Looking at some of the images on television in the past few days makes me feel like the world is going backwards through history rather than forwards. We are constantly being scared by “strange people”, different from us, coming to our countries, threatening our way of life. It seems so funny to me. I’ve been watching “strange people” around me my whole life.
Growing up in a small town in this part of the world can mean growing up cut off from many global trends and multiculturalism. However, this was not the case in Dubrovnik. Even though the city only had around 50,000 inhabitants for most of its recent past, Dubrovnik has a long history of being a popular travel destination for people from all over the globe. Growing up here meant we got the idea of how diverse and interesting the human race is even without leaving Dubrovnik. It was normal to see people of different religion, race and culture walking our streets and that was a powerful thing for a child like me to get accustomed to. It made me want to travel and explore the world.
Isn’t that what travelling for leisure is all about? It’s going beyond your borders to strange lands meeting people from different backgrounds and getting to know their culture and way of life. For fun, relaxation, and expansion of our intellectual horizons. Not war or conquering. The mere fact that us humans thought of travelling for fun has to mean we truly want to get to know each other, and if we do, it’s going to be much harder to wage wars. When you meet a person different from you, share a laugh and a few words, you can't help but feel instantly connected to them. There is a universal kindness to us humans, regardless of how well it's masked sometimes.
Our hate towards people we haven’t met is only as strong as our lack of understanding for them. Those who profit from war and destruction thrive on our alienation from one another and fear mongering. Don't let them win.
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Bozidar Jukic is a Dubrovnik local with too many interests to name them all, with writing being at the very top of the list. He is a lover of good food, music and film, and a firm believer in the healing power of laughter. His professional orientation is towards tourism and travel so it comes as no surprise he spends most of his time alongside Mrs. Jukic running their own local tour company. Their goal is helping travellers from all over the world get a more intimate experience of Dubrovnik and what it has to offer. To find out more about their work, visit their website or Facebook page.
www.insiderholidays.eu
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