18/05/2008 11:25:55 pm
Libertas! Yesterday, I spoke at the Stockholm Network′s annual retreat, this year in Dubrovnik, Croatia. A place with a fascinating history. For a long time a sovereign republic, and a gateway between the Roma and Ottoman empires. Slavery was abolished more than 500 years ago, inspiring its payoff "Libertas". The old town is very beautiful, though it was damaged during the Balkan war. Dubrovnik was under siege from December 1991 to May 1992, and during the first day of violence alone, some 3000 bomb shells were dropped over the city. Today, almost everything is renovated, few traces are left and Dubrovnik is very dynamic.