In 2008 Turkey and Croatia played one of the most thrilling finishes to a football game I've ever seen. Minutes before the end of extra time Croatia scored to look as if they would go through to the semi-final. With the very last kick of the game the Turks equalised and went on to win the penalty shoot out, putting the Croats out of the Euro 2008 tournament.
Bosnia is neither Turkey nor Croatia. But the Bosnian Croats support Croatia with some passion. Most of Bosnian Muslims support Bosnia, but as a second choice team some choose to support Turkey, reflecting their Ottoman history.
The Bosnian town of Mostar suffered heavily during the Bosnian conflict of the 1990s, with particularly fierce fighting between the Bosnian Croats and the Bosnian Muslims. Some 16 years after the Dayton Peace Accords were signed, the antipathy between the two groups in Mostar is still evident.
The Turkey Croatia game reflected these tensions. With such a close game, so much to play for and such unexpected last minute drama, feelings were running high. The Bosnian Croats were vocal in their support of Croatia, the Bosnian Muslims on the other side of town were passionately supporting Turkey. When the game had finished and Croatia had been eliminated, riots began across the city.
By the end of the night over 20 people had been hospitalised and damage to property throughout the city centre was evident. Some 16 people were arrested. The police were not unaware of the likelihood of violence, earlier Croatian games had also led to football related violence in the city centre and a Croatia Brazil game in the 2006 World Cup had also lead to major clashes after the Bosnian Muslims supported Brazil.
When Turkey played Croatia on Friday night, there was concern that the events of 2008 could be repeated. However, with Bosnia in action against Portugal, there was less of a sense of fans supporting Turkey, less of a sense of bitter rivals facing each other.
The antipathy between groups is not the same across the country. In Jajce for example, also an area of intense fighting during the conflict, people were reporting that Bosnian and Croatian fans, fully decked out in their respective regalia, stopped to congratulate each other about their sides performances at half time. But in Mostar there was once again violence. Not on the same scale, but 150 supporters were involved in incidents that included stone throwing.
Football, it appears, offers an opportunity for some to manufacture a situation at which historic antipathies can be replayed, to the detrimental effect of those trying to create a stable peaceful environment.
Tuesday 15 November 2011
Monday 7 November 2011
Are Bosnia's 'pioneering footballers succeeding where politicians have failed'?
In November 2009 I went to the industrial town of Zenica, where Bosnia play most of their home internationals, to see Bosnia play Portugal in the FIFA 2010 World Cup playoffs. I was in Bosnia anyway, researching the effects of football on reconciliation processes there. It was a hugely exciting event; if Bosnia won they would qualify for their first major international fooball tournament and for the first time there was a real sense that everyone in Bosnia was rooting for their national side.
Later that month the respected Bosnian blogger Tim Clancy wrote:
Forget the euphoria and naive predictions that we were going to destroy Portugal. It FELT GOOD to be a Bosnian or at least from Bosnia and Herzegovina for a little bit. It worked. People clicked. They shed themselves of the fear and idiocy that has dominated here for so long. It did have the 'gel effect.'
I live here on the border of RS and Federation in Dobrinja. When Serbia plays football here its a like a gypsy wedding on my street. It's a proper party. When Bosnia played it was like a funeral. An eery silence occupied the neighbourhood. Not this time though. This time was different. And it was different everywhere in Bosnia.
Two years later there is a certain sense of deja vu. Bosnia, again on the very edge of qualifying for a major international footballing tournament have again drawn Portugal in the playoffs. Again there is a hint of expectation in the air and a sense that almost all the Bosnians are hoping for a victory for their national side. This is not a given; for a long time the Bosnian Serbs have only supported Serbia whilst the Bosnian Croats have waved the šahovnica.
But this time Serbia hasn’t qualified and people are hoping that the Bosnian Serbs will throw their passion behind Bosnia. This isn’t a given; the political antagonisms in the country are as serious now as they have been since the 1992-95 conflict and the nationalistic politicians are continuing to whip up ethnic tensions.
Can football then be a tool that is used to counter the political nastiness? The seasoned Bosnian observer, Ed Vulliamy wrote an article for the Observer lauding the Bosnian national team for 'succeeding where the politicians had failed'. In it he talks of how, despite the ban on away fans at all Bosnian Premier League games following 4 instances of nationalistic violence, the Bosnian national team is a fully functioning multi ethnic organisation, a rare beast in Bosnia.
In many ways he is right. The best players are routinely picked for the national team, irrespective of ethnicity but this shouldn’t come as a surprise. It is in everyone’s interest for Bosnia’s national team to do well. The players can showcase their skills to the big European club teams and those who work in football all stand to benefit from a strong Bosnian performance. Bosnian Muslims have always wanted institutions that are multi-ethnic, for they have never wanted to have a state that is exclusively Bosnian Muslim. They have always wanted to select Bosnian Serbs and Croats but the Bosnian Serb and Bosnian Croat players have traditionally played for the stronger teams of Serbia and Croatia thus gaining their chance to play at major international tournaments. It is only now, with Bosnia as strong as Croatia and Serbia that players are able to choose to play for Bosnia without jeopardising their potential career.
