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•	There was a dramatic rise in the number of genocides and politicides (Politicides seek to destroy a group because of the political belief of its members) through the 1960s and 1970s, and an equally dramatic decline through the 1990s.

•	There were 10 genocides and politicides in 1989 and only 2 in 2001.

Everything that Makes Us Different
Sandra Ljubinkovic

Serbia – Montenegro

GALLERY

CONVERSATION

I was 14 when war broke out in Yugoslavia. I became very concerned with what was happening around me, and thought it strange that is was not possible to go to the Croatian coast anymore. Serbian TV showed broken houses and the dead bodies of “Serbian soldiers,” and I heard members of my generation make nationalistic comments, comments that “excluded “the others” and claimed that “the others” (Croats, Muslims and later Albanians)” were responsible for everything. Those statements were not based on fact. These were the statements that my peers picked up from their homes. The common perception was “that the war is far from us” and that all the bad things happened to the “others”. Somehow, if you weren’t personally affected, you didn’t care that much. The real changing point in my life took place in 1997/1998, when I entered Belgrade’s Women’s Studies departments and got involved with as an antimilitarist activist with women’s groups. Suddenly I became really conscious of everything around me. All wars passed through my body, and I became aware of all the kinds of power that influence our lives. In my work with young people today, I attempt to build bridges between women and men, boys and girls, separated by social, economical or any kind of inequality. Together we long for a model society of active citizens who are skilled and aware of their own responsibility, power and strength. Who influence the society they live in. Together we are working to exchange experiences; experiences related to handling violence and conflicts, injustice and discrimination in the society. We hope to encourage future tolerance towards socially marginalized groups and other cultures.

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MIRANDA (Australia)
thankgod that someone is thinking positively.going through a hard time like that when you were younger would really mould you around what you were told to believe, and enhance it , so good on you for sticking to what you thought and believed was correct :)
if opnly their were more people in the world wh obelieved that this was the key , they maybe things would actually become a better place .

Carla (United States)
Carla
By building a bridge from one person to another you not only help each person understand what makes them different from each other, but also what connects them as one. If we as a world wide community started connecting all the bridges we could cultivate a culture of peace.
Vancouver, WA USA

Glen (United States)
War allways seems far away until it touches someone we know. Having access to the internet provides us the opportunity to really see how war effects those involved and how it touches the rest of us in the world. Its good to read messages from women that are effected by war, as thier voices are important to all of us.

chelsea (United States)
If everyone only though of themselves and not others like so many people do, we would have so many more wars and problems in the world. Its easy to believe everything your parents tell you when you are growing up and the world is full of stereotyping and jdging others. It's also a reason why traditions and family ways get passed down. War changes people and the community. we need to help eachother

Imagining Ourselves Team (United States)
What can you do in your community to encourage tolerance towards cultures and help build bridges?

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Carla Burns
United States

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