Neville Watson in Bosnia

Neville Watson is a Christian activist who lives in Perth. He was a member of
the Gulf Peace Team which was camped on the border between Iraq and Saudi
Arabia during the outbreak of the Gulf War. From 13 August until 8 September
1994, Neville was in Europe in order to undertake a prayer vigil to Bosnia.
In the following fictional interview, he explains why.

"Why are you going to Bosnia?" The interviewer looks at me with lowered
eyebrows, a rising inflection in his voice and an emphasis on the word
'Bosnia'.

I am tempted to respond with the old cliche 'That is a good question'. I
resist the temptation and decide on a throw away line as a beginning. "Well,
if I said 'To pray the future into being' few people would understand what I
was saying so I won't mention that as my primary reason for going".

The interviewer breathes a sigh of relief. He has no great desire to talk
about things spiritual. He just wants some simple answers that can be
understood by his viewers out there in television land on whom his job
depends. The subject of prayer doesn't rate very highly with them and, in any
event, he himself knows so little about it that he is glad to see it slip by.
He looks to me to continue.

"There are two reasons" I say, trying to look rational and profound and
remembering that on television you have to smile. No matter what else you say
or do - you have to smile.

"One reason is that I am going to offer support to local peace initiatives
that are occurring regularly there but of which we hear nothing in the
mainstream media. For example, the Serbian village of Tresnajec where 200 of
its young men refused to be drafted into the Serbian army and the whole
village of two thousand got behind them. The village was surrounded by tanks
and the draft resisters were holed up in the local pool and pizza place
called 'The Zitzer Club'. They formed the 'Zitzer Spiritual Republic' and
granted citizenship to everyone regardless of their racial, national,
religious or political background. The only requirement was a spirit of
openness. Their coat of arms was a pizza surrounded by three billiard balls
and they withstood the siege for three months after which the tanks were
withdrawn. One reason why I am going to Bosnia is to support such people as
these because the answers to the situation in Bosnia aren't going to come
from the outside. The most we can do from the outside is to encourage the
peacemakers. I'm so impressed with the Zitzer Spiritual Republic that I'm
going to see if I can become their ambassador in Australia. 'The honorary
Ambassador for the Zitzer Spiritual Republic'. It has a nice ring about it!"

"Another reason for going is that it is very difficult to appreciate
situations like Bosnia "in the cool comfort of research". You have got to be
there to really appreciate it; at least let me speak for myself - I find it
much easier to appreciate a situation if I am on location. It's something
like the sunrise ("sunset" might be a more appropriate simile in these
circumstances), you have to be there to appreciate it."

"My most memorable example of this was on the day the Gulf War broke out. I
was standing on the Iraq-Saudi border watching hordes of B52s flying overhead
and at the same listening to the BBC saying that smart fighter bombers were
on their way to Baghdad. It just wasn't true! And after the war it was
admitted that only seven per cent of the bombs dropped were of the "smart"
variety. The rest were of the "dumb" type dropped by B52s in a checkerboard
pattern and causing enormous civilian casualties."

By this time the interviewer has had enough. This is becoming all too
rational and there are some implications about the media massaging the
message. Time to get the good old "human interest" bit into the conversation.

"But aren't you afraid of being hit by a sniper's bullet?" All the latent
cynicism and anger within me rises to the surface and I feel like exploding.
But, with admirable control, I answer "Not particularly, not more than the
journos, the UN Peacekeepers, and the truck drivers who are already there." 
I'll be damned if he's going to make a hero out of me. I may not be able to
talk about carrying the cross or how symbolically pouring blood is a poor
substitute for being where real blood is flowing, but I'll be damned if this
guy is going to make me some kind of hero!

The interviewer does not like my answer. What after all is the purpose of the
interview if it isn't to bring out the old surefire story of local boy (old
man!) walks into danger?

He thanks me and I thank him. All righteousness is fulfilled. The closing
music swells and the lights dim. He mentions something about it being a good
interview. We shake hands and I walk out into the cool, clean night air and
think of the family and the grandchildren and the hesitation that gnaws in my
guts. How little the media understands what it is all about. But to be fair,
I don't really either - so what the hell! I put my hands into my pockets and
walk off to where the car is parked, wondering what it will be like in Bosnia
and whether I really am stupid after all in going there.
Neville Watson