From the village of Kevljani, outside the city of Prijedor in North-Western Bosnia, we have been actively working to build a peaceful future for the youth of Bosnia & Herzegovina since 2009.
Utilising community-led peacebuilding activities, we have brought thousands of young people together from across the Prijedor region, as well as the rest of Bosnia & Herzegovina to take part in festivals and creative programs across arts, education and architecture with a growing international community.
These activities have been conducted on a playing field opposite the site where our Peace Centre will be built. Over the years, they have opened up fresh dialogue between youth from ages 16 to 30 who otherwise wouldn’t interact with each other due to ethnic segregation.
“In my opinion, this program has impacted the way every participant thinks and how he or she will act in the future.”
“After my participation in this programme I want to engage even more in my society by making my area a better place to live. I don’t have a country besides Bosnia-Herzegovina and I want to stay and to contribute to my Bosnia-Herzegovina.”
“It was an eye-opening experience for me, which helped me to understand better the circumstances I was raised in.”
“I don’t know a lot of projects here in Bosnia that involve so much community in making a building. This is very unique…”
Our vision is to create a future of sustainable peace for the youth of Bosnia & Herzegovina, particularly in rural communities where the war has affected people the hardest.
We have aligned our vision with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Known as SDGs, these targets address the global challenges we face, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice.
The aim is for all countries to work together to achieve a better and more sustainable future for by 2030 and our vision at Most Mira is to help achieve them.
The 1990s Bosnian War claimed more than 100,000 lives in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Over 2 million people were forcibly displaced, creating the second largest diaspora in the world. Between 20,000-50,000 women were also systematically raped, all due to their ethnic and religious identity.
Prijedor, where Most Mira is rooted, witnessed the formation of the first concentration camps on European soil since WWII. The divisions have persisted to this day resulting in young people growing up, living and studying in often segregated schools. Today’s stagnant economy and dangerously high unemployment rate – especially among young people – only serves to engrain existing divisions in the community still riven by mistrust nearly three decades since the end of the war.
The dominant narrative which serves to point the finger of blame at the other, only stunts young people’s ability to bridge ethnic and religious fault lines and hinders their ability to imagine a different, brighter future.
Most Mira opens up this restricted space encouraging open dialogue amongst young people through creative projects in arts, education and architecture. This enables their imagination to mix with reality helping them to overcome continuing divisions to build a more inclusive and peaceful society.
KEMAL PERVANIĆ, FOUNDER
Our hands-on team is made up of international and local professionals who are devoted to ensuring the message of Most Mira reaches far and wide.
Kemal is the founder of Most Mira. He was born in Kevljani, Prijedor. He is the author of 'The Killing Days: My Journey Through the Bosnian War'. Most recently he has produced ‘Pretty Village’, his first film. Kemal holds a BSc in Management Studies from Royal Holloway University of London, a MA in Conflict Resolution from Bradford University. He was a 2012 Human Rights Advocate from Columbia University. In 2018 Kemal was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by DeMontfort University for his work in peacebuilding.
Vernes Causevic (Dip.Arch ARB) is an international prizewinning Architect from Sarajevo.
Vernes qualified in the UK and has over 12 years experience. He co-founded Project V Architecture in Sarajevo and London. Vernes has led the design of a diverse range of award-winning projects; with an emphasis on urban reconstruction, social cohesion and environmental sustainability in the post-war context of BiH and the Western Balkans.
This includes his role as lead architect for our Most Mira Peace Centre, alongside which he has been developing the ‘Architecture for Peace’ participatory education programme. Vernes Tutors at The University of Sheffield and leads the Sarajevo Classroom of the Global Free Unit. Vernes is leading the conversation on socially and environmentally resilient architecture and construction in B&H.
Rešid Dževdetbegović is originally from the village of Brijesnica Mala, municipality of Doboj Istok, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and currently living in Vienna, Austria.
