Mackenzie Rollins | Weblog

m: chess is hugely supported by the bosnian culture, especially in public places. i went to the open market today for bread, and came back with a chess-filled experience. perched on the table near the board, i acted as the fly on the wall. watched. listened. laughed with them. they get so immersed in the fate of each piece. the game is filled with moments of absolute silence, tension, thought. it then swings instantaneously to screaming by all sides, player or not, as to what’s the best move.

i read an article recently about bosnia and norway using chess for the betterment of this country. a match was staged between two norwegian grandmasters and two bosnian grandmasters, to help raise funds for assistance in clearing mines. (what makes you have status as grandmaster, i don’t know. i’d sure love to meet one, though) after the war, the biggest and most notable humanitarian de-miner in bosnia and herzegovina was the ngo norwegian peoples aid (npa). how beautiful to use this simple game to re-build a war torn country.

i thought you might like to know a little about the situation with mines in bosnia today, twelve years after the war. its astonishing to me that so many people are affected daily by the remaining mines. it’s easy to forget about remnants like this from a war, and yet it’s affecting the majority of people here. at this very moment.

bih remains one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. mines contaminate more than 14,000 locations throughout bih (bosnia and herzegovina) to this day. surveys show that this translates into these numbers: 154 communities are highly affected, 696 are moderately affected and 516 are minimally affected. (not sure where my neighborhood fits)

current trends indicated it will be decades before landmines and explosive remnants can be fully removed from the country. this situation affects all pockets of society, but particularly those returning to mined areas who are dependent on land for their livelihood.

limited funding is the main challenge to mine action in bih. demining equipment is expensive, as are programs to teach newer demining techniques. numbers for 2007 and 2008: “in 2007 and 2008 the costs for demining equipment,land restoration and mine awareness programs in bih are $1,740,755 and $2,096,864, respectively. in 2007, mine clearance will cost $2,469,356, mine risk education $189,396, and mine marking $588,945. victim assistance initiatives in 2007, 2008, and 2009, respectively will cost an estimated $1,126,437, $ 1,004,687, and $120,687.” (mineaction.org)

the numbers become much more personal as i live in a neighborhood currently undergoing de-mining. as i said in an earlier post, i ran past the mine detection team (and lovely dogs) while they were clearing the field nearby.

i loved seeing men enjoy the game in an open market, simply to enjoy the game. and i love thinking of the latter example: playing a strategic game for a far more strategic end. it somehow makes the movement of each piece seem a bit more significant. and i must say, i appreciate chess a bit more today than yesterday.

if you’re a lover of chess, and even if you’re not, maybe now you’ll think of the bosnians as you play. and if you’d pray for these de-mining efforts while moving your pawn, that’d be even better. there is much to be done, and prayer about this specific issue is hugely needed. i can’t say i’ve thought to pray about this before, but i’ll try to start now.

goodbye for now. i love you.