the Madonna‘s cloth that Kosovo‘s Catholic population is concentrated near Gjakova, is cut in pieces to be distributed to attendees. Klina, Peja, Vitija and Prizren. There are 23 parishes with 38 priests From the newsletter, ―Letnica Church‖ and 100 nuns of different orders. In 1993, the diocese became inSubmitted by Ganimete Pashoja-Myftiu dependent from Skopje, operating as the Apostolic Prefecture of Photos by SFC Don Eggert

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Guest Speaker Bio: Deputy Archbishop Lush Gjergji Father Lush Gjergji is a Catholic religious figure native to Kosovo. He was born in Stublla e Epërme (Vitia municipality) in 1949 and attended secondary school in Dubrovnik. After studying Catholic theology at the University of Split in Croatia, he graduated from the Urbaniana University of Rome in 1970. Father Gjergi finished his studies in 1975 with a doctorate from the Institute of Psychology in Rome, with a dissertation entitled La Dona Albanese (The Albanian Woman). Lush Gjergji is a well-known representative of the Catholic Church in Kosova, and together with Anton Çetta played an

important role in the campaign to pacify blood feuds. He is president of the Mother Teresa Humanitarian and Charitable Society, and has authored numerous religious publications, including: The Mother of Charity, a biography of Mother Teresa; To Live, to Love, to Witness; and Mother of Love. Dr. Gjergji is the parish priest in the village of Binça (Vitia municipality). He is currently the Deputy Archbishop of the Kosova Episcopate. Robert Elsie, Historical Dictionary of Kosova Submitted by Ganimete Pashoja-Myftiu

Culture: Mother Teresa — A Brief Background Mother Teresa dedicated her life to the sick and hungry. Her simple message: "the poor must know that we love them". Her followers regarded her as a saint, but Mother Teresa believed she was only doing God's work. Amidst Calcutta, India‘s poverty and slums, her work provided shelter to thousands of the sick and dying, and ensured thousands of children were cared for and given foster parents. More than two million sick, including nearly 50000 lepers, were treated by mobile dispensaries and special clinics. Biography

ceived permission to leave the convent school and devote herself to working among the poorest of the poor in Calcutta‘s slums. Without funds and depending on ―divine providence,‖ she started an open-air school for slum children. Soon she was joined by voluntary helpers, and financial support was forthcoming that made it possible to extend the scope of her work. Mother Teresa's work received numerous awards and distinctions, including the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize, which she thought of as simply a gift to the poor. She died 5 Sep 1997. Missionaries of Charity

Mother Teresa was born In 1950, Mother Teresa in Uskup (now Skopje), started her own order, "The Ottoman Empire (now Missionaries of Charity", Republic of Macedonia), on whose primary task was to 26 Aug 1910 to a family of love and care for those who Albanian descent. At the nobody was prepared to A large portrait of Mother Teresa hangs to the right of the altar at Letnica Church. age of 12, she felt strongly look after. In 1965, Pope the call of God and became determined to be a missionary. Paul VI decreed it an International Religious Family. So unconcerned was she about accuracy in the chronicling of The Society of Missionaries is truly global, including former her own life, and so disinclined actually to read anything written Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. It serves the poorabout her, that for many years and in a succession of books her est of the poor and undertakes relief work for natural catastrophes birthdate was erroneously recorded as 27 August 1910. It even such as floods, epidemics, and famine, and for refugees. The order appeared in the Indian Loreto Entrance Book as her date of birth. also cares for shut-ins, alcoholics, homeless, and AIDS sufferers. In fact, as she confided to a friend and co-worker, that was the The Missionaries of Charity are assisted by Co-Workers, who date she was christened as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. became an official International Association on March 29, 1969 At eighteen, she left her parental home in Skopje and joined and now number over one million Co-Workers in more than 40 the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish community of nuns with missions countries. The Co-Workers and lay Missionaries try to follow in India. After a few months of training in Dublin she was sent to Mother Teresa's spirit and charisma in their families. India, where in May 1931 she took her initial vows as a nun. From www.nobelprize.org and Kathryn Spink, From 1931 to 1948 Mother Teresa taught at St. Mary's High Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography, 1997 School in Calcutta. The suffering and poverty she glimpsed outSubmitted by Ganimete Pashoja-Myftiu side the convent walls made a deep impression. In 1948 she rePhoto by SFC Don Eggert

