Enrico Strapparava, from Verona, one of the participants of the international camp “Beyond Borders”, wrote the following diary, with precision, dedication and I would say right from the heart, also sharing several personal impressions. Congratulations Enrico, looking forward to seeing you again!
SUNDAY, 4 August
Verona, 2:15 am. Just a few minutes to load the luggage and have our documents checked and we are already on the Flixbus. Our journey (for me and Daniela) starts from here, near the Porta Nuova station. Destination: Rijeka, a crossroad of different stories and cultures. Under this black sky, traffic lights and street lights rise to become our stars.
Arrival in Rijeka at around 10 in the morning, with Daniela and Carla (from Turin), met on the Flixbus during the trip. A few minutes after getting out of the bus, Michael, Anna’s husband, joins us and takes us to what will be our “base” for half a week in Veprinac, a small town not far from Rijeka. Along the way, Michael tells us a little about his work pace during the summer camps organized by the association For a better world: “Lately I have very little time to rest, because as soon as one camp ends, another one starts”.
We arrive home and are warmly welcomed by Anna, Paolo, Irena, Stefano, Alex and Sidney, a new presence in the camp, as well as by Iris, the tender four-legged “guardian” of the place. Emotions flow, between hugs and warm smiles: we already got to know each other during the exciting camp of the previous year.
After lunch, Paolo and Stefano, together with Iris, lead us into the woods behind the house, to show us the pond, a place that Paolo and other volunteers started taking care of since last autumn. Nearby there is a bench and a small wooden statue depicting Jesus. While Iris dives in the pond three times, Paolo explains: “This pond was used already around 250 years ago to provide water for the cattle and the women would wash their laundry here. In order not to leave it in total neglect, we decided together with the volunteers to take care of this place, cutting the weeds periodically and carrying out other useful activities”.
In the pond there are even turtles and goldfish; Paolo and Stefano had also added water lilies which, unfortunately, as they tell us with regret, were destroyed. Despite this, Paolo is satisfied with the result: “Some local residents have even praised us for this initiative.”
After an afternoon excursion to a beach near Rijeka with Carla, Daniela, Irena and Stefano, we return home where we get to meet the rest of the volunteers and have dinner together. During this time, I meet old acquaintances from last year’s camp: Francesco, my roommate, nicknamed “Doctor Acca”, Anna Rita, his mother, both from Rome, and Jelena, Francesco’s girlfriend. After dinner, I am approached by Gabriel, a boy from Romania. The peculiarity is that Gabriel is deaf and dumb, but despite this, he is a young man full of enthusiasm who radiates energy and vitality from every pore. Generally, he uses sign language to communicate, but realizing that I don’t know this language, we talked using his phone.
First meeting, half an hour after dinner: we start singing some songs with Anna and Alex, then move on to the presentation of the volunteers, all from different countries. After the presentations, Paolo briefly explains to everyone the program of the week, not without a great dose of humour and camaraderie. The first meeting of the day ends by singing together some songs in Croatian language (and even in a funny and improbable Chinese from the North and South invented by Paolo!) The atmosphere is happy and full of warmth: it seems like we just all ended up in a great family.
And we probably did.
MONDAY, 5 August
We start our day with the sound of the guitar and Anna’s voice. After breakfast, we all gather for the first meeting of the day. The topic is the Flash Mob Dance: for this purpose we are shown some videos of the one done last year. “What we want to do”, says Alex, “is a Flash Mob Dance in the center of Rijeka and to try to involve people”. After the explanation, we all gather in the courtyard, where Alex shows us the steps of the dance. We try it just a couple of times and it’s already well on its way.
After the Flash Mob Dance rehearsal, a second meeting starts. The topic is the Game of Hearts, an interesting game whose goal, Alex explains, is: “To change the way people see the world by doing small acts of love. Through these small deeds we can try to shake ourselves off from the emotional paralysis that is gripping today’s society”. Alex then poses an interesting question: “We need to start with small things to change the world, because what is the problem of doing things big? Simply that the message gets corrupted”.
