"Countries don't make people; people make countries."

Article by Ginny Andrews in the Friday, October 15, 1999 issue of The Chart.

I had no idea it would be so beautiful. When I was presented with the opportunity to attend an international student journalism conference in Croatia, the last thing I had in mind was the picturesque harbor filled with turquoise water, surrounded by cobblestone streets and palm trees. To be honest, the first thing I wondered was if I would need any special safety gear. The only images I'd ever seen of the former Yugoslavian country were battle scenes and riots with a brown, featureless background.

In truth, the Croatians haven't really been fighting a war for years. It is true that tensions remain and that some lie shallowly below the surface; but other wartime memories are only memories to those rebuilding the new country.

The island of Hvar, where the international Student Voice conference was held, showed a much different side of Croatia than I had ever imagined. The small town nestled on a hillside dates back to what they call pre-history. Its old town walls, orange rooftops, and beautiful architecture was almost breathtaking at times.

There were Croats, Albanians, Bulgarians, Slovenians, and Macedonians along with students from 15 other countries. These were not people dwelling on a painful past, but looking toward a hopeful future. From a media stand-point, many of them have come out of situations where the government controlled all forms of the media. Nothing broadcast or written about could be trusted. While they are still in search of how to gain a nonbiased media base, at least they are able to travel that road.

CNN has provided me with nearly all of my wartime experiences, as I'm sure most American traditional college students can understand. It was enlightening, though inconceivable, to hear our Bulgarian friend talk about hearing the news of air raids and actually see the planes flying overhead. Everyone knew where the planes were headed, and several of her classmates had friends and family members in bombed areas.

Two conference students had fought for Croatia during the war. While they were fun and interesting to spend time with, we quickly found that there were some questions that shouldn't be broached.

While the conference was informative on its theme this year of propaganda, it offered much in the way of bridging the television scenes with a more encouraging reality.

Just as Croatia was more than brown, featureless ground, so were all the students at the conference more than any stereotype I may have previously given them.

Kelly Dengel, The Chart's managing editor, was also on the trip. I think we discovered a few things about ourselves and our blessings and also the many things we take for granted, both journalistically and politically, in the United States. We also learned humans are resilient, and that it really isn't the country that makes its people - it's the people who make the country.

It made me think about our country and what we, as a people, say about it. Just a little food for thought.

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