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Current Events: UNHCR (The UN High Commissioner for Refugees) — The UN’s Refugee Agency The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established 14 Dec 1950 by the UN General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country. It also has a mandate to help stateless people. The agency emerged in the wake of World War II to help displaced Europeans. Originally created with a three-year mandate to complete its work and then disband, it earned legal standing the following year when the UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees was adopted. Over six decades, the agency has helped tens of millions of people restart their lives.

to help those internally displaced by conflict. Less visibly, it has expanded its role in helping stateless people, a largely overlooked group numbering millions of people in danger of being denied basic rights because they do not have any citizenship. In Africa and Latin America, the 1951 mandate has been strengthened by agreement on regional legal instruments. BUDGET UNHCR‘s $300,000 1950 budget has grown to $3.32 billion in 2011. The comprehensive budget for Kosovo in 2011 amounts to $14.4 million: 59 per cent for reintegration projects, 24 per cent for IDPs, 9 per cent for stateless people and 8 per cent for refugees. KOSOVO: THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT More than 18,000 people are displaced within Kosovo today, with the majority in the Mitrovica area. Nearly a quarter million people from Kosovo are estimated to be still displaced within the subregion, primarily within Serbia. There are also still nearly 200 refugees from Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) who arrived in Kosovo during the 1991-95 conflicts. UNHCR estimates 3,500 displaced people will return voluntarily from areas within the subregion in 2011. Voluntary returns from outside the subregion may take place, but a greater number will likely be subject to enforced return, in particular from EU countries. Enforced returns raise concerns about absorption capacity and effective possibility for sustainable reintegration, particularly in the context of enforced return of minority populations.

As war loomed over Kosovo in 1999, over one million refugees fled or were forced into exile. These civilians approaching the border of Macedonia were typical: often traveling on foot, they sometimes left their homes with a just few minutes notice and nothing more than what they could carry. R. Lemoyne, UNHCR, 1999 www.flickr.com/photos/unhcr/5259871213/

UNHCR faced its first major emergency in 1956: the outpouring of refugees from Hungary when Soviet forces crushed its revolution. Any expectation that UNHCR would become obsolete has never resurfaced. Today, UNHCR‘s staff of 7,190 operates in more than 120 countries dealing with major refugee crises and ongoing concerns such as the 30-year Afghan refugee problem. 36.4 million of 43 million uprooted people worldwide are of concern to UNHCR: 15.6 million IDPs, 10.4 million refugees, 2.5 million returnees, 6.5 million stateless people, and about 1 million asylum-seekers. UNHCR has also been asked to use its expertise

A large number of people in Kosovo are or may be stateless. Many of the Roma community lack civil documentation. Also, the number of asylum-seekers in Kosovo coming from outside the region is increasing, as the vast majority seek to transit Kosovo towards other destinations. KOSOVO: NEEDS

Challenges relate to displacement from and within Kosovo, as well as the fact that Kosovo is increasingly on the transit route to other parts of Europe. UNHCR supervises "safe and free return of all refugees and displaced persons to their home" under Resolution 1244, with the goal of ensuring prospects for sustainable reintegration of persons who wish to return. At the same time, persons subject to enforced return, particularly from EU countries, also often lack housing and livelihood prospects, and therefore have limited reintegration

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UNHCR — The UN’s Refugee Agency (continued) opportunities. In addition, durable solutions must be found for remaining refugees from Croatia and BiH, and a small number of mandate refugees from outside the region. Insufficient housing, high unemployment, and the lack of civil and property-related documentation remain key obstacles in this context. RAE communities remain the most marginalized and vulnerable. A continuing need exists to build capacity of authorities to manage growing flows of asylum-seekers from outside the region. Continuous support is needed for development of relevant legislative framework and administrative procedures. CONSTRAINTS The current political climate and state of interNATO intervention in Kosovo dramatically altered the conflict. Many refugees returned ethnic relations will continue to influence returns. almost as quickly as they left, only to find their homes and possessions destroyed or stolen. Improved security and the enforcement of the rule R. Chasalani, UNHCR, 1999 of law may present opportunities to advance the www.flickr.com/photos/unhcr/5260479194/ fragile reconciliation process. The present socioeconomic situation negatively affects return and reintegration. Several conflicting laws in relation to citizenship have increased Greater political commitment to a comprehensive reintegration the risk of statelessness. strategy is needed. STRATEGY AND ACTIVITIES, 2011 Lack of housing, poor living standards, unemployment, limited access to education, and restrictions to freedom of movement are key constraints to returns. Enforced returns from abroad pose challenges, potentially triggering local tensions and competition for resources. Access to property rights is a major hurdle. Redesigned and strengthened livelihood activities are essential to render all returns sustainable.