Another important aspect of the game is people’s reactions, vital for the success of the game. During the meeting, we had the chance to listen first hand to the experiences a few volunteers had, while playing the game during the winter camp.
Sydney: “I really liked establishing a connection with people”
Daniela, visibly moved: “I felt anxious and was wondering if I was going to be able to do anything. In the end, I gave a woman a flower; as a reaction, she came back with a small gift. It was an extraordinary moment”.
Carla: “This game makes it possible for you to do something and not just to think about it. You put yourself to the test in order to overcome distrust towards other people and the fear of rejection“.
Alex adds: “You can play this game anytime. It’s also important to watch out for ourselves and feel comfortable with the acts of love we choose to do, and not try to do things that are too foreign to our nature.”
Then Anna hands us leaflets with examples of deeds that could be done during the Game of Hearts. Alex suggests that we split into groups of two, preferably teaming up with someone we didn’t yet spend much time with, and discuss ideas to include in the game. I am paired with Lana. She’s a Dutch girl, 19 years old. Together we discuss some ideas for the game: she proposes to give a compliment to a stranger, while I propose to ask her/him how’s life. Another interesting idea is proposed by Sydney, to share the bus ticket with others.
After discussing the ideas, I have a chance to chat a little with Lana. “I would like to study medicine in Utrecht; I wouldn’t have to work in a specific country, but instead I could help people all over the world “, she tells me. Before lunch, Carol (with her sister Veronica singing along in the choruses) plays and sings some songs written by her on the acoustic guitar. “In the future I’m going to publish them on Spotify with the help of my friend and maybe add bass and drums to them“, she says.
While I was trying to strum on the guitar “Space Oddity”, by David Bowie, I got to talk to Sydney. She comes from New York and works as a graphic designer. She gave me some (fantastic I would say) tips on how to take pictures for this journal. “Involving people is the best way to fix an image. Don’t worry about how the photos are, if they are ugly or so on. In every photo there is always something beautiful“. Furthermore, telling her of the fact that I am writing a sort of report, she adds: “Photos are an added value, they allow us to crystallise certain little things that we generally tend to forget by writing them only. They help you recover the moment emotionally”.
Towards late afternoon the preparations for the Pizza Party begin and I am asked by Paolo to cut the pizzas to be served, which were prepared by him, Stefano and Irena. 68 pizzas are prepared for 51 special guests, the elderly patients coming from Dom Turnić, an institution for people with mental health problems. While Paolo brings out the pizzas from the oven and I cut them, he explains to me: “This pizza party will be a sort of great meeting between special friends. That’s why we prepare so many pizzas”.
Between one break and another, while all the guests are busy eating, I am approached by Vajta, “symbolic” director of Dom Turnić, a very nice old man. He whispers with difficulty a few words in Croatian that unfortunately I cannot understand, but during the final greetings he shakes my hand and says, “Thank you and good night”.
During the Pizza Party, Francesco, Carla, Jelena and Veronica were in charge of serving the pizzas, while Anna and Alex welcomed the guests in. Everything happened with perfect synergy, an excellent teamwork. In addition, Gabriel and Sydney entertained guests with a nice mime show.
A few pics from the Pizza Party
During a break after the Pizza Party, Alexis (from Romania) and Sydney teach me to say my name in sign language and to say “bless you” when a person sneezes. Then I motion with my hands my name to Gabriel, who reacts with joy. You never stop learning!
TUESDAY, 6 August
“We shall overcome” sung by Anna and Alex gives a start to this day. After breakfast, we all gather for the first meeting. Anna and Alex explain the program of the next few days: we will go to Hrvatska Kostajnica, a small town located on the border with Bosnia and divided by it from the river Una, and there we will paint a large mural.
“Many don’t know, but there are two Croatia“, Anna tells us, “There is the touristic Croatia, with sun and beaches, and then there is the other Croatia (Inland), with much poverty and problems. We will explore the latter”. She adds: “We will come in contact with people who are still dealing with post-war problems. If we have the chance, we will also take a look at the other side, Bosnia, divided from Croatia by the Una river”.
