"Living Together": New project begins

A grant to the CCPN has been approved by the WCC-SEEEP fund for a 15 months project, "Living Together".

This project will involve collecting stories for a book which will contain positive examples of common life amongst the different national/ethnic and religious groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Formal agreement was signed on 1st August 2002, and the project will begin in September 2002.

We want to thank the WCC-SEEEP screening committee for their confidence in us and respect for our work! Our special gratitude to Mrs. Carolyn Boyd!

Visiting Macedonia

Four women from CCPN visited Ohrid, Macedonia from 21-26 July, in furtherance of the project "Cross Border Women's Co-operation". This was the last activity of the six-month project, whose main event was great gathering in Tuzla, in which were included 18 organisations from B&H, Croatia, Yugoslavia (Serbia, Vojvodina) and Macedonia.

During a few days in this beautiful town on a famous lake, the CCPN group has fruitful exchanges with members of three organisations:

The great need of and interest in peace and reconciliation work in post-Yugoslavia in this time between war and peace was seen during these visits; we hope to continue co-operation in new projects!

CCPN receives funding to send a group to Camp Timisoara 2002

Thanks to a grant from the WCC-SEEEP fund and support from dear Mrs. Doyle, a BFE camp Director, CCPN was able to send a group to the BFE international youth camp Timisoara 2002.

The preparation time was very short, especially because in the Balkans we must still obtain visas to travel even between the post-Yugoslavia countries. In mid-July we rushed to make everything ready, to offer a great experience to our group of young people from Tuzla, Banovici, Zenica and Modrica. Yet we did it, and the CCPN group of 12 arrived in Timisoara on 21 July.

After the usual few days of orientation (see Reports), the members of the different groups has very positive impressions about the camp. Especially enjoyable were the programs presented by the delegations from the different nations during the Costume Ball and National Evening. This year our group from B&H presented a concert with small piano and guitars!

Two students from Novi Sad (Vojvodina, Yugoslavia) joined the B&H group in presenting this concert. Their friendship and help were very welcome!

We look forward to the continuation of the friendships which were born during the camp time!

    This was the third year in which a group from B&H participated in the BFE camps, where English is taught in a context of the practice of nonviolence and interethnic dialogue.

BFE organises the camps in countries of Eastern Europe and the Balkans, working with the countries' Ministries of Education and the host cities. Thanks to the grants, the CCPN wass once again able to host a group in co-operation with our partner "Buducnost" ("Future") from Modrica, Republika Srpska. This project provides yet another opportunity for the participants to meet youth from the other entity of post-Yugoslav Bosnia, learn about our differences and similarities, and practice tolerance starting within our own group.

Our special thanks to the SEEEP Screening Committee, Mrs. Carolyn Boyd and Mr. Anthony Mahony and Mrs. Rachel Doyle!    (A picture of the experience of Camp Timisoara 2001 is given in the Reports.)