About BalkanEyes
Balkanize \BAWL-kuh-nyze\ verb
to divide (a region or body) into smaller mutually hostile states or groups
The turbulent history of the Balkans, which inspired this verb, is a part of understanding the region today. But the Balkans is defined by more than conflict: it is a place where eastern and western influences collided in a landscape of rugged mountains, pristine rivers, and picturesque coastline. BalkanEyes is about understanding divisions and seeing beyond them.
The issues in the Balkans were not new or unique to this region. Nor was it the first or last time these issues have arisen around the world. We should not look away from issues of conflict, but instead to travel, see, and understand why conflict occurs and the impact it has.
BalkanEyes encourages travel as a means of connecting to the people, the land, and the history of the former Yugoslavia by providing accessible information focused on the conflict in the 1990s. BalkanEyes aims to draw attention to this recent conflict, its causes, and the efforts to rebuild the region.
“I had come to Yugoslavia to see what history meant in flesh and blood”
About the author
Vanessa Anderson began learning about the former Yugoslavia in college and became fascinated with why genocide continues to happen in the world today. From there she continued reading about the history of the region, became a lawyer, and followed the court cases at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.
Vanessa has traveled around the Balkans multiple times. When talking about her trips, she realized many people were not familiar with the Balkans or the 1990s conflict. She decided to create BalkanEyes to inspire people to travel to this region and to learn about significant human rights issues that occurred there.
Vanessa lives in Portland, Oregon and is a lawyer at her firm Alchemy Law.