Forum Klix.ba

NEWS FROM THE MEDIA
This past week Slobodna Bosna (Bosnian weekly magazine) ran an article on Perucica primeval forest and Green Visions' ideas for a sustainable future. At least that’s what we were told when SB recruited us to take them to Perucica and do an interview. We clearly asked from the onset what the purpose and intent behind the interview was – and that we were not interested in a negative campaign in any way. We were assured that was not the case. From a positive article on nature it turned into a ‘perfect place to hide’ for war criminals and misquoting Green Visions using the old ‘cut and paste’ method. We strongly believe that an alternative voice in BiH must be heard and that investigative reporting is a part of that. Truth, however, should not be permitted to be twisted and turned, or manipulated in a way that makes ones story more ‘juicy’ for its constituents. We were quoted as saying that the ‘BiH government and the international community has no long term vision for this country’ – when in reality we were asked during the interview why did we set up Green Visions over 4 years ago. The answer was that in 1999 we thought the local government had little vision for this country and that we were disappointed with the lack of sustainable growth projects (as we were a part of the international community – working for NGO’s). The story today is obviously quite different – with all energies focused on European integration, henceforth – a vision for the future. We were also quoted as saying there are ‘no mountain rescue services. We certainly did comment on the lack of state certification for mountain guides (and the importance of it), but our own trips are covered my the Mountain Rescue Club 2000 and there is an official Mountain Rescue Service right here in Sarajevo. In short, the context of the interview was drastically changed in the article we read this week in Slobodna Bosna. We, together, have an obligation to the truth and objectiveness. When and if we lose that, we lose our ability to have a positive affect on a society so desperately in need of a voice of reason and integrity. Things are not all black… and when one constantly does paint things black, the result can be nothing but black.