Anna then shows us some photos of the town, and we are impressed by an old castle that during the war was miraculously spared from the bombing; there are also several buildings pretty much destroyed that will soon be demolished. We are also shown the place where we will paint the mural, exactly under the bridge that leads to Bosnia. Regarding the project, Anna tells us: “Given the technical impossibilities, we will not be able to project the picture like we did last year in Sunja. The design will therefore be minimal, but colours will be fundamental”.
Having said this, Anna enthusiastically shows us a video documenting the activities carried out last year by volunteers in Sunja. It also briefly talks about the birth of the association “For a better world” (founded in 1996, initially to distribute food and humanitarian aid in areas afflicted by the Balkan War). Anna also explains that it was in Sunja, in March 2017, that she met Alex during the Civil March for Aleppo. This small town will be one of the destinations of our journey and we will be able to meet the people who last year helped the volunteers decorate the walls of their town. It will therefore be a great meeting, where intense memories will merge with the present. After practising a few more times the Flash Mob Dance, we all head to a beach near Rijeka. This is more or less a day of relaxation, in preparation for our great journey.
I go for swim with Tjoma and I have a chance to chat a little with him. He tells me that he likes fishing: “I find it relaxing“, he tells me. We both don’t enjoy the cold water and as we slowly dive in, he tells me that he has visited Venice once and how the water was very dirty, which I confirm. On the contrary, here the water is practically clear.
I get to talk a little bit with Veronica and Carol. Veronica was busy talking to Gabriel (through motions, or sign language). She tells me: “It’s not too difficult to learn sign language. Once a sign has been learned it’s difficult to forget it, as this language is mainly based on pointing to the parts of the body or on particular signs and gestures. Before arriving here I had no idea how to do it! ”
Back from the beach, I have a chance to play ping pong with Gabriel. Pure magic. Nobody talks. Only the sound of the bouncing ball and some laughter from Gabriel. It’s amazing how through a game it’s possible to establish a connection without necessarily talking.
After dinner, we all head towards the center of Rijeka. It’s interesting to observe that in this city there’s a mix of wealth and poverty: just a few meters from the center you see public housing, for example. A city that lives some contradictions: while rich girls full of jewels and tourists walk in the streets of the center, among the alleys next to the main walking street you can find street musicians and homeless people with broken shoes. A concrete example of the two Croatia Anna spoke of this morning
THE GAME OF HEARTS
Once we arrive in the central square of Rijeka, we split into two groups, in order to play the Game of Hearts: I decide to join the group comprising of Francesco, Jelena, Carla, Daniela, Carol, Veronica, Alexis, Gabriel and Sydney. During this time we have the opportunity to experience different encounters:
- The first thing I did was to change some euro in kuna: using this as an excuse, I asked the ladies at the exchange office how the day had gone, even though they didn’t say much.
- Carla gave a small paper heart to a little girl down the street.
- We stopped to listen to a street musician, left him a few kuna and took time to chat with him.
Gabriel improvised a gag and everyone joined in!
- Taking time to talk with a woman who ended up being alone in her life.
We met two Italian tourists and talked with the them about the association, our work and free hugs.
Free hugs (photo by Carla Pellegrino)
- And finally, we met a friendly ninety-year-old man who spoke Italian and told us about some of his friends who live in Trieste.
THE FLASH MOB DANCE
We perform the Flash Mob Dance in the very center of town, in main street, four times, amidst the wonder and curiosity of tourists. The reactions of the people were curious: many filmed, but especially all kinds of people joined the dance: children with their families, some tourists, some teenagers and even a man with his dog! As for the involvement of people it was a success!
FREE HUGS
Here too, people’s reactions have been manifold. Some gladly exchanged a hug, others looked at us with suspicion and changed direction. But the most beautiful reactions (in my opinion) were those of the people who initially felt distrust, but who slowly, in a couple of seconds, put aside their initial fears by opening their hearts and sharing the hug.