He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations at Istanbul University and currently is a final year graduate student of the Interdisciplinary Joint Master’s Program in South-Eastern European Studies at University of Graz. His international and diverse academic background is coupled with rich experience in the non-profit sector. He is a former UN employee, a consultant for nonprofits, and coordinator and responsible person of the Peace Caravan project (Karavana mira).
He is also an awarded debater, NGO activist and volunteer, devoted to becoming an important policy-maker in the future. In 2021, he was awarded the title of Peace Ambassador by the Institute for Economics & Peace and the European Commission & the One Young World.
He is currently a member of the Most Mira project team for Democracy and Youth programme.
Emir Zukić holds an MA in Political Science (Integration and Governance) a joint master's degree from the University of Salzburg and University of Sarajevo.
In 2018, he participated in the Democracy and Youth programme with Most Mira and has since become active with many of our activities including working directly with NGOs.
He is an alumni member of AIESEC in Bosnia Herzegovina and a Humanity in Action BiH fellow.
Anes was born in Tešanj in 1995.
He completed the first cycle of international relations and diplomacy studies at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Sarajevo and was awarded the ‘Golden Badge of the University of Sarajevo’ for his excellence.
Currently he is a student of the second cycle of studies at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Sarajevo and has won a scholarship from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
He has participated in a number of political educational programmes and is also a lecturer at workshops and seminars run by Most Mira, Humanity in Action and the Boris Divković Foundation.
Alongside his studies, Anes works as Head of the Policy and Research at the Boris Divković Foundation.
He speaks English, Italian, French and Russian.
In addition to our regular team, Most Mira is grateful to the many people who continue to contribute to our growth, in particular our trustees and advisors.
Tony Faint’s career has been spent working in international development, first in the British Department for International Development (DFID) and its predecessors, then as an independent consultant offering services in development policy analysis, organisation and evaluation.
He ended his public service career as International Director in DFID, with responsibility for DFID’s relations with and funding for Multilateral Development Agencies. In DFID Tony earlier gained experience in Eastern Europe in the 1990s, supervising the British Know How Fund, helping in the setting up of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and managing the British response to the refugee exodus and return during and after the Kosovo conflict.
Matthew Hahn is a theatre director & theatre for development facilitator with experience of creating theatre projects in the UK, US, Bosnia, East & Southern Africa. He co-creates theatre projects focusing on developing & advocating for young people, peace-making and conflict resolution. His play, The Robben Island Shakespeare, has been performed in the UK, US & South Africa; he facilitates ‘Ethical Leadership’ Workshops based on his interviews with former South African political prisoners and selections from Shakespeare’s Complete Works. Matthew has degrees in Political Science & Journalism from Indiana University (US) and a Masters in Theatre Directing from Goldsmiths College (UK). He has trained with the SITI Company, Anne Bogart and Cardboard Citizens Theatre Company [Forum Theatre / Joker Training Programme].
Kirsteen Tait is a founder trustee of Most Mira, was the first chair and now has specific responsibility for the Peace Centre. She set up and worked for nearly 5 years as founder director of the National Association for the Education of Sick Children, a charitable organisation which worked to improve hospital teaching and home tuition to children with both chronic and life threatening illnesses.
She also set up and ran as founder director for 5 years the Information Centre for Asylum and Refugees at Kings College London, to gather and publicise independent information and research about asylum and refugees. Kirsteen advises the Paul Hamlyn Foundation on its Supported Options Fund for young undocumented migrants which she helped to set up under their Social Welfare programme.
Ray Portelli became a trustee of Most Mira in 2019. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants and an Associate Member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers.
Ray’s career in banking and finance spans 40 years. At the end of 2018 he took early retirement from the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) after 25 years of service, where he was Chief Internal Auditor for the last 12 years. The EBRD is one of the main multilateral development financial institutions, operating predominantly in Eastern Europe and North Africa. He is currently working as an independent consultant in internal audit and risk management.
