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#BalkansDebrief is an online interview series presented by the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center and hosted by journalist Ilva Tare. The program offers a fresh look at the Western Balkans and examines the region’s people, culture, challenges, and opportunities. Follow along on Twitter @ACEurope with #BalkansDebrief.
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This podcast is about exploring life as a retiree in Bosnia and Herzegovina, sharing personal stories and cultural insights. It blends vivid storytelling about the unique aspects of Balkan life, its traditions, food, and history, with reflections on adapting to a new culture in later life. It offers you a mix of inspiration, practical advice, and a glimpse into an authentic, slower-paced lifestyle.
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Krigen på Balkan har nu været slut i mere end 20 år, og de gamle fjender bor dør om dør. Men hvordan forsoner man sig med mennesker, der har dræbt ens venner og familie?
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Да поговорим за Балканите/ Let's talk about the Balkans
Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology
„Да поговорим за Балканите“ е подкаст на Института за балканистика с Център по тракология при Българската академия на науките.
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Over the past 25 years, I’ve visited more than 30 countries, working as a researcher, teacher, trainer and consultant for international and government agencies. It’s given me a rare chance to experience a country as few tourists can, through the perspectives of my local colleagues. My essays on travel, history and culture have been published in newspapers, magazines and online media, and collected in three books: Postcards from Stanland: Journeys in Central Asia, Monsoon Postcards: Indian Oc ...
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A travel podcast about things to do and see in Croatia, Slovenia, Albania and other Balkan countries!
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Welcome to An Englishman in the Balkans, the podcast where I explore the fascinating culture, history, and everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this heart-shaped, but much misunderstood country. I’m David, your host, sharing stories, insights, and conversations from my life here in the north west of the country. Whether you’re a longtime listen…
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Welcome to An Englishman in the Balkans, the podcast where I explore the fascinating culture, history, and everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this heart-shaped, but much misunderstood country. I’m David, your host, sharing stories, insights, and conversations from my life here in the north west of the country. Whether you’re a longtime listen…
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continue reading
Welcome to An Englishman in the Balkans, the podcast where I explore the fascinating culture, history, and everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this heart-shaped, but much misunderstood country. I’m David, your host, sharing stories, insights, and conversations from my life here in the north west of the country. Whether you’re a longtime listen…
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continue reading
Welcome to An Englishman in the Balkans, the podcast where I explore the fascinating culture, history, and everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this heart-shaped, but much misunderstood country. I’m David, your host, sharing stories, insights, and conversations from my life here in the north west of the country. Whether you’re a longtime listen…
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continue reading
Welcome to An Englishman in the Balkans, the podcast where I explore the fascinating culture, history, and everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this heart-shaped, but much misunderstood country. I’m David, your host, sharing stories, insights, and conversations from my life here in the north west of the country. Whether you’re a longtime listen…
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continue reading
Welcome to An Englishman in the Balkans, the podcast where I explore the fascinating culture, history, and everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this heart-shaped, but much misunderstood country. I’m David, your host, sharing stories, insights, and conversations from my life here in the north west of the country. Whether you’re a longtime listen…
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continue reading
Welcome to An Englishman in the Balkans, the podcast where I explore the fascinating culture, history, and everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this heart-shaped, but much misunderstood country. I’m David, your host, sharing stories, insights, and conversations from my life here in the north west of the country. Whether you’re a longtime listen…
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continue reading
Welcome to An Englishman in the Balkans, the podcast where I explore the fascinating culture, history, and everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this heart-shaped, but much misunderstood country. I’m David, your host, sharing stories, insights, and conversations from my life here in the north west of the country. Whether you’re a longtime listen…
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continue reading
