J.P.

When Communism ended in Yugoslavia, the various ethnic groups living in the country enjoyed sudden freedom. With Communism's taboos against religion and ethnic pride removed, Croats, Serbs, and Muslims were able to practice their religions openly, celebrate ethnic holidays, and express their appreciation for their cultural heritage. This renewed ethnic pride and patriotism quickly led to divisiveness, however, and various separatist movements developed in the Yugoslav republics. Nationalists began to recount past atrocities committed against them and blamed the other ethnic groups for their oppression. Eventually, these ethnic differences led to wars in Croatia, Kosovo, and Bosnia.

When war erupted in Yugoslavia, many families sent their college-age children out of the country in order to give them a chance to continue their education. To help these young people, the Open Society Fund in New York established a grant program...