UNHCR will collaborate closely with local authorities under Resolution 1244, focused on finding durable solutions for persons displaced within Kosovo and those returning from within and outside the region. Protection monitoring of IDP and returnee situations — both voluntary and involuntary — will continue. UNHCR will work closely with local institutions to improve their capacity to develop legal frameworks and procedures on civil status, asylum and migration, returns and reintegration in line with international and European standards. The current legal aid program will continue to ensure persons at risk of statelessness receive adequate documents and secure residency rights in Kosovo. COORDINATION UNHCR coordinates its engagement in the return process with the authorities, including registration and targeted assistance. To boost capacity of civil society, UNHCR will strengthen partnerships with local NGOs, including IDP associations. UNHCR will continue cooperation with EULEX and the International Civilian Office, and existing contacts with KFOR and the Kosovo Police. UNHCR and OSCE will continue to work closely in promoting human rights and the rule of law. The Office will also seek to bridge the gap between humanitarian and development activities.

Balkan Club officers present KFOR Certificates of Appreciation to UNHCR guest speakers Mr. Bujar Reshtani (second from right) and Ms. Vlora Shemsedini (center). CPT Valerie Palacios, KFOR-14 PAO

From www.unhcr.org and www.flickr.com/photos/unhcr/tags/kosovo/ Submitted by SFC Don Eggert

The Balkan Club, KFOR 14, Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo

WHAT?

President: SSG Greg Sell x4136, greg.sell@eur.army.mil

Vice President / Secretary / Newsletter Coordinator: Asst. Newsletter Coordinator SFC Don Eggert SSG Elizabeth Diehl x6629, 049 774 713 don.eggert@eur.army.mil

x4736 elizabeth.deihl@eur.army.mil

The Balkan Club is a voluntary learning community which meets to explore the history, geography, culture, politics and economy of the Balkan region. Activities include but are not limited to lectures, presentations, film viewing, and cultural excursions.

WHO?

Program Coordinator: Mrs. Ganimete Pashoja-Myftiu

Membership is open to anyone working on Camp Bondsteel.

x6535, ganimete.pashoja@eur.army.mil

We seek to cultivate an understanding of and appreciation for the Balkan region and to stimulate further self-directed study.

Travel Coordinator: 2LT Abbas Farooqi

WHY?

WHERE AND WHEN?

abbas.farooqi@eur.army.mil

Network File Share: \\bond13405sgs308\public\KFOR_Balkan_Club

The club meets Friday nights at 1830 in the Dining Facility VIP Room.

Food: Lahmacun, a Turkish Dish Since August is the month of Ramadan, a holy month for Muslims where food plays a big part in celebration, I decided to select a Turkish dish: Lahmacun. Lahmacun, like pizza, is one of those mysterious foods where a lot is created with little. In the hands of a real master, or ustad, a simple paper-thin round of dough topped with a mix of meat, ground peppers, and spices can become something magical – almost a living thing.

cabbage salad, or cilantro; atypical variants may be found as wraps for kebab meat or sauces. The dish is prominently made and sold in Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Gaza, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. In these countries, there are many restaurants that specialize in lahmacun.

Lahmacun as it is served closely resembles pizza.

Lahmacun (or lahmajoun), from Arabic lahm bi'ajīn, "meat with dough", is a traditional item of prepared food of Arab origin, from the early Levantine cuisine. It consists of a round, thin soft piece of dough topped with spicy sauce, minced meat (most commonly beef and lamb), and straight leaved parsley. Lahmacun is often served sprinkled with lemon juice and wrapped around vegetables, including pickles, tomatoes, peppers, onions, lettuce, and parsley,

In Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan, a similar dish called 'Qatlama' is sold. Lahmacun used to be on the menu at Camp Bondsteel‘s Doner Kebap shop, but unfortunately is no longer available.

Similar to other pizzalike recipes, it would certainly be nice to have a brick oven to bake lahmacun. But I assure you, it is absolutely doable in a simple conventional oven. Don‘t get upset if it doesn‘t turn out quite the way you wanted. You can always alter the recipe, according to your own needs and taste. From Wikipedia and Istanbul Eats (Turkish Cookbook) Submitted by 2LT Abbas Farooqi