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WORLD FOCUS: Healing the wounds of war

“Establishing Bridging Boundaries International in 2003 and building connections with many wonderful people was one of the best decisions of my life,” said Carol Negus-Rosenfeld.

She is the founder/president of Bridging Boundaries International, an organization whose mission is “To build bridges by bringing together teenagers from various backgrounds, ethnic groups and religions to understand other cultures, to expand their leadership skills and overcome intolerance in all areas. We empower youth to bridge boundaries and take concrete actions toward enhancing and maintaining life-long commitments to their communities.”

In a newsletter to supporters of the organization, Negus announced that Tom Wagstaff of Richmond is taking over the fiscal management and organizational development of Bridging Boundaries International.

“My intention is not to pass the torch on. … I will continue fostering the relationship between Richmond and Mostar.”

Negus served as president and CEO of the Richmond-based prestigious Council for America’s First Freedom for 18 years. Then, as to numerous other people around the globe, the rebuilt Mostar Bridge in Bosnia and Herzegovina has become the symbol of the healing process that has taking place in that ethnically divided city.

The bridge, built originally during the Ottoman Empire, stood for 429 years and was proclaimed a World Heritage Site but was destroyed in 1993 during the Balkan wars. After the war, with the help of UNESCO, the World Bank and the city of Mostar, it was rebuilt. It has become the inspiration for Negus to launch the organization called Bridging Boundaries International.

In a 2013 interview with the Lake Placid News and the Virginia Gazette, Negus explained that she launched the organization with the goal of overcoming age-old discriminations and cultural conflicts that continue to be passed down through generations, particularly between Bosniaks, mostly Muslims, and Croats, mostly Catholics, inhabiting Mostar.

It was her belief that the best way to achieve tolerance and understanding would be by bringing students from different ethnic and religious backgrounds together. With this concept in mind, she went to Bosnia, at that time one of the world’s most divided countries. She built a connection between Mostar and Richmond. She organized student exchange programs, summer workshops in both cities, community service projects, public forums and built “Diversity Parks,” focused on showcasing diversity.

Since its inception, Bridging Boundaries International, through its leadership training workshops, has impacted on the lives of more than 850 students from different ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. The testimonials of many of the participants attest to the value of the programs.

During one of the past leadership training workshops, held in Richmond, 23 students from a mix of nationalities visited Jamestown Settlement in Williamsburg. There, John Levy, Chancellor Professor Emeritus at William and Mary Law School gave a lecture titled, “Nation Building.”

“The visit to Jamestown Settlement and Professor Levy’s lecture were great,” said 18-year old Nina Batlak, from Mostar, who is planning to study medicine. “For me it was the best.”

The leadership workshop held this year in Mostar elicited several comments from students that reflected on their views about the value of their participation in the program.

“I really like the subject that we are constantly talking about and the fact that we are actually doing something about the problems that we are facing nowadays,” Leila Pehlic wrote in the Mostar Summer Workshop Newsletter. “I also like that we get to know new people every year and that we maintain friendships through the years.”

Iva Crnjac, another student, wrote, “One thing I don’t like about Mostar is that most people there are so close minded and stereotypical, and I loved seeing how many young people in Mostar are, like me, trying to change that.”

No wonder Negus is proud of saying, “Enabling students to discover other cultures that they never would have otherwise is what started this dream. … For me and the participants who stayed with host families, meeting so many loving people and establishing a continuing relationship with them on both sides of the Atlantic, has been life changing.”

Frank Shatz lives in Williamsburg Va. and Lake Placid. His column was reprinted with permission from the Virginia Gazette. He is the author of “Reports from a Distant Place,” a compilation of his selected columns.

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