The Ambasada Neretva and the Haitians oppose their beneficial fluvial powers to the zombie dams
Originally published on Nov 29, 2018 — Invitation to a beautiful Balkan river to the Californian company Patagonia (Caribbean vodou ritual included).
En passant, in these days of November, a century has passed since the end of the bloodiest war in human history, the Große Krieg, which found its casus belli in Sarajevo. A pretext: a shot dead archduke. To follow, about fifty million dead.
Also in November, almost a quarter of a century ago, the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina ended, symbolically followed by an industrial music concert in Sarajevo, performed for two evenings by Laibach and their artistic project Neue Slowenische Kunst — the last night of war and the first day of peace.
Also in Sarajevo, just over a month ago, the first European river summit was held, the 1st European Rivers Summit, with the aim of bringing together all those who are fighting for the protection of the last remaining major rivers in Europe. They wage war on banks, energy lobbies, corrupt local politicians and other evils. Lasted three days, ended with a concert, in which Rambo Amadeus with a pneumatic hammer plays at the dams and their builders.
An awareness campaign called Blue Heart of Europe, also supported by the Californian company Patagonia, aims precisely at this — to promote the uncompromising fight against all dams, with a focus on the Balkans. The blue heart of Europe, the last European reserve of free and wild rivers, is however at serious risk of heart attack thanks to the banks and companies that want to hinder its course with almost 3,000 new dams and mini hydroelectric plants already designed to an area slightly larger than Italy. Precisely that would be 2,830 dams subject to funding, exactly how many words are contained in this entire text.
In addition to the promotion of documentaries, Patagonia handed over to the European Central Bank a petition signed by over 120,000 citizens asking the banks to immediately stop hydroelectric financing projects that damage these precious habitats. All this led to the organization of the summit in Sarajevo, which brought together NGOs, local and international activists, scientists, environmentalists and journalists to create a united front. This battle is a new era for the Balkans, and it is already making history. From now on, building dams in these places will not be an easy task.
Ambasada Neretva also participated in the Summit, led by Consul Omar Shelof to make known our small contribution to the fight against turbo-idiots, supported for years and presented with the title — Protecting Neretva through the generations. Our approach is atypical, indirect and spontaneous, it uses our persistent presence and experience. The message was received with enthusiasm. We are definitely not superheroes, however, it is evident that we have beneficial river powers.
But good is imbecile, wrote Paolo Rumiz, a reporter from Trieste, in his book “Masks for a massacre”. He described the imbecility of the Yugoslavs in the early 90’s, incredulous and inert in the face of the evidence of a war in preparation. They only understood when it exploded in front of the front door, it was too late to do anything. Good does not know how to smell evil, it is not capable of it. Rumiz leaves no hope — there is no cunning good.
The first Zombie Embassy could arise anywhere but not in a city with a river. Running water, fresh and lively is the antithesis of the Zombie, it is everything that a Zombie cannot be. Brisk, flowing, sparkling, the river enjoys it. Sometimes placid and disinterested, sometimes ferocious and ruthless, but always lively, present. In fact, water is a possible antidote, say the Haitians, for those who are trapped between life and death, namely the Zombies.
Here, a river that goes by the name of Neretva looks like this, the only one of the big names in the Balkans to snub the schönen blauen Donau and sneak away in the warm Adriatic Sea.
Unlike that of the Zombies, the Ambasada Neretva exists here. Carried on by two generations of enthusiasts armed with rubber boats, inner tubes of tractors, plastic drums and plum brandy, for 40 years now they have confirmed their silent presence on the shore of the Neretva River. Up there, in the mountains, in Herzegovina, above Konjic, is the headquarter, hidden in the village of Džajići, a tiny fertile valley enclosed by peaks populated by endemic and stubborn pines. It is from there that the only present of the first generation, Ambassador Zijo, gives a cry — here we are fine, and you !?
The Ambasada disagrees with the turbo-idiots who agree to build dams, small or large, on the first part of the river, which is still natural and intact. In contrast to those who bribe local authorities by leveraging a weakened economy, and those who see green bucks flowing instead of a turquoise-green river, they declare: enough with hydroelectric turbines! Neretva already supplies, today, 5 large dams with accumulation lakes. Rather, it would have to be demolished.
