I’m currently in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), where the people of its capital city Sarajevo are proud of the fact that they have a church, synagogue and mosque all on the same block. It is representative of the country’s vast religious and ethnic diversity.

For a country that still feels the impact of a war in the 1990s that killed and displaced hundreds of thousands, its government must always keep this diversity in mind. Its institutions are designed to ensure that each of the three major ethnic groups are represented. In fact, the presidency rotates every eight months among a Bosniak, Serb and Croat who have each been elected to a four-year term.

A few weeks ago, I asked readers to share what a new democracy needs. Reader Jitendra described democracy, as ideally “flowering of a nation’s cultural ethos, which comprises tolerance, open dialogue and rule of reason in preference to dogma and fanaticism.”

While the nation’s institutions are designed to ensure all ethnic groups are involved in governing, its people, as Jitendra suggests, must also be tolerant and willing to engage with one another for these institutions to work.

That’s no easy task after years of conflict, but I’m eager to see how BiH is progressing. How do you teach and encourage tolerance?

America’s Independence Day is observed annually on the fourth of July.  On that day, people generally gather with friends and family to eat, march in parades, watch fireworks and participate in other social activities.  It is a federal holiday and an opportunity to celebrate.  But what exactly are we celebrating?

To me, Independence Day is a time to celebrate being American and having the freedom to choose in so many areas of my life.  Growing up, my family had the freedom to worship as we chose, which included not attending any type of religious services at all.  In college, I had the freedom to choose my field of study; I was not restricted to the liberal arts, science, business or any other field.  I freely chose whom to date (and eventually marry) without regard to race, religion or family background.  I have the freedom to pursue whatever career I choose, and to continue working (or not) even after having a child.  I can choose what to wear, where to live, and for whom to vote.

And I can choose (within reason) what to write about in this blog!