WEDNESDAY, 7 August
This morning the sky was covered with light, grey and rosy clouds. Under this sky we are going to start our journey, after loading the luggage. Destination: Hrvatska Kostajnica. We are divided into two groups, one headed by Paolo and the other by Anna. I get in the van together with Paolo, Anna Rita, Carla, Daniela, Sydney, Francesco, Jelena and Andrea, who joined us the previous evening. Exclusively Italian songs will be the soundtrack of our journey. Conductor: Paolo Alleluia, and main voice Carla Pellegrino, with fury and enthusiasm.
After traveling for a few hours, we stop at a gas station in Karlovac, now an apparently normal place, but twenty years ago it was anything but quiet. Paolo explains: “During the war, this place marked the boundary line, dividing the Croatian army from the Serbian one. The fields around here were real battlefields. Once the war ended, these surrounding places were full of mines and they were marked by red flags. The prairie below the gas station was practically full of red flags ».
At around 20 past 12 we arrive at our destination (with great relief of poor Sydney who suffers from car sickness!), after traveling 4 hours and 20 minutes. Immediately after parking on the bank of the river Una (on the Croatian side), Franjo, head of the Tourism Board of this small town, welcomes us. Tall and sporty, with very short hair, he arrives with his professional bike and leaves us after a while to go for a ride.
Next to the bridge stands an ancient fortress escaped from bombing (the one Anna told us about); on the other side of the river you can see in the distance a mosque and higher up on a hill it’s possible to also see an Orthodox church. While I explore the shore with Alexis I see curious blue insects, a mixture of a butterfly and a dragonfly.
Moments of leisure by the river
Swim in the Una river: Alex, Andrea and I decide to challenge the current and cross the river swimming until we almost reach the Bosnian shore. Fantastic experience. After about an hour, Franjo joins us (always with his professional bicycle) and after drying ooff we go with him to the place where we will spend the next two nights. It’s a school with a large gym. During the journey, Franjo tells us: “I completed my university studies in Zagreb, but when I had the opportunity to move elsewhere, I decided to return here. I do not like life in the city ».
The school seen from the outside and the gym
After arranging the luggage in the school gym, we follow Franjo to the Čukur mountain. This place hosts a particular monument concerning the Balkan War.
It’s made like a sort of large photographic lens damaged by a bullet. It’s dedicated to the memory of Gordan Lederer, a war reporter who was killed here on August the 9th, 1991, by a shot fired by the Serbian side. The bullet in question hit Gordan’s camera lens, killing him. Franjo explains how this monument changes over time: “The hole will expand due to weather conditions. In a few months it will already be different from how you see it now.” Regarding the monument, a series of concrete slabs lead to it, 34 to be precise, like the years of Gordan’s life.
At the end of the slabs, there’s a sort of great epitaph in big letters, dedicated to his memory; among other things, there is also written the name of the documentary that Gordan was filming before he died, (entitled Banijska Praskozorja). Franjo explains that it can be found on the net even with subtitles. He adds: “It is thanks to the Prime Minister of Croatia that we have this monument. In fact he was with Gordan when he was killed, he fought as a soldier”. As far as we know, the soldier who killed Gordan, despite two trials, is still on the loose.
After hearing Gordan’s story, Anna asks Franjo to talk a bit about his life, but he replies: “I’m not the right person for this”. However, he explains that he is a national champion in various sports and that he built a gym in Kostajnica, to be able to train, since there was none, and that he also trains 25 people there. After this suggestive visit, we walk on the bridge that leads to Bosnia. At the customs, while I was taking a picture with Tjoma, a policeman approaches us in a very serious way, telling us not to take photographs, otherwise he would have to seize the material.
After this episode, I go with Paolo, Francesco and Jelena to a bar, where we eat ice cream and have the chance to taste a specialty of the Balkans, some sausages (Ćevapi) served with greasy bread, cooked on the griddle (Lepinja). After the break, we return to the border, cross it and gather just below the bridge: this is the place where the mural will be done. On a small and long wall alongside the bridge, instead, 29 flags will be drawn: those of the countries belonging to the EU, plus the European flag.
Anna, Alex, Carol, Veronica, Gabriel and Alexis start working on drawing the flags. Sydney and Andrea instead work on the large mural; it’s hard work, since there are no reference points for making preparatory sketches. Franjo comes to watch us during this phase of the work, with his hair shaved! In the end, we manage to finish the drawing successfully.
