Poland lends humanitarian hand to Iraq
19.7.2003 - Michal Zajac

The Czech Prime minister has been talking to George W Bush about rebuilding Iraq, Hungary has just sent troops to help with security in the Polish controlled zone, Slovakia has just sent a military engineering unit to Iraq and a delegation of the Polish Humanitarian Action has just returned from a reconnaissance mission to Iraq. They've been trying to establish what kind of aid is needed most in the war-damaged country.

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US prepares to reward 'New Europe' with lucrative contracts in Iraq
19.7.2003 - Kerry Skyring

Aside from the need to restore basic services such as hospitals, much needs to be done to rebuild Iraq's shattered economy. A leading American economist says the former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe should be given a key role in Iraq. Czech born Jan Svejnar, director of the University of Michigan's William Davidson Institute, says countries like the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland should be allowed to become part of the economic alliance, as well as the military one.

"These are the economies that have gone through the transition from command economy to a market type economy - and Iraq, when you look at the economy, is very much like a command economy. Saddam Hussein very much centralized and put the economy during the war on a footing that was like a command economy. So these countries indeed have the key, the knowledge, of how best to transform the Iraqi economy into a functioning market economy."

But do they have the companies that can actually carry out the major infrastructure projects and win contracts?

"Yes, I think that they certainly have a number of companies that could do it and again they have the historical advantage because many of them under the soviet system, operated in Iraq and in fact supplied Iraq with machinery and equipment - much of which is still in operation there. And it's the companies in the ?New Europe' in central and Eastern Europe that could provide the spare parts and technical know-how for the operation of those plants and equipment."

In using that term though, the ?New Europe', aren't you playing the same divide and rule game that Donald Rumsfeld did with his old Europe - new Europe labels? Isn't it pushing a divisions into Europe?"

"I used it intentionally just to indicate that these are the countries that should have an advantage. But I don't mean to drive a wedge in an particular way, except perhaps to indicate that they are uniquely suited because they have gone through transition very recently, they have familiarity with eh territory in Iraq and last but not least if you think of getting consultants who can help who are cost effective, people in these countries, the technicians, advisors, consultants are much cheaper than those from western countries."

So will the U.S play favourites if you like and award contracts to Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia?

"It's very difficult to say. I think the U.S should do so, not necessarily for favouritism but for the objective reasons that I mentioned. Namely the experience, the skills, know-how and cost effectiveness."

So they'll get contracts, even if they didn't support the war in Iraq or send in troops? Poland was there with soldiers on the ground but they were the only ones and in some countries, take the Czech Republic for example, there was a big division in the government as to whether to support the war in Iraq.

"There were divisions I fully agree with you. But I think therefore I would expect that countries such as Poland might get more attention than others. But I think that it would be wise for Washington in this context to in fact invite all of the countries to the table and participate in the reconstruction, because I think they can be very effective. And at this point the principle goal of everyone, not just Washington, but the U.N in general and western countries is to establish a democratic Iraq and a functioning economy and I think the countries of central and eastern Europe could be very effective conduits for that purpose."

Czechs discover the 'absurdities' of communism
19.7.2003 - Ian Willoughby

Czech society has changed greatly since the Velvet Revolution brought an end to the country's Communist system thirteen years ago. And much has been written on the repression of that system but now, a group of historians want to demonstrate what they say was one of the system's defining characteristics - its absurdity.

In the almost 14 years since the revolution, an especially created institute has been documenting the many crimes of the Communist era. Thanks to its work, a few culprits, very few, have even spent time behind bars. The new Absurdity of Totalitarianism project is taking a very different approach: its aiming to create a unique historical record of the often ridiculous lies to which Czech society was exposed over 40 years. Before speaking to the people behind it, I asked some pedestrians in the centre of Prague what they regarded as absurd about Communism, and what they thought of the era's political leaders.

Man 1: "Some customs, like celebrating empty symbols."

Man 2: "Permits to go outside of Czechoslovakia. If anybody read the newspaper or saw (the Communist leaders) on the TV, or on the radio, everybody should know that they were stupid."

Man 3: "Stupid people were higher - the stupider you were the better."

Organiser Senator Jaroslava Moserova hopes the project will have an impact on the younger generation, those too young to remember five-year plans or compulsory flag-waving.

"It's so important because I think that young people detest lies, hypocrisy, falsehood, more than anything else. And the unbelievable low intellectual status of the powers that were...that all has to be documented. And it's high time because the generation of people who can give a testimony is dying out."

Both written and oral testimonies detailing the absurdities of the Communist system are being collected, as are other documents such as notoriously stupid speeches. American historian Dr James Bradburne has been working with project-overseer, the Foundation of Czech National Museums, for over a decade. He says it is a unique undertaking.

"This is the most ambitious and exciting oral history project that I know of. It's collecting the material culture on the one hand but it's coupled to a project to keep traces of people's memories, their stories, their recollections, their experience of how they were confronted with this absurdity in daily life. This is very unusual: the idea of not only collecting the documents, which of course is something museums do routinely, but instead collecting the context in which those documents made sense and had value."

Slovene theatre school paves the way for European integration
19.7.2003 - Ksenija Samardzija

When Slovenia joins the EU next year it will be part of a 25 nation group which speaks around 20 languages. There is no common language among EU countries - except perhaps defacto - English - although many will deny that. But given that most people attempt their cross-cultural contact through English - Slovenia is doing something to improve it's teaching by actively using the language in student theatre. Radio Slovenia International has talked to members of the English student theatre at one of the grammar schools in Maribor.

