ABOUT SANE

SANE, Inc. (Serbian-American Alliance of New England) was established in 1992 as a tax-exempt [501(c)3] Massachusetts charitable organization with an aim to maintain and promote Serbian cultural heritage, to provide humanitarian aid, to promote freedom, democracy, human rights and free enterprise, and to advocate peaceful resolution to all conflicts involving Serbia and Serbians.

A REFLECTION OF SANE IN THE 20TH CENTURY

How did we begin? Clearly when adversity strikes, people come together to unite their strength, protect their interests and give succor where needed. Such a time came as the events in Yugoslavia began to shatter. In May 1992, at the request of Bishop Mitrophan, Dragan Radenovic organized a meeting of the Serbians in the New England Diaspora at the Hyatt Hotel in Cambridge. Bob Stone, President of the Serbian National Federation, was present and gave guidance as to the formation of a Board of Directors whose mandate was to assemble Serbians and Serbian Americans in the Greater Boston Area and to re-establish the religious life in Boston through the establishment of the Serbian Orthodox Church of Boston. Early directors were Miljana Bovan, Mirjana Kondic, Jovanka Ciric-Scott, Sava Bjelic-Cvek , Dragan Radenovic and Branislav Andjelic who became the first President of SANE.

SANE was officially incorporated in November of 1992 in order to "maximize ongoing Serbian-American efforts to send humanitarian aid to the war victims of all nationalities in the former Yugoslavia; to enable the Serbian-American residents of New England to speak with a single, united voice on the need for peace in the former Yugoslavia and the condemnation of atrocities on all sides in that civil war; to promote freedom, democracy, human rights and free enterprise for Serbia, to protect Serbian-Americans from ethnic bias and vilification; and to organize cultural and social life for the Serbian-Americans of New England."

Once established, SANE began a series of programs to offer welfare to the gravely ill and injured. Early victims from the war came seeking treatment and prostheses. Blind children who were treated in Boston hospitals were joined by other young children with varied diseases and adults with rare forms of cancer. Free treatment, housing, clothing, visitors all were organized to see these patients through terrible times.

SANE began the drives for Humanitarian Aid at the request of Metropolitan Christopher and Bishop Mitrophan. The first 40 tons of dried and canned foods, medicine, clothing and baby formula were shipped to Serbia via St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in Elizabeth, N.J. Two further shipments of aid soon followed. SANE also participated in a huge refugee benefit concert that raised over $500,000 and was used to buy medicines through the auspices of the Jelisaveta Karadjordjevic Foundation for the children of Serbia. Many SANE members traveled to the war-thorn Yugoslavia to deliver the needed aid to the suffering people.

Meetings were set up to express the views of Serbians/Serbian-Americans through the offices of Senators Kennedy and Kerry, Congressman Barney Frank, Former Governor Michael Dukakis, His Grace Bishop Methodios, and the Russian Ambassador to the U.S., Vladimir Lukin.

Lectures were organized at the Universities, and the Harvard Film Archives showed films depicting the media misrepresentation of the war in Bosnia. Private showings of the films were arranged with the World Affairs Council in Boston.

Print and television media were bombarded by letters and information. Several members of SANE participated in round table and group discussions on New England Cable News, the Boston NBC Affiliate and WGBH. Our members wrote prolifically and wherever possible we tried to make the voice of SANE heard.

Countless mailings, faxes, postcards, even a national telegram hotline to Washington and the United Nations were implemented. Members spent thousands of hours, collectively, over this decade "getting the word out". Larger mailings containing serious analyses of the situation were mailed along with supporting documents to dozens of policymakers, news media and other organizations.

Where were we in time? On the cusp of a new administration, we were hopeful. As people changed within the administration we searched for new allies, reasonable members of Congress and despaired when the changes brought further condemnation for Serbia. SANE persisted, however, and we sent speakers into communities, churches and schools. In the winter 1997, we brought the leaders of the Serbian Student Protestors to Boston and their presence gave us hope. Along with the rest of the Diaspora we continued to rally our energy to have the "Serbian side" heard.

Humanitarian aid continued at a frenetic pace. From the time of the first 40-ton shipment in 1993, further huge shipments were sent in December of 1995, four shipments in 1996, two in 1997amounting to more than 54,000 items!! We bought equipment for hospitals, clothing for orphans and supported our Serbian Church of St. Sava wherever possible.

In March of 1999, NATO bombed Yugoslavia. Stunned, we began to organize peace vigils, the first of which was led by His Grace, Bishop Mitrophan, at Copley Square in Boston. Joined by other pacifist groups and many supporters outside of the Diaspora who felt that the bombing was a crime against humanity, we were emboldened to continue our vigils through May and were heartened by the continued support of the churches, the members of the Greek Community who marched with us and the ordinary citizens who voiced their support of our efforts.

We distributed flyers everywhere. We developed information sheets that informed the public of the targeting of civilians during the bombings. Outrage was a key word as all around us people prayed for conflict resolution. Special masses were offered in local Catholic Churches. His Grace, Bishop Methodios, led a special service at the Greek Church, Taxiarchae, in Watertown to pray for the end of the bombing. We were blessed by the ecumenical support we received.

"We are all Targets". We wore T-shirts, buttons emblazoned with the famous concentric rings. A wonderful photographic exhibit by the Collateral Damage Collaborative drew attention to the destruction in Yugoslavia, the downing of the bridges in Novi Sad, the sorrow and pity of the ordinary people. Students from the Berklee School of Music gave two concerts of traditional Serbian music to raise funds for the victims of NATO bombing.

Then, at last, the bombing was over. Further drives for humanitarian aid were accomplished. We could speak to our families in Yugoslavia once again without the agony of hearing their disbelief that NATO [and we, within that umbrella] had destroyed so much of their country.

The century turned. And in that year of 2000 we began to believe that times would change. We concentrated on the refugees and three large containers of clothing, food and medicine were sent as the last struggles of the regime wound down. We continued to increase public awareness of the lasting effects of the NATO bombings through the development of a modern internet presentation, further lectures and the support of George Bogdanich's prize-winning film: "Yugoslavia the Avoidable War." We prayed for the change that had to come in the leadership of the country.

2001!! The Millennium reflects the changes in Yugoslavia. The mandate for SANE will change to suit the times and the needs of our people. But as we leave these turbulent times behind it is with the cognizance that SANE might never have succeeded without the devotion of so many wonderful volunteers. They came from all walks of life and all nationalities. We all know who they are; let us pay tribute to their efforts and go forth in glory.

Mimi C. Gregory,
Vice-President, SANE

29 January 2001

Copyright ©2000-2001 SANE, Inc. For free and fair use only.