After the preparatory work, we have dinner in a restaurant where we are joined by Filip, who last year had filmed the camp in Sunja.
After dinner, we enjoy a relaxing moment on the banks of the Una river, where Josip, also a friend and coworker from Sunja, joins us. In the meantime I spend some time with Sydney, Gabriel, Alexis and Veronica, who communicate with sign language. Alexis, in particular, often translates to us what Gabriel wants to say, while Sydney and Veronica try day after day to learn the sign language. “We’re giving everyone nicknames in sign language,” Alexis tells me. Of very low stature and with a very thin voice, Alexis is a person with a great sense of humor and often improvises songs using sign language. And so, this long day ends here, in the school gym. Another tiring day awaits us!
THURSDAY, 8 August
Today promises to be very demanding: wake up at 5 am, departure for work at 6 am. The reason for all this is that it’s so hot, so it’s better to start working as early as possible when the sun is not so intense.
Around 6:45 the work begins: one team works on the flags, while the other one takes care of the large mural. A perfect synergy and great enthusiasm animate the work, under the curious gaze of passers-by. It’s like if a peaceful mine just exploded here, and its sharpnel turned into an explosion of colours that covered a small piece of the walls of this town.
Around mid-morning, Franjo and the mayor, Dalibor Bišćan, who is the youngest mayor in all of Croatia (he is only 29 years old) join us. At one point, a passer-by was irritated by the fact there there was no Serbian flag, so it might get added later (next to the Croatian one, to avoid further discord). We decide to stop at 11:30, when the heat becomes unbearable and we head towards the Municipality building to wash our hands. The morning therefore ends with a packed lunch by the bank of the Una river, in an atmosphere of tiredness and common satisfaction.
During the break, I have the opportunity to take a short boat trip on the river with Franjo, Anna, Alex, Sydney and Tjoma. During the journey, Franjo explains: “Migrants often try to cross the river and some of them can be aggressive. On May the 1st, while I was training on the river, the Bosnian police ordered me to stop immediately, as they had spotted the body of a dead migrant near my position. I had to carry the body over the other side“.
After the long pause, at around 5 pm we start working again on the mural. Compared to the morning, the weather has changed: big clouds cover the sun and the sky has turned heavy and grey. Just the time to paint the last tile and a storm breaks out at 18 and forces us to interrupt the work, without being able to carry out the final finishing touches. Almost as if a mysterious force told us to stop, as if the mural should remain the way it is.
After removing all the paint accumulated on our bodies during the day with a good shower, we head to the same restaurant we were at yesterday, this time also with Josip. However, the atmosphere is different, it’s like a party. We meet a Finnish gentleman who speaks perfectly Italian, because he explains that he lives in Switzerland, in Canton Ticino. As if we were old friends, he warmly welcomes us, even offering us red wine. We sing at the top of our lungs some old Italian songs!
In addition, Carol, Veronica and Tjoma passionately sing two Russian songs (including Kadyusha) and a Ukrainian song, and we close with “Bella ciao”. By popular demand of the other volunteers and of the Finnish gentleman, Carol and Veronica play two songs written by them (the same as a few days before) and get a warm applause. In this atmosphere of victorious celebration, this special day ends, probably the fulcrum of this intense week.
FRIDAY, 9 August
Today promises to be different from yesterday, in fact it will be dedicated more to recreational activities. We wake up at 7:30 and after packing, we leave the school and head to have breakfast in the bar Kostarika. There we are joined by Franjo, who hands us a painting depicting the bank of the Una river and a wooden boat of modest size, the work of a local artist.
After breakfast, we have the chance to admire the work done yesterday and take some photos with Josip. Then we leave Kostajnica and head to Sunja.