Welcome to An Englishman in the Balkans, the podcast where I explore the fascinating culture, history, and everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this heart-shaped, but much misunderstood country. I’m David, your host, sharing stories, insights, and conversations from my life here in the north west of the country. Whether you’re a longtime listen…
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As protests against lithium mining intensify across Serbia, fears of environmental damage and distrust in government accountability are uniting citizens like never before. Could this rare unity spark broader democratic change? In this episode of #BalkansDebrief, Resident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare explores the roots of this resistance with Ivanka Popo…
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Welcome to An Englishman in the Balkans, the podcast where I explore the fascinating culture, history, and everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this heart-shaped, but much misunderstood country. I’m David, your host, sharing stories, insights, and conversations from my life here in the north west of the country. Whether you’re a longtime listen…
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Even for the Balkans, a region with more than its fair share of crazy national borders, it’s an oddity—a twelve-mile stretch of Bosnia on the Adriatic coast separating Croatia’s top tourist destination, Dubrovnik, from the rest of the country. As with most territorial issues in the Balkans, Bosnia’s short coastline is a quirk of history, the outcom…
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After the breakup of Yugoslavia, Bosnia was torn apart by ethnic conflict, a three-way war between Serbs (mostly Eastern Orthodox), Croats (Roman Catholic) and Muslim Bosniaks. It was not until the massacre of 8,000 Muslim men at Srebrenica and TV coverage of the siege of Sarajevo horrified the world that NATO stepped in, bombed Bosnian Serb positi…
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The long, skinny island of Pag on Croatia’s Adriatic coast, historically a center of the salt industry, is famous for its sheep’s milk cheese. Salt has been produced in the region for more than one thousand years, but the industry could be even older, dating from Roman times. The basic process of salt extraction has not changed much. Sea water is c…
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In this episode David recounts the story of Helge Kristensen, a Norwegian who first visited Bosnia and Herzegovina seven years ago for its affordable skiing on Jahorina Mountain. Initially drawn by curiosity and the economic appeal, Helge was captivated by the locale's unique charm and warm people. Years later, true to his word, he returns not for …
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Welcome to An Englishman in the Balkans, the podcast where I explore the fascinating culture, history, and everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this heart-shaped, but much misunderstood country. I’m David, your host, sharing stories, insights, and conversations from my life here in the north west of the country. Whether you’re a longtime listen…
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Ilva Tare, a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center, sits down with Majlinda Bregu, the outgoing Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council, in this compelling #BalkansDebrief episode to discuss the current challenges of the region’s integration and cooperation as well as the gap between signing regional agreements and the…
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Welcome to An Englishman in the Balkans, the podcast where I explore the fascinating culture, history, and everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this heart-shaped, but much misunderstood country. I’m David, your host, sharing stories, insights, and conversations from my life here in the north west of the country. Whether you’re a longtime listen…
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Surviving the 1969 Banja Luka Earthquake: Personal Stories of Strength and RecoveryJoin me in this moving episode, as we journey back to October 1969 when the catastrophic Banja Luka earthquake struck Bosnia and Herzegovina. Hear the emotional account of an 18-year-old Hasna, who vividly remembers the terror and the community's resilience in the af…
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One of the legacies of Albania’s communist era are concrete bunkers. Around 175,000 were constructed all over the country. They range in size from small, shallow bunkers for a couple of soldiers to massive underground complexes with rooms, corridors and heating, electrical and water systems. Although the regime sometimes put out the line that the A…
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For half a century after World War II, Albania was ruled by a communist regime so paranoid that its leaders believed that even the Soviet Union and China had sold out to capitalism. Albania zealously guarded its borders to stop anyone from leaving the socialist paradise, and to closely control anyone crazy enough to want to visit. Among those who w…
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In this episode, Tamara and I explore an array of fascinating Bosnian superstitions and traditions. We discuss the myth of 'promaja,' the belief in the harmful effects of drafts, along with rituals like throwing water behind travellers for luck and the significance of breaking mirrors. We delve into Christmas customs such as baking Česnica bread an…
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Welcome to An Englishman in the Balkans, the podcast where I explore the fascinating culture, history, and everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this heart-shaped, but much misunderstood country. I’m David, your host, sharing stories, insights, and conversations from my life here in the north west of the country. Whether you’re a longtime listen…
