RWC hosted guest speaker Dr. Svetlana Broz on Tuesday, October 8th. Dr. Broz, granddaughter of Communist leader Josip Tito, spoke for about an hour on the after effects of the dissolution of the former Yugoslavian government, and the subsequent Dayton Peace Accords, on the different nationalist groups and religious sects inhabiting the Balkans. The agreement, drafted at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in November of 1995, called for an end to the ethnic violence within the region. The content of the speech hinged on two major premises; One-Unrest between the Serbs, Croatians, and Bosnians is a product of Nationalism, and Two-Although the Dayton Peace Accords did put an end to the fighting temporarily, violence will resume after peacekeepers are removed from the area. Dr. Broz likened the conditions in the Balkans to what may have ensued had the U.S. allowed the Nazi party to maintain political control over Germany after they were defeated in World War II.
According to one of the event’s coordinators, RWC Assistant Professor of History and WAC member, Dr. John McNay, some 130 spectators, comprised of students, faculty, and members of the World Affairs Council (WAC) of Greater Cincinnati, were in attendance and rewarded the speech with a standing ovation. “The event would not have been possible if not for the cooperation of the Internationalizing the College Committee, Wittenberg University, the WAC, and Dean Barbara Bardes,” says McNay.
The World Affairs Council of Greater Cincinnati is a diverse group of people of various backgrounds who share a common interest in international affairs. Anyone interested in more information should contact Deb Kittner at world1@mindpring.com or Dr. John McNay at john.mcnay@uc.edu.
Dr. Svetlana Broz is a cardiologist and operates the humanitarian organization, Gardens of the Righteous, in her native Sarajevo. She is also the author of “Good People in an Evil Time,” which served as foundation for her lecture.