We arrive in Sunja towards mid-morning. This small town shows quite a different view from the one in Kostajnica; in fact you can still see the holes of the bullets on the walls of the houses and even on the obelisk of the small square of the Town Hall. The wounds of the war do not heal so easily, neither on the walls of the country nor in the hearts of its inhabitants. But the willingness to leave all that violence and misery behind has allowed the people of Sunja to move forward, despite some visible poverty. It is interesting to see a sign hanging outside the door of the Municipality, that prohibits to carry inside firearms, as if to signify that no weapon should circulate here anymore.
We then head to the small square behind the post office to admire the mural painted last year, in practically perfect conditions. Shortly afterwards we are joined by Josip, who takes pictures of us and with whom we remember together the moments spent last year while working on the murals, not without emotion.
After seeing again the mural, we meet the president of the Sunja fire brigade association. As he leads us inside the operational station, just behind the square with our mural, he proposes a new collaboration project with the association “For a better world”, for next year. “It would be nice to have San Floriano, the patron saint of the firefighters in Croatia, painted on the station tower,” he says.
After entering the fire station, he shows us the various sections and then invites us to have a drink in the main hall. “Children begin to be educated on how to become firefighters from age 5 through small competitions, for which they are given stamps that build up a curriculum in case one day they want to take this career seriously”. Finally, before saying goodbye, the president gives each of us the emblem of the fire brigade association.
Leaving the fire station, I, Anna, Alex, Jelena and Francesco head towards Filip’s house, where we will meet his parents, while the others go for a walk around Sunja. The house stands out from all the others because of its perfect condition, compared to many others around, but especially because it’s all blue, including the roof.
As soon as we get to the house, 5 little dogs run curiously to meet us, with Marijan, Filip’s father, who in Italian warmly exclaims: “Andiamo! (Let’s go)!”, and welcome us in his house. Marijan was born in Croatia, but when he was very small he moved to Switzerland, where he learned German, only to return to Croatia when the war broke out. Besides Marijan, his wife Višnja also welcomes us. Entering the house, we are immediately made to feel at home, so much so that Marijan offers us his 20-year-old grappa!
Since Alex is German, Marijan talks to him all the time (in German), while Višnja tells us that his son Filip will soon marry. She gives us a sort of present, a white angel she made. She also explains some traditions regarding marriage in Croatia: the groom (before getting married) will perform various actions to prove that he is “worthy” of marrying the future bride, such as cutting wood, for example. Another particular custom, which is a kind of joke, is to disguise a person with a wedding dress; the bridegroom will have to try to understand if that person (covered by a veil or with her back turned) is really his bride or not.
At one point Anna mentions to Višnja the fact that I am writing a travel report and invites me to ask her something. I therefore ask her if she can tell us a little about their story. Višnja then tells us some episodes that happened to Marijan during the war. “While working as a policeman, he fell from a tower, breaking his legs. He was taken to the hospital, where he was operated and many screws were set in. When he returned to the hospital to have them removed, he caught a bad infection that turned into a chronic osteomelitis, which forced him to have to take antibiotics all the time”. Višnja also shows us a box containing all the screws that Marijan has had removed over the years.
At this time, Antonio, their foster son, arrives in the house. He plays on the Sunja soccer team. “Over the years, we have fostered many children. We are a very welcoming family. We also collected the dogs and cats from the street. For this reason the community of Sunja sees us as a bit of peculiar people”.
While Alex and Marijan continue to talk, Višnja takes us to the upper part of the house, still under construction, even if the work is almost finished. “Filip and his wife will come and live here. This is why we have built a space for them”. Višnja also invites us into her workshop, located in a house next to them, to show us the bride’s wedding dress, made entirely by her. This interesting visit ends shortly after, with just enough time to take a picture together in the garden. Marijan accompany us out exclaiming (in Italian) a warm “Goodbye!”.
After leaving Filip’s house, we all meet in the Sunja library, where Jasmina, the library custodian, welcomes us. On the occasion of our arrival, a great banquet was prepared for us. Here in Sunja the spirit of welcome is very strong and gratitude is the predominant feeling towards us. This is demonstrated by the numerous dishes prepared: cold cuts, fried fish, vegetarian nuggets and delicious desserts filled with jam. The banquet officially begins with the arrival of the mayor, who tells us: “It’s nice to have you back with us, you are always welcome here. Since you worked on the murals last year, no young man has left Sunja”.