The Bosnian Football Federation (N/FSBiH known to all as Savez) is also a functioning multi-ethnic organisation - just. Until earlier this year it reflected the structure of the political arena, with Bosnian Serbs, Croats and Muslims all operating their own separate fiefdoms and a system of quotas for key positions in the overall national organisation. FIFA and UEFA, who had thought this was a temporary structure to accommodate ethnic sensitivities immediately following the conflict, realised they needed to take action to stop it from becoming permanent, and Bosnia was suspended from both organisations until it had reformed.
Many people thought that it wouldn't reform, the organisations within Savez would never agree. But they had forgotten that the people working for Savez have a personal interest in having a strong Bosnian team qualifying for a major international football competition. Against all expectations a new structure was agreed upon, a FIFA imposed ‘normalisation committee’ formed and Bosnia was readmitted to the fold in June 2011.
Corruption in Savez is endemic; the General Secretary and Finance and Marketing Secretary were sentenced to four years in prison for tax evasion and misuse of Savez funds. The general Bosnian population believes that the remaining officials are just as bad. I asked a friend who works for Savez whether the newly reformed Savez was any better and whether the new structure would hold.
'Don't hold your breath' he said 'we Bosnians are good at looking like we are complying with what we have been told to do but in reality doing nothing. Look at our politicians!'
For 90 minutes football can bring people together, but after that things revert very quickly to the status quo. The Bosnian Serbs might support Bosnia for this game, but they still love Serbia more. I interviewed a very senior executive in Savez who admitted that he supported Serbia first and then Bosnia, and I doubt he is the only one. What these football matches do do however is provide a snapshot of how people's sense of how they view Bosnia is changing. The November 2009 play off match mentioned earlier was the first time there was a palpable sense of Bosnian support across the country including the Bosnian Serb and Bosnian Croat areas. I'm imagining that it will be a little more defined this time, even with the increased political tensions, because there is a possibility that Bosnia will be the only ex-Yugo country to reach the Euro 2012 finals. In the current Yugo-nostalgia evident across the region, people will support other countries from the area in the absence of their own.
Victory for Bosnia on Friday, with Dzeko their talismanic superstar leading the charge will be a bright, bright spot in an otherwise dismal economic, social and political climate. Football alone can never bring about reconciliation, but it can serve to highlight how things are changing. If they beat Portugal on Friday most of the country will celebrate, and 15 years ago that was an unthinkable thing.
Later that month the respected Bosnian blogger Tim Clancy wrote:
Forget the euphoria and naive predictions that we were going to destroy Portugal. It FELT GOOD to be a Bosnian or at least from Bosnia and Herzegovina for a little bit. It worked. People clicked. They shed themselves of the fear and idiocy that has dominated here for so long. It did have the 'gel effect.'
I live here on the border of RS and Federation in Dobrinja. When Serbia plays football here its a like a gypsy wedding on my street. It's a proper party. When Bosnia played it was like a funeral. An eery silence occupied the neighbourhood. Not this time though. This time was different. And it was different everywhere in Bosnia.
Two years later there is a certain sense of deja vu. Bosnia, again on the very edge of qualifying for a major international footballing tournament have again drawn Portugal in the playoffs. Again there is a hint of expectation in the air and a sense that almost all the Bosnians are hoping for a victory for their national side. This is not a given; for a long time the Bosnian Serbs have only supported Serbia whilst the Bosnian Croats have waved the šahovnica.
But this time Serbia hasn’t qualified and people are hoping that the Bosnian Serbs will throw their passion behind Bosnia. This isn’t a given; the political antagonisms in the country are as serious now as they have been since the 1992-95 conflict and the nationalistic politicians are continuing to whip up ethnic tensions.
Can football then be a tool that is used to counter the political nastiness? The seasoned Bosnian observer, Ed Vulliamy wrote an article for the Observer lauding the Bosnian national team for 'succeeding where the politicians had failed'. In it he talks of how, despite the ban on away fans at all Bosnian Premier League games following 4 instances of nationalistic violence, the Bosnian national team is a fully functioning multi ethnic organisation, a rare beast in Bosnia.
