Before the war broke out in Bosnia Ahmed Kafedzic was one of the wealthiest
and most successful people in the country. He was a publisher, writer and
mathematician. He travelled all over Europe on business, often by taxi, so
that he could make contact with people in the small communities. His text
books on mathematics were widely used. He spoke seven languages and his
books were translated into these languages. English was not one of those
languages.
When the first signs of the war were evident Ahmed was warned that Sarajevo
could become an isolated city and that he should leave. He did not believe
that this could possibly happen. He stayed on in the city. When the city
became cut off he and seven of his ten children were trapped in Sarajevo.
His wife and three of his older daughters were in Zagreb.
The oldest daughter left in Sarajevo cared for the children in this city
where bombs fell day and night. Water was available in only two places and
there were long waits to obtain five litres of water. Food was scarce and
astronomically expensive. Then after seven months in spite of the dangers
involved their mother managed to return to Sarajevo to care for her
children.
No place this to write books or carry on a publishing business. Ahmed
became involved in working to let the world know more about Bosnia and
Sarajevo in particular. He became a networker with the media and promoted
the music of Bosnia to the world. Developing the cultural programme enabled
Ahmed to retain his sanity in those terrifying days. Two of his daughters
became deeply involved in this work.
"Let the Doves of Peace Fly", is the title of a song written by Ahmed's
father, Sasefet. This song was sung by his daughters, Janna and Selma,
every day for two years during the war, in the streets, in hospitals,
concert halls, and schools. The children's singing while a thousand bombs
fell around them daily showed the world that life still existed in the
city. The song was sung in ten different languages and many journalists,
hearing the song in their own language, prepared documentaries about the
war to be shown in their own countries. Many journalists were killed, but
others spread the story of life in Sarajevo.
One of Ahmed's daughters became a journalist. A French journalist helped
her to leave the city in a United Nations plane. Later she helped the
whole family to come to New Zealand as refugees. The escape from Sarajevo
was in four different groups because the trip was so dangerous. They had
no money, because investments in the bank now had no value. The girls sang
for the bus company and received free tickets in return. By the time they
left the city Ahmed, a big man, was down to 55 kilos in weight and his wife
weighed only 35 kilos.
The song has now been translated into twenty languages, both eastern and
western, including Maori. It was sung by Ahmed's daughters at the Bridge of
Remembrance in Christchurch on the day the New Zealand soldiers left for
Bosnia.
Here they were in a new country. Ahmed had no work and no knowledge of
English. But he did have fresh air to breathe, peaceful surroundings,
water in abundance and plenty of bread to eat though now he can eat only
small meals Hard work at the needed language skills has opened up more
communication for him and once again he is a networker, and aims to use the
skills he possesses in publishing books.
"My great desire is to work for peace and international understanding", he
says. "I want to gather together the work of creative artists in New
Zealand and in Sarajevo and publish a book, "Let the Doves of Peace Fly".
The proceeds will be used to help children in Sarajevo. This book will be
a tribute to the journalists who worked in great danger to get the news to
the world. It will also help the children who suffered so much during the
war."
For the new book work has already been donated by a well-known landscape
painter, a photographer and some journalists. The book will portray New
Zealand and Bosnia in times of peace, in contrast to the pictures of Bosnia
that journalists portrayed during the war.
If you are reading this and you are a creative artist you may wish to
donate work to this book. If so please tell us how to contact you in the
comment space below.
We hope that the next change in Ahmed's life will be a sense of great
satisfaction from the success of his book.
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