What followed was one of the most breathtaking experiences I have ever had in travelling. The Bosnian countryside is unbelievably stunning, with winding valleys and different shades of rock-face and forest as far as the eye can see. But there is a sad, tragic reason as to why this land may remain unspoiled. Deep inside the endless evergreens and lush meadows lie an unknown number of land-mines, still unexploded after the conflict which ravaged the country from 1992-1996. This means that rich land that could be used for cultivation to develop the country still goes unexplored, be it by farmers or tourists.
For me, it provided a poignant allegory for the preconceptions about the Balkan regions that FBB is striving to counter. Scratch beneath the surface, beneath the attitude that there is no hope for this often-forgotten region, and you see true beauty, in society and in nature.
It provided a shocking discovery for me: in a country which was once the first truly multi-ethnic harmonious nation-state, there is so much to be explored and so much potential to harness. For the people of Bosnia and Hercegovina know that, with tolerance in the region, their rise could be meteoric. That is why Football Beyond Borders is so passionate to use the universal power of football as a common medium to do this.
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