In many ways he is right. The best players are routinely picked for the national team, irrespective of ethnicity but this shouldn’t come as a surprise. It is in everyone’s interest for Bosnia’s national team to do well. The players can showcase their skills to the big European club teams and those who work in football all stand to benefit from a strong Bosnian performance. Bosnian Muslims have always wanted institutions that are multi-ethnic, for they have never wanted to have a state that is exclusively Bosnian Muslim. They have always wanted to select Bosnian Serbs and Croats but the Bosnian Serb and Bosnian Croat players have traditionally played for the stronger teams of Serbia and Croatia thus gaining their chance to play at major international tournaments. It is only now, with Bosnia as strong as Croatia and Serbia that players are able to choose to play for Bosnia without jeopardising their potential career.
The Bosnian Football Federation (N/FSBiH known to all as Savez) is also a functioning multi-ethnic organisation - just. Until earlier this year it reflected the structure of the political arena, with Bosnian Serbs, Croats and Muslims all operating their own separate fiefdoms and a system of quotas for key positions in the overall national organisation. FIFA and UEFA, who had thought this was a temporary structure to accommodate ethnic sensitivities immediately following the conflict, realised they needed to take action to stop it from becoming permanent, and Bosnia was suspended from both organisations until it had reformed.
Many people thought that it wouldn't reform, the organisations within Savez would never agree. But they had forgotten that the people working for Savez have a personal interest in having a strong Bosnian team qualifying for a major international football competition. Against all expectations a new structure was agreed upon, a FIFA imposed ‘normalisation committee’ formed and Bosnia was readmitted to the fold in June 2011.
Corruption in Savez is endemic; the General Secretary and Finance and Marketing Secretary were sentenced to four years in prison for tax evasion and misuse of Savez funds. The general Bosnian population believes that the remaining officials are just as bad. I asked a friend who works for Savez whether the newly reformed Savez was any better and whether the new structure would hold.
'Don't hold your breath' he said 'we Bosnians are good at looking like we are complying with what we have been told to do but in reality doing nothing. Look at our politicians!'
For 90 minutes football can bring people together, but after that things revert very quickly to the status quo. The Bosnian Serbs might support Bosnia for this game, but they still love Serbia more. I interviewed a very senior executive in Savez who admitted that he supported Serbia first and then Bosnia, and I doubt he is the only one. What these football matches do do however is provide a snapshot of how people's sense of how they view Bosnia is changing. The November 2009 play off match mentioned earlier was the first time there was a palpable sense of Bosnian support across the country including the Bosnian Serb and Bosnian Croat areas. I'm imagining that it will be a little more defined this time, even with the increased political tensions, because there is a possibility that Bosnia will be the only ex-Yugo country to reach the Euro 2012 finals. In the current Yugo-nostalgia evident across the region, people will support other countries from the area in the absence of their own.
Victory for Bosnia on Friday, with Dzeko their talismanic superstar leading the charge will be a bright, bright spot in an otherwise dismal economic, social and political climate. Football alone can never bring about reconciliation, but it can serve to highlight how things are changing. If they beat Portugal on Friday most of the country will celebrate, and 15 years ago that was an unthinkable thing.
Friday 4 November 2011
Corruption in sport: How does it affect Sport for Development and Peace?
The jailing of 3 Pakistani crickets for 'spot fixing' has had me thinking about the role corruption plays in sports contribution to peace and reconciliation.
Obviously corruption within a sport is very disruptive to the sport itself: match fixing for the sake of gamblers destroys the public confidence in the sport as well as being illegal. Siphoning off of funds for personal gains is almost irresistible, particularly in countries where such practices are more common that would be desired. As the Economist said in a 2009 article "when dishonesty brings high rewards and low penalties, crime is likely". It isn't really surprising that many countries suffer from endemic corruption within their popular (and therefore influential) sporting federations.
Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) NGOs like to promote sport as a social building block. Participation in sport is said to promote all sorts of things, like teamwork, sense of fair play and leadership qualities. All useful stuff, particularly when scaled up to contribute to the fight against discrimination in fractured and vulnerable societies.
But my issue is this. Some SDP work is on-going, put together by committed volunteers who organise programmes that run and run (pardon the pun). But many NGOs prefer to operate workshops or one-off events. Many of these are very successful, with the participants taking on board some of the lessons being taught.
Then they go home and go back to playing and watching their domestic leagues, infiltrated with endemic corruption, cronyism and all that is bad with sport. The domestic leagues are there week in, week out and have been so for decades. The NGOs and SDP movement cannot hope to compete with the extent of their network or have their prominence. It seems to me that without addressing corruption within these networks it will remain a case of one step forward, 2 steps back and another opportunity to build peace falls by the way side.
Obviously corruption within a sport is very disruptive to the sport itself: match fixing for the sake of gamblers destroys the public confidence in the sport as well as being illegal. Siphoning off of funds for personal gains is almost irresistible, particularly in countries where such practices are more common that would be desired. As the Economist said in a 2009 article "when dishonesty brings high rewards and low penalties, crime is likely". It isn't really surprising that many countries suffer from endemic corruption within their popular (and therefore influential) sporting federations.
Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) NGOs like to promote sport as a social building block. Participation in sport is said to promote all sorts of things, like teamwork, sense of fair play and leadership qualities. All useful stuff, particularly when scaled up to contribute to the fight against discrimination in fractured and vulnerable societies.
But my issue is this. Some SDP work is on-going, put together by committed volunteers who organise programmes that run and run (pardon the pun). But many NGOs prefer to operate workshops or one-off events. Many of these are very successful, with the participants taking on board some of the lessons being taught.
Then they go home and go back to playing and watching their domestic leagues, infiltrated with endemic corruption, cronyism and all that is bad with sport. The domestic leagues are there week in, week out and have been so for decades. The NGOs and SDP movement cannot hope to compete with the extent of their network or have their prominence. It seems to me that without addressing corruption within these networks it will remain a case of one step forward, 2 steps back and another opportunity to build peace falls by the way side.
Thursday 13 October 2011
Bosnians supporting Bosnia in Euro 2012?
It was all looking so good for Bosnia. One up against France and they were on the verge of winning their group and securing automatic qualification to their first major football tournament. They had come agonisingly close to qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, their campaign coming to an end one cold November night in Zenica as Deco scored for Portugal.
But it wasn't to be. Bosnia gave away a penalty, France equalised and won the group. Bosnia were heading for the play-offs again, to play Portugal again on what is bound to be another cold November evening. Its all a bit deja vu. But this time Serbia haven't qualified. Which means that this time, for the first time, the Bosnian Serbs (about 40% of the Bosnian population) might support Bosnia.
The Bosnians Serbs have by and large supported Serbia since the break up of Yugoslavia, shunning the poorly performing Bosnian national team (in the same vein the Bosnian Croats have tended to support Croatia). With Serbia flying high in world football, there has been no reason for the Bosnian Serbs to identify with their own national team. In fact, with the memory of the recent bloodshed still fresh, many chose to support whoever it was playing against Bosnia.
In November 2009, with World Cup qualification almost within the Bosnians' grasp, there was a palpable sense of change. For the first time the Bosnian Serbs wanted Bosnia to do well. Perhaps November 2011 will witness their whole hearted support and a rare moment of unity in this still divided country.
But it wasn't to be. Bosnia gave away a penalty, France equalised and won the group. Bosnia were heading for the play-offs again, to play Portugal again on what is bound to be another cold November evening. Its all a bit deja vu. But this time Serbia haven't qualified. Which means that this time, for the first time, the Bosnian Serbs (about 40% of the Bosnian population) might support Bosnia.
The Bosnians Serbs have by and large supported Serbia since the break up of Yugoslavia, shunning the poorly performing Bosnian national team (in the same vein the Bosnian Croats have tended to support Croatia). With Serbia flying high in world football, there has been no reason for the Bosnian Serbs to identify with their own national team. In fact, with the memory of the recent bloodshed still fresh, many chose to support whoever it was playing against Bosnia.
In November 2009, with World Cup qualification almost within the Bosnians' grasp, there was a palpable sense of change. For the first time the Bosnian Serbs wanted Bosnia to do well. Perhaps November 2011 will witness their whole hearted support and a rare moment of unity in this still divided country.
Monday 10 October 2011
Preaching to the unconverted
I have a small secret. I'm not a believer. I don't subscribe to the view that 'Sport has the power to change the world'. Or, more accurately, I don't believe that sport can be used for peace, development or reconciliation without, at the very least, a wider understanding of how it does, and how it might not.
Take football. A marvellous game, watched and participated in with enthusiasm the world over. A game that can bring communities together. Or a game that can cement division as fans take to the streets to show their antipathy to the opposition. A game of pure simplicity, yet a game so often dominated and influenced by local politics and clouded by murkiness.
This blog is a chance for me to write about events that happen in the sports world which are examples of how sport can affect peace and reconciliation. Hopefully there will be plenty shining positive examples of how sport can change the world, I so very much want to be a believer. But, for now, I concur with the view of a man tasked with the development of football for peace programmes in Bosnia who asks 'how can an aim as pure and true as peace and reconciliation be achieved by an activity that is so rotten at its heart?'
Take football. A marvellous game, watched and participated in with enthusiasm the world over. A game that can bring communities together. Or a game that can cement division as fans take to the streets to show their antipathy to the opposition. A game of pure simplicity, yet a game so often dominated and influenced by local politics and clouded by murkiness.
This blog is a chance for me to write about events that happen in the sports world which are examples of how sport can affect peace and reconciliation. Hopefully there will be plenty shining positive examples of how sport can change the world, I so very much want to be a believer. But, for now, I concur with the view of a man tasked with the development of football for peace programmes in Bosnia who asks 'how can an aim as pure and true as peace and reconciliation be achieved by an activity that is so rotten at its heart?'
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)