After the banquet and after greeting the mayor, we head to the little park opposite the Municipality where Josip organized some games. Here we meet some guys we met last year. One of them, seeing Andrea screams: “I remember you!” And then embraces her warmly.
Towards the end of the games, Ivan, one of the young people tells us: “What you did last year here in Sunja means a lot to us. It’s nice to know that there are people around who spread a message of peace here in Croatia”.
Then, with a Whattsapp message: “Ok, seeing you again has made me happy, even though we haven’t talked too much. But when I saw what you did here … painting the murals and everything else you did shows us that good people can come from anywhere. Ahaha, when we played those games in the park … God, I don’t know, it’s something I can’t explain but it was positive hahaha. About the young people here … hell … we are dealing with different challenges that can be economic or social or whatever you want to call them. It seems that people do not accept things as they are therefore changing … they become depressed, anxious, angry. This is why people hate each other. So … I hope you can come back again because I’ll be waiting for you with open arms!”
After saying goodbye to the young people in Sunja, we start heading back for Veprinac, leaving behind us three days of immense intensity, which our hearts will hardly forget.
CONCLUSION
And already a week has ended … I find myself again with luggage in my hands but this time to go home, along with Anna Rita, Francesco and Jelena. What can I say about all this? I am satisfied, yes: I met people from different nationalities and I found myself face to face with situations and contexts practically foreign to me in my everyday life. Neither I nor all the other volunteers will have changed the world, of course, but surely we will have made some people happier, even for a few moments. And that’s enough for me: to see someone smile, in a world that is increasingly confused and oppressed by a wide range of problems, is already a small change, a beginning. Because in the end, it’s the small actions, the small gestures, that can trigger the spark needed for change. Here I have collected some testimonies of these incredible days spent together:
Carla: “I want to thank everyone, because painting in that position was very difficult. It was very nice, considering also the effort made; I will remember it for life”.
Anna Rita: “Mentally, I felt more connected than usual, although unfortunately I could not participate physically.”
Daniela: “Like Carla, I agree about the difficulties; I wasn’t sure I could do all this.”
Francesco: “There have been several beautiful, touching moments. I particularly appreciated when we sang together in the restaurant in Kostajnica. I also enjoyed the games, because they allowed us to get more in touch with the people of Sunja. I will take this week back to Rome with me”.
Alex: “This time it was different: I knew people better and I felt at ease. There were less strong emotions but I felt certainly more comfortable than last year”.
Anna: “There were differences between last year and this year. It wasn’t the same. I immediately saw the challenge ahead and I trusted all the volunteers, despite the difficulties. In Sunja in particular I saw something grow; this is definitely a new beginning “.
Jelena: “I sensed that people in Sunja were really waiting for us. It was beautiful and the banquet prepared for us and the time they offered us are proof of all this. I am very happy to have come into contact with people like you”.
Gabriel: “My life has changed here. Every time I come to this place it’s different. People have accepted me and I am impressed about the curiosity shown for sign language and efforts to communicate with me. I am very surprised”.
Alexis: “I tried to educate the mind so that it did not dominate the heart. But when love manifests itself with its colours, the heart prevails over the mind. I really enjoyed free hugs: it was nice to see how our hearts and those of other people came together”.
Sydney: “It is inspiring to see people from different situations come together and become one family. Thank you all”.
Paolo: “I appreciated each of you for what you did to make this camp great. Those murals were an adventure. I also appreciated how many people tried to communicate with Gabriel, while trying to learn sign language”.
Andrea: “The “Beyond Borders ” week was a real immersion in the complex maze of human relationships. Among different nationalities, ages and cultures, we shared together unforgettable moments of tolerance, friendship and love even with the community that hosted us. In the context of Hrvatska Kostajnica, working like this was even more important, and understanding how the seed of love planted last year in Sunja is expanding into neighbouring lands and areas, still suffering from war. We have all tried together to become active builders of “a better world”, beyond borders. It was wonderful!”
Verona, 1 September 2019
The Love Log 