Mirhunisa: There's such a concentration of evil, and not a lot of good. Women do a noble job just existing in this dirt. Coming out of it clean is very difficult.

Maja: Democracy is coming in, as we say, through very narrow doors.

Danica: We've got a long, long road ahead of us.

****

Danica's metaphor struck me as particularly apt. That long road stretches into uncharted territory for Bosnians, into a democratic political system and free market economy propelled by advancing information technology-all three new phenomena. The travelers are already traumatized as they begin the journey to a place unfamiliar and which they can't see. In many cases, they're on foot as others speed by. Some-the most attractive-may be able to hitch a ride. Others may simply drop by the side of the road. With the opening of the new democracies, the first out of the cage were the predators. The journey, then, is even more dangerous for those not prepared to defend themselves along the way.

History can be transformative, but only when its wounds are dressed by healers unwilling simply to move on to the next crisis. Learning from the past for the sake of the future is an organic process, often birthing new concepts and institutions.