Carnival

This is the view from my first hostel in Sarajevo. To the left was a police station, which made my mother happy. I remember getting to my room and collapsing after my 16 hour overnight bus ride. The calls to prayer could be heard from my room and throughout the old part of the city where Dao and I stayed. I hope I can get back to Sarajevo soon.

I went on a run today and it was the best of all my runs. I had another "duh" realization. If they made the sidewalks narrower, cars couldn't park on them and there would be additional street parking available. Since it is clear there is minimal enforcement of parking policies, this seems like a decent potential approach to dealing with sidewalk parking...sidewalk too narrow to park on, sidewalk is free for pedestrian usage...

I am doing my reading for the desk research surrounding social inclusion, economics and women and am lost in a sea of studies. It seems like everyone knows what to do but lacks the political and financial will to suck it up and do it. I read an interesting study about non-Roma and Roma attitudes about dependency on the State. Interestingly, a strong majority of non-Roma believe that they are not remotely to blame for the situation of the Roma and that the Roma need to get more proactive and help themselves. Sounds familiar...I think this is what having good anti-discrimination policies does to societies, in a way. It allows the majority population to think the problem of discrimination is solved and therefore absolving the majority population of all responsibilities to participate in offering a hand up to minority populations, women, etc. I am in NO WAY advocating we rid ourselves of anti-discrimination legislation - it is very important- but we need to figure out a way to monitor the implementation of this legislation. Equal opportunity and anti-discrimination legislation/policies does not ensure equal treatment, access to basic needs, education or access to the labor market. Thank you, Captain Obvious...