The rebuilding of the Sarajevo library in cyberspace

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

Date: Mon, 25 Apr 1994 13:35:33 -0500
From: nicka () mccmedia com (Nick Arnett/Multimedia Computing Corp.)




> Also, do you know of any other public libraries that we could link to that
> now operate a WWW Server?
>
> Don Napoli, Director
> St. Joseph County Public Library
> South Bend, IN


Not yet, but I intend to find out.  I'm involved in a project to rebuild
the Sarajevo library, which was bombed a while back.  Our intention is to
build a virtual library that can't be bombed, basically.  For more
information:


http://198.92.133.3/


This server will move to O'Reilly's Global Network Navigator later this week.


Nick




Multimedia Computing Corp. (strategic consulting)
Campbell, California
----------------------------------------------------------
"We are surrounded by insurmountable opportunity." -- Pogo




from the Mosaic server ... djf


Global Tea Party - June 26, 1994
Rebuilding the Sarajevo library with interactive telecommunications
-- Help build a library that cannot be destroyed by bombs --


Background
Update! -- See the editorial about the project in the Saturday, April 23
issue of the San Francisco Chronicle.


"During the night of August 25, 1992, the National and University Library
of Bosnia and Herzegovina was intentionally destroyed by gunners occupying
the hills surrounding the city of Sarajevo. The fire ignited by grenades
completely destroyed the historical library building, and most of its
collections amounting to 1.5 to 2 million volumes which reflected the
multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious character of Bosnia and
Herzegovina." --UNESCO documents


During the 1980s, the 3220 Gallery in San Francisco was the site of many
Soviet-American citizen initiatives to apply interactive communication
technology to reduce the tensions of the Cold War. On March 23, 1994, Zlata
Filipovic visited the Gallery during the promotional tour for her
best-selling book, Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo.


Challenged by her question, "Is the end of this stupidity closer?" friends
who witnessed her plea, "we're innocent, but helpless" discussed the
potential for interactive telecommunications technologies to empower the
"helpless" citizens of the world to fulfill the promise of the United
Nations Charter (signed in San Francisco on 49 years ago on June 26) to
"end the scourge of war for future generations." UNESCO's Executive Board
and General Conference have directed it to assist in the restoration of the
Library.


Sarajevo's symbolism is powerful, for the horrors of the 20th century began
there, 80 years ago on June 28, 1914, when the assassination of Archduke
Ferdinand of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire ignited World War I.


Purpose and Objectives
The June 26th Event
The April 29th Warm-up event
Ways that you can help
Participants and Sponsors
How to contact the organizers