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How was the CEFTA deal secured before the Berlin Process Summit? | A Debrief with Manuel Sarrazin
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A last-minute breakthrough enabled the Western Balkans to sign key regional cooperation agreements at the Berlin Process Summit on October 14 of 2024. This was thanks to the skilled diplomacy of Manuel Sarrazin, Germany’s Special Representative for the Western Balkans, and the political will of regional leaders. In a crucial compromise, Kosovo agre…
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As the Berlin Process celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2024, over 115 organizations gathered at the Civil Society and Think Tank Forum on October 9-11 this year to raise alarms about shrinking civic spaces, threats to democracy, and rising intimidation across the Western Balkans. In this insightful episode of #BalkansDebrief, Ilva Tare, Resident …
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Embracing a New Life: One Woman's Journey from Silicon Valley to Slovenia. In this episode of “An Englishman in the Balkans’, I share the fascinating journey of Camilla Dugonjić as she transitions from a tech-centric upbringing in California to a simpler, more self-sufficient lifestyle in Northern Slovenia. Discover her experiences of adapting to a…
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Welcome to An Englishman in the Balkans, the podcast where I explore the fascinating culture, history, and everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this heart-shaped, but much misunderstood country. I’m David, your host, sharing stories, insights, and conversations from my life here in the north west of the country. Whether you’re a longtime listen…
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In this Episode, I dive deeper into our travel diary, exploring the picturesque island of Rab off Croatia's coast. After leaving Bihać in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tamara and I made a seamless early morning border crossing into Croatia. Encounter breathtaking landscapes, historical reminders of the past, and personal anecdotes as we journey along the…
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Welcome to An Englishman in the Balkans, the podcast where I explore the fascinating culture, history, and everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this heart-shaped, but much misunderstood country. I’m David, your host, sharing stories, insights, and conversations from my life here in the north west of the country. Whether you’re a longtime listen…
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In this episode of the podcast, I delve into one of Bosnia's cherished traditions, the art of making rakija. Join me as I recount a delightful journey to Slatina with Tamara, where we witnessed the age-old process of distilling pear rakija at her cousin's orchard. The visit, filled with breathtaking views, vibrant community spirit, and the rich aro…
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Welcome to An Englishman in the Balkans, the podcast where I explore the fascinating culture, history, and everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this heart-shaped, but much misunderstood country. I’m David, your host, sharing stories, insights, and conversations from my life here in the north west of the country. Whether you’re a longtime listen…
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Cyber-attacks are on the rise in the Western Balkans, with 1.2 million personal records exposed to data breaches and a 200% surge in ransomware attacks over the past two years. Businesses across the region have paid millions of euros to recover compromised data, and 75% of companies report facing phishing attacks. Cyber-actors are exploiting intern…
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Welcome to An Englishman in the Balkans, the podcast where I explore the fascinating culture, history, and everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this heart-shaped, but much misunderstood country. I’m David, your host, sharing stories, insights, and conversations from my life here in the north west of the country. Whether you’re a longtime listen…
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В този епизод, посветен на 55-годишнината от създаването на Института за космически изследвания и технологии при Българската академия на науките и 45 години от излитането в Космоса на първия български и балкански космонавт Георги Иванов, д-р Стела Стефанова разговаря с проф. Георги Желев за българското присъствие в Космоса и ролята на България в съ…
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Welcome to An Englishman in the Balkans, the podcast where I explore the fascinating culture, history, and everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this heart-shaped, but much misunderstood country. I’m David, your host, sharing stories, insights, and conversations from my life here in the north west of the country. Whether you’re a longtime listen…
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After Turkish investors backed out, the first international hotel in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek officially became a “Joint Kyrgyz-Malaysian Venture.” Because English is widely spoken in Malaysia, you’d expect the new foreign partner to have tidied up the English grammar and spelling on the hotel’s printed materials. No way. The room service menu …
