[-empyre-] Some thoughts

[Ana Valdés]

Dear all I feel as always very happy and honored to be a guest in such a
generous and welcoming environment as _empyre.
I was thinking about the war in the Balkans and the horrible predicament of
the people in Sarajevo, besieged by the Serbians for more than a year.
During the time the mail was suspended and the phone lines shutted down.
People living in Sarajevo was shelled every day by snipers and many houses
bombed. Many died but their relatives and friends outside the city didn’t
know about their whereabouts.
The convoys of the United Nations was the only life link between the city
and the outside world.
A French activist group come with the great idea of smuggle in in the city
ten or twelve modems routed through Vienna. The group who called themselves
“Modems sans frontiers” was able to set a network with the modems and the
people from Sarajevo were able to write in special forums about themselves.
It was as the letters in bottles you can find in a empty beach, people
wrote to the empty space not to anyone in particular.
A post could be this “hi Jelenko I hope you managed to the border and was
not caught by the Serbs. Your mother and me send hugs. Bless you my boy”.
Another one “dear Laila our house was bombed the other day but we were
sheltered in the cellar and were not harmed. Your little cat Toma got
kittens very sweet and nice they hunt for mice in the woods.”
“Dear Mikko I hope you and the kids are well. Your grandmother passed away
the last month. Her heart could not cope with the war, too many emotions
too much sadness and pain.”

The communications between the besieged and the world were open for ten or
twelve days. It was a great way to use the new digital technologies in the
service of solidarity and peace.

Ana
-- 
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"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with
your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you will always
long to return.
— Leonardo da Vinci
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