The actors, singers and dancers of this theatre group are all students of the grammar school and their mentor, manager and director is their English teacher Emil Pecnik. He was so kind to tell us more about the theatre history:

"Well, we started 15 years ago, I was an English teacher. I gave the students a bit more than just a regular classroom activities and considering the fact, that theatre is also one of my hobbies, I combined the two, which means English and the theatre. I organized a small group of the students at the beginning of this 15-year career of work and we did some sketches, some songs and then, you know, it just started to grow. Which means we gave a bit more thought to what we really want. Do we want something that is traditional, or do we want something new in our educational system? So, I came up with the idea that a musical might be something that the students would like doing, because in the first place a musical is not really a theatrical genre in Slovenia that is popular, and the second thing is that this is one of identities of the Anglo-Saxon world."

By performing in musicals the students actually do what they like most. They sing, dance and perform. Among them is Peter Harl:

"I first saw a show of English student theatre 6 years ago. They were playing Aladdin, and I liked it so much that I decided to go for an audition. I made it and now I'm playing the main role in the Lion King."

The student theatre will present the Lion King also at the international festival lent. The previous performances included the following musicals: The Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ super star, Les Miserables and many others.

"I have to say that with every performance I am born anew, which means it is just like - I don't know- bringing up a child and you know what it's like raising a child. I can really measure the performance by saying how many people saw the performance, but every single performance gives us great satisfaction."

It is entertaining and fulfilling to work with young people and to join ones love for theatre with the profession. It seems that Emil Pecnik has chosen the right profession.

Hard cheese for Slovakia
19.7.2003 - Martina Grenova

The north Slovak region of Liptov is well known for its special cheese - known as "bryndza". But the traditional method of preparing this sheep's cheese delicacy is gradually dying out. And the blame is being placed on Brussels, which is forcing the introduction of new hygiene rules.

The Liptov region is probably most famous for the production of the special "bryndza" cheese. The traditional way of preparing this sheep delicacy is gradually dying out, mainly thanks to various EU restrictive hygienic measures.

The genuine "bryndza" cheese is prepared from milk without the help of pasteurisation. In the past, the whole process was carried out in wooden cottages known as "salas". Today, only a few of them stick to this tradition. The majority of these dream-like looking wooden sheep-dairy farms have recently become more of an attraction for agro tourism.

Sheep farming is not only for tourists. Sheep are farmed here for milk and meat but also because of hardly accessible grass areas in this vicinity.

Says Jan Janicek, chief of the Smrecany farm in north Slovakia. There are two different approaches to sheep cheese production in Slovakia. The modernisation of sheep farms according to European standards means machine milking and pasteurisation. The traditional veterans however say that cheese produced from pasteurised milk looses its specific taste. According to some experts, the "bryndza" cheese also looses its healing effects. Juraj Valko has been a shepherd for 35 years.

A lot of has changed in 35 years, hasn't it?

Too much has changed. First, we prepared cheese and special milk drinks in here. Now, everything is new. We even milk the sheep with machines.

What is better? Or rather, which one is tastier?

"Well, the hand made products were tastier. You know that's how it is in nature. I've been observing it since I was a little boy so I am sure about what is better."

The genuine bryndza cheese expiratory period is only 14 days. Prolonging the period of preserving its quality is one of the reasons why milk pasteurisation can help this product to be successful on foreign markets. Small cheese farms oppose modernisation of their technology not only because of endangered traditional craft but also because of expensive innovation of necessary devices. The Smrecany farm is the first one in the famous Liptov region applying completely the modern way of "bryndza" production.

We will be a little bit ahead after entering the EU. The cheese production at this farm is closely watched by the national veterinary authorities. Slovak hygienic measures are very strict. They are even stricter than the European standards. However, the traditional farms will face many problems after we enter the union.

The European Union gave Slovakia an exception to produce bryndza in the traditional way. However, the bryndza cheese to be exported to the EU markets has to be pasteurised. Big farms succumbed to European pressure. Small entrepreneurs try to turn traditional production into a marketing hit. They require more distinctive signs of home made non-pasteurised quality in the product.

Budapest pays tribute to Winston Churchill
19.7.2003 - Agi Varga

A statue of Britain's wartime Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, has been unveiled in Budapest's city Park. The statue stands on a promenade also named for the statesman. Why is Budapest is honouring the man who first forged the term Iron Curtain?

The idea came from the noted Hungarian born American historian John Lukacs, and both the Municipality of Budapest, and the Foreign Ministry happily endorsed it. The ceremony took place in a very solemn way. In his address, John Lukács called Sir Winston Churchill the saviour of Britain, and of the whole of Europe. Although Hungary was not an element of great importance for Churchill's statesmanship, nevertheless, we have a lot to thank him for. John Lukacs:

"What is astonishing is that his knowledge of Hungary was so extraordinary. He had written about Hungary very often in his histories. But apart from historian-ship, his career - his pubic career - is full of sparkling little remarks and consideration about Hungary and understanding of the situation of Hungary, even when the country found itself by geographical and other necessities in the opposite camp during the brutal second world war."

"This is why we are meeting now: that generations of Hungarians must pay their respects to a great statesman who probably in the thousands of years of Hungarian history is the only one, the only statesman west of the Rhine who has shown such sympathy and demonstrated such understanding for a small country."

The unveiling ceremony was honoured with the presence of Lady Mary Soames, the 81 years old daughter of Sir Winston Churchill, who felt deeply moved and proud to be there.

" This occasion also demonstrates to the world that Hungary is once more returned to the mainstream of history and is looking west to the great family of Europe. This event reminds me of the words from one of the thousands of letter my mother received after the death of my father in 1965: 'that he died is unimportant for we must all die. That he lived is momentous to the destiny of decent men and women. He is not gone, he lives wherever men are free, he lives in Budapest' "