In July of this year, the second generation of the Consuls of Ambasada Neretva celebrated 20 years of continuous presence. Years spent riding the rapids, spending nights under the stars on the beach next to the river and sharing this experience with other Consuls from all over the planet, who have brought with them the story of Nera-Etwa, a Celtic deity who literally is for the-flowing-Goddess, hence the name Neretva. In addition to the ostentatious hedonistic activities in the open air, the Ambasada has for years been spreading the public appeal for the preservation of this environment, through the artistic and cultural work carried out on the site. The message is one: Neretva will continue to flow.
Ambasada Neretva 2018
The 2018 edition sees the presence of Leo the Mexican, Omar Shelof the Bosnian-Hungarian, Pierre-au-Fich the Hawaiian, or Haitian, it depends, and myself; with the symbolic presence of the Consul of Kuwait City, Eylah.
Base camp, improvised in a few minutes, under the domination of the slack, resting on two rivers, precisely on the delta of the Rakitnica river which flows into Neretva. A large pebble beach was raised a few centimeters above the rivers. To tell the truth, the Rakitnica this year chose to focus on the opposite side, a few tens of meters away, depriving us of its presence.
The days pass quietly, in total isolation from morning to evening, but with a massive presence of half-naked tourists who arrive on rafting rafts around noon. They stop for a few hours, sunbathe, dive, have fun. People from all over the world come to enjoy this spectacular nature, to feel the adrenaline and disconnect from everyday life.
Suddenly the blazing sun-soaked beach is populated by middle-aged, half-height Arabs, dressed in rafting half-suits, stand in three rows next to each other, turning in a direction parallel to nowhere and turning their backs to the river. They pray. Aloud.
Boulders! This place simply inspires spirituality. Allahu Akbar is heard and nothing explodes! We are all united. The Consuls of the Ambasada, twenty meters away, in dim light, sip cold beer and synchronize their movements to the rhythm of prayer. The river creates fusion.
At the same time, a small group of beautiful, British, mulatto girls pass by. Despite having a typically French style, Pierre teaches her how to make an authentic sign of the shaka. The girls rejoice to have met on the beach, in Bosnia, in the mountains, a Hawaiian who can gesticulate a perfect Aloha with his hand. From Allah to Aloha the way is short.
The British sit under the awning and at that moment we realize that a small group of apparent Chinese policemen had already sat there before. It turns out that they are actually policemen, directing traffic in Beijing. They can’t stand the heat of the sun and don’t eat the ćevapčići offered by the rafting agency on the beach, they’ve brought vegetable ravioli. The Mexican Consul passes them the trumpet of peace, they accept that.
In fact, we are trying to convince ourselves that they come in peace, this mass of rafters, this army of tourists armed with selfie sticks, this only considerable economic alternative to the much-hated dams. We are well aware of the destructive impact that even this phenomenon is able to have on nature. We have seen closely how delicate this balance is and how much commitment and culture the local community needs in order not to fall into the dangerous trap of fast money. Abusive bungalows built along the canyon to accommodate a few lazy tourists ready to spend a few more coins are no less worse than the dam. This wonder of nature must remain unchanged, intact, to the delight of all generations.
Here come four Austrian Heidis and use the river as a slide. They wear a life jacket, jump into the icy water from a rock and disappear under the water for a few moments and then reappear a few meters further down, swimming with all their strength trying to cling to the beach to get out of it. Then they go up along the bank and repeat the ritual over and over again, their teeth chattering from the cold, their lips now parted purple. Transparent skin, eyes wide open, they look like fish! Even the Consuls follow suit and launch themselves among the rapids, thus rinsing the dullness caused by the deadly combination of sun and beer. The river refreshes the soul. They know this well even in Haiti.
In the evening, the fire lit, tourists evaporated next to the Neretva. Pierre-au-Fich, historical member of the Ambasada, self-proclaimed Haitian bokor, or a sorcerer “who can work with both hands”, that is, who can do both good and evil, administers doses of his magical mixture that he calls blanche poudre and our minds identify with the music of the flowing river. He sings badly on the ukulele he created with his own hands, with scented cedar, decorated with bones of dubious origin. He sings a song in Creole which more or less translates like this:
My cousins never died
They haunt Duvalier’s nights
Nothing stops our hopes
Weapons cannot kill what they cannot see
In the forest we are hiding
Unmarked graves where flowers grow
In the river we will go
In the days to come we will discover that it is actually a beautiful song, written by a Haitian musician, a member of Arcade Fire. In the original recording we hear a river flowing, like the Neretva in front of us. In the river we will go. And how.
