On the banks of the Danube

Yesterday was the last day of the 40-hour mediation training. Despite the challenges of translation and the judges’ busy schedules (several of them couldn’t commit to the entire 40-hours and had to come in and out), I think it went very well. In our evaluation and group debrief, they all expressed surprise and delight at how much they had learned and progressed in the short time of the training. However, for most, this was just an introductory training and I am aware of how important it is to keep these skills up. Hopefully, despite USAID leaving Croatia, there will be a way to continue training and expand mediation training across this aspiring European nation.

Rebecca and Gaby left early this morning but Ericka and I have a couple of days left in Croatia. Thanks to this extra time, Ericka and the US Embassy team were able to organize another short mediation training session, this time in Vukovar. We drove from Zagreb to Vukovar this afternoon, a short 3 hour trip across to country to the border with Serbia.

Situated on the banks of the Danube, Vukovar is a fascinating city. Hotly contested during the war with Serbia, it was essentially razed by continuous bombardment. However, unlike Dubrovnik, which experienced similar destruction, most of Vukovar has not yet been rebuilt. The scars of the war are visible on every street. Bullet holes pockmark facades. Chunks of the sidewalk are missing where mortars landed. Buildings are empty hollow shells, no windows, no doors, no roofs. Minefields still surround part of the city.

But the scars are beginning to fade. New investment is pouring in and the minefields are being cleared. Next to bombed out old buildings stand modern sleek shopping centers, hotels, a contemporary courthouse, and a new judges club. It was in this clubhouse that Ericka gave a brief presentation this evening. The judges here were just as eager to learn about mediation as the judges in Zagreb. Having experienced the worst of the war, they are all too aware of the importance of introducing a new culture of dispute resolution in Croatia.