This is most remarkable. For anyone who wants the link...here it is... http://www.news24.com/World/News/Slovenia-black-mayor-Im-not-Obama-20101025 ======================================================== Piran - Slovenian media have hailed him as the "Obama of Piran", but Peter Bossman, the country's first-ever black mayor, insists his political ambitions are more modest. "I have no ambitions at a state level," says the 54-year-old doctor from Ghana, who was elected mayor of the small seaside town of Piran at the weekend. "I've already told my patients I'll be back in my practice. I could not quit my medical career." The national media are beside themselves after Bossman, a Social Democrat, beat the town's incumbent mayor, the independent Tomaz Gantar, in a close-run election on Sunday, winning 51.4% of the vote against Gantar's 48.4%. "The Obama of Piran has won," said the daily Vecer, while another, Delo, described him as "a Slovenian star", where an election in a tiny town of just 15 000 inhabitants would normally not make the national headlines at all. In a telephone interview with AFP, Bossman said his election "shows the high level of democracy reigning in Slovenia". Stayed in town for love The son of a well-to-do family in Ghana - his father was also a doctor and politician - Bossman arrived in Ljubljana as medical student in 1977. He originally wanted to return to Ghana after completing his studies, but he met and fell in love with his future wife, Karmen, a fellow student in the nearby town of Porec in Croatia. The two decided to settle in Piran, one of Croatia's most beautiful seaside resorts, and have stayed there ever since, raising two daughters who are now both teenagers. Bossman's political career dates back to his time in Ghana, where he was active within the pro-democracy movement that opposed the military regime in power following the 1966 coup. He remained active when he came to Slovenia - then part of Yugoslavia - where he headed the African students' organisation. Completely fluent - with an accent Bossman learned to speak Slovenian and although he is now completely fluent, he still has an accent, a factor his rivals tried to use against him in the election campaign. "I might never speak a 100% correct Slovenian, but I will work hard," Bossman told AFP. In an interview in the Monday edition of Delo, he promised to seek additional lessons from one of his friends who was a teacher of Slovenian. His skin colour is no problem, Bossman insists. "After more than 20 years in Piran, people don't see me as a black doctor or a foreigner any more. They see me as a good doctor, a good man." While he sees Piran as his home, Bossman still goes back to Ghana every few years to see his mother. One of his election pledges is to improve the quality of life in Piran, Bossman says. As a keen golfer, he has promised to open the way for the construction of a golf course in the area, despite protests from local environmentalists. - AFP ========================================================= What are your thoughts on this? The world is changing very much. And here's a picture of the man.
that's pretty cool, it's good to know that not just the united states, but world is always becoming more diverse in many different levels than just social interaction.
Yup! Well, the world is every changing, you're right. No longer would nations be too homogeneous. Rather, every nation will have a population indistinguishable from another. The only difference would be the local cultures.
What of his election? If anything being of non-Slovene origins in a country that had to deal with ethnic cleansing and discrimination by Serb authorities is the real story. Slovenes have much to be jaded about and justifiably so.. On the other side of the coin, Yugoslav authorities did try to adhere to communism and its views on universal equality and Slovenia was always a wealthy republic with higher standards in education and infrastructure so the story is really not noteworthy at all if you know about Slovenia and Balkan history..
Slovenia is a great country to live in and is much more advanced thn the rest of the former Yugoslavia. PettyOfficer do any of your military assignments station you near the Balkans?
Republicans are looking to drive the black community into the ground and somehow this bullshit is important?