Follows the walk in the woods under the light of a full moon, up above the river. The white light penetrates sharply through the canopy of the trees and settles in silver spots on the path, like crumbs to follow. We listen to the silence that is represented here by the continuous murmur of two rivers that converse, confront each other, their conversations intertwine. Sometimes it seems to hear similar human voices. The river whispers secrets, as Siddhartha of Hesse also testifies, whoever wants can listen and be reflected in his own universe. Finally, we arrive on a plain bathed in white light, with a view of the Rakitnica River. We sit down.
Water jump
Pierre tells us that in those days of July, in Haiti, precisely in Saut-d’Eau, he should have participated in the Vodou ritual of purification and rebirth under the waterfalls of the river Le Tombe. Running water releases sacred energy, it is background music for prayers and dance. It takes place every year to invoke the goddess Erzulie Dantó, the goddess of rivers, streams and waterfalls, or the corresponding adopted Catholic deity — the Virgin of Mount Carmel. For both Christians and Vodou, Saut-d’Eau is a spiritual center, a place to renew good relations with the supernatural world year after year. Once at the falls, many pilgrims strip into their underwear, women are often topless, and jump into the pool below the falls letting the cool waters clear. The priests carry basins of herbs, which, mixed with the waters of the river, are spread on the bodies of believers on pilgrimage. They hope that the spirit will manifest and be possessed by Erzulie Dantó, a Lwa, deity Vodou. They hope that even for a brief moment, they will be touched by her presence and energy. There are times when the light falls through the trees and is captured by the flow of flowing water, which in turn lights up when it reflects the light. This is thought to be one of the sacred places of pre-colonial Caribbean populations, later adopted by African slaves in their rites. The river is handed down, it is nobody’s property.
However, Haitians are not afraid of death. Death is a phase of natural life, a passage. After death, the soul spends some time underwater, then, guided by a bokor, it passes through the world of spirits. They are not even afraid of Zombies, they are afraid of becoming one, yes. Zombies are soulless humans, neither dead nor alive, slaves of their masters, they have neither will nor independence. The rites in Saut-d’Eau are also used for this, to be protected by the Lwa and chase away the chances of becoming a Zombie.
Perhaps even the Ambasada Neretva, and the thousands of tourists who come from year to year to dive into the river, do so precisely so as not to become a kind of zombie. There is no telephone network in the canyon and smartphones are notoriously allergic to water, so at least for a couple of days you stop being digital Zombies with their faces glued to the screens, sucking energy. People come here to fill the batteries, yes, but our insides. And in order to recharge, you need the river as it is, lively, free and independent.
This need, however, is by no means new — in his book on the organization of factories and the social life of workers, “We dream of silence”, Adriano Olivetti in the 1950s highlights the zombifying consequences of the lack of relationship with nature and with water,
Man’s roots are in nature and in the landscape. It is therefore worth facing an apparent loss of economic performance to avoid an oppressive and inexorable detachment … water expresses a vital impulse … since it not only serves to wash the body, but it also affects the soul because … it purifies the heart.
The blue heart of Europe
Perhaps Rumiz was wrong, the activists could be an example of good smelling evil. Not the hashtag activists armed with bogus keyboards and accounts, who infest the web with troll idiocy, but real loving activists. Like the Austrians RiversWatch and EuroNatur which gave rise to the Blue Heart campaign, later promoted by the American multinational Patagonia; or the tough women of Krušćica who have occupied the access to the river for more than a year, every day, and have finally saved it from the construction of two dams; like the paddlers of Balkan Rivers Defense, who in recent months have crossed the Balkans in kayaks warning of the tsunami of the dams; like hundreds of other people who remain anonymous but continue to work and often take risks to make a difference. With the summit in Sarajevo, the call was made to fight the destruction of rivers and prevent, as long as there is time.
Sarajevo could take advantage of this opportunity and give rise to a pretext for a world battle, to ensure that future generations can recall its name, and looking back this time they can finally have something positive to pass down.
Planeta je naša! The planet is ours, everyone’s. It is not someone’s, especially investors. Ecology is boundless, a poetics common to all nations.
And we hope that very soon it will become the reference idea of the new generations, otherwise homo sapiens will change into zombie economicus.