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As the train pulled out of Kazakhstan’s capital Astana, Valery opened the first bottle of cognac and was figuring out how much alcohol our compartment would need for the 15-hour overnight trip. It was only 4:30 p.m. and, with several hours of daylight left, I wanted to look out of the window, not drink. But to be sociable, I agreed to a couple of s…
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Before the Soviet era, there were no national borders between the peoples of Centra Asia, and identity was defined by religion, family, clan and place. The Soviets attempted to counter pan-Islamic and pan-Turkic tendencies by constructing nationalities, giving each a defined territory with national borders, along with a ready-made history, language…
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The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 gave us fourteen new countries (plus Russia) including the five “stans” of Central Asia—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. We can be grateful the Soviet Union did not break up any further, or we would have to deal with Bashkortostan, Dagestan, and Tatarstan, all now Russian rep…
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On Christmas Eve 1995, my wife, Stephanie, picked me up at Washington’s Dulles airport. After almost a month in Central Asia, I looked forward to returning to the United States. Instead, I experienced, for the first time in my life, reverse culture shock. One of the blessings—but also one of the curses—of international air travel is that in the spa…
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When the Soviet Union broke up, its national airline Aeroflot suffered the same fate. The governments of cash-strapped new republics seized the aircraft sitting on the tarmac, repainted them in the new national colors and hoped they could round up enough spare parts to keep them flying. National airlines have since modernized their fleets, adding B…
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Provincial Soviet-era hotels reflect the ostentatious public architecture of the Stalin, Khrushchev and Brezhnev eras. The impressive facades often conceal dark and drab interiors, with poor heating and ventilation, dangerous wiring, and leaky pipes. Even small cities boasted establishments with several hundred rooms. Of course, the number bore no …
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Join us on a relaxed and scenic journey from Bosnia to Croatia as Tamara and I embark on a much-needed vacation. Starting early in the morning, we drive through the breathtaking Krajina region, with stops at the charming Bosanska Krupa and the historic Ostražec Castle. Our day is filled with stunning landscapes, a cozy lunch by the Una River, and a…
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Welcome to An Englishman in the Balkans, the podcast where I explore the fascinating culture, history, and everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this heart-shaped, but much misunderstood country. I’m David, your host, sharing stories, insights, and conversations from my life here in the north west of the country. Whether you’re a longtime listen…
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Hello, it's David here from 'An Englishman in the Balkans'. After a brief hiatus since May, I'm excited to be back and share some updates. Over the years, the podcast has focused on bringing stories from fascinating people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but I've decided to explore new formats and storytelling methods. Moving forward, I'll continue with…
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Welcome to An Englishman in the Balkans, the podcast where I explore the fascinating culture, history, and everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this heart-shaped, but much misunderstood country. I’m David, your host, sharing stories, insights, and conversations from my life here in the north west of the country. Whether you’re a longtime listen…
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In this episode of the podcast, I talk to Martin Gannon, a British expatriate with deep ties to the former Yugoslavia. Martin shares his experiences of first moving to Yugoslavia in 1980, initially as a holiday job opportunity, which evolved into a long-term career in tourism. He discusses his early days working in places like Poreč and later organ…
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Welcome to An Englishman in the Balkans, the podcast where I explore the fascinating culture, history, and everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this heart-shaped, but much misunderstood country. I’m David, your host, sharing stories, insights, and conversations from my life here in the north west of the country. Whether you’re a longtime listen…
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It was a classic Catch-22. I did not have a confirmed itinerary or a China transit visa. The Malaysian Airlines agent in Kuala Lumpur could have refused to rebook me, but he realized that the problem was not of my making. “Here’s your boarding card,” he said. “I’m just not sure what will happen in Shanghai.” The arrival of an itinerary-less, visa-l…
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Since the Mughal era, Barishal has been the commercial gateway to the southwest delta. It’s been whimsically described as the “Venice of Bengal.” although if you’re just counting waterways, almost any large town in southwestern Bangladesh is a Venice. At its commercial dock, brightly colored barges were drawn up on the muddy, litter-strewn beach, w…
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