Kenneth Morrison is Professor of History and Research Theme Director at De Montfort University, Leicester. He has also previously held a Visting Professorship at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Kenneth is the author of six books and numerous articles and book chapters focusing on the modern history and politics of Montenegro, Serbia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina.
In 2017/18, he was the Specialist Adviser to the House of Lords International Relations Committee for their ‘UK and the Future of the Western Balkans’ inquiry and has also provided consultancy for UK government agencies and several international organisations. He is a Trustee of the British Scholarship Trust and is also the Co-Director of the Hotel History Foundation, which is based in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina. Having been a member of Most Mira's Capital Committee for two years, Kenneth became a Trustee in 2022.
John Clark is a forensic pathologist based in Glasgow, having practised for many years in both Scotland and England. Now officially retired, he concentrates on international forensic work for organisations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Criminal Court and other Tribunals.
His connection with Bosnia dates back to his time as Chief Pathologist for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in its work in Bosnia and Croatia from 1999 – 2001, which included testifying in multiple trials in The Hague. He has had continuing engagement with the country ever since, through further missions there, involvement with local colleagues in training and research, and teaching medical students in Sarajevo.
Born in Prijedor, North-West part of Bosnia - Herzegovina, at the age of 15 Meliha was detained in Trnopolje concentration camp (which was her secondary school) and witnessed the horror of the war first hand. It was at this time that she made a promise to return and rebuild the country. She graduated from De Montfort University Leicester, BSc (Hons) in Construction Technology and Management. Meliha has worked in a variety of professional disciplines including Architectural services and Project Management on domestic, healthcare, commercial and residential projects. She has worked on number of OJEC Bids and tender package submissions for various projects in Bosnia including the Bridge on Vrbas river in Banja Luca with IPSA Institute in Sarajevo.
Meliha has always been an active member of the Bosnian Diaspora, Bosnian Supplementary School Birmingham and has provided advisory services to Bosnian Cultural Centre Midlands on purchase, change of use and refurbishment of the premises. Meliha has joined Most Mira in February 2017.
Victoria Fifield is originally from Aberdeen, Scotland. She has a varied background in the creative arts, spanning music, art, design and creative writing. As a violinist, Victoria has performed and recorded in many genres including with Sir Elton John, the Palestine National Orchestra and jazz ensemble Basquiat Strings, with whom she was nominated for the 2007 Mercury Music Prize.
As an artist, she has run her own design label Hipster Spinster, as well as exhibiting her mixed media artwork in several exhibitions.
Victoria also has many years' experience in creative education, including working for the charity Sistema Scotland and teaching in the Palestinian West Bank. The latter was a life changing experience which subsequently inspired her to pursue a MA in Reconciliation and Peacebuilding. As part of her studies, she spent 2 months working with the marginalised Bedouin communities in southern Israel.
Liz is a social worker with experience in the social impact sector in the UK, Latin America and the USA. Liz has a background in supporting people who face a range of challenges. Her previous positions have focussed on volunteer management and programme design, in addition to direct service delivery, she also trains student social workers.
Originally from the Kozarac region, Azra brings a strong international and diverse background academically and professionally, with a B.A. in Political Science / International Studies from Loyola University Chicago, and a M.A. in International Affairs from the New School University.
Having been an intern at the United Nations (DESA), a consultant for non-profits, and a fundraiser for international charities and humanitarian organizations. She currently is a vital member of the individual fundraising team at UNICEF Canada based in Toronto. Azra has also been an active member of the BiH Diasporic Conference (BiHDYC), and also currently serves as a Board Member for the Bosnian American Professionals Association (BAPA) based in Salt Lake City. While always a Chicagoan at heart, Azra has also lived in Rome, New York, and is currently based in Colorado.
Gorana is a globally published Pannonian philosopher (Syrmia), currently a research fellow at University of Oslo, earlier a Fulbright scholar at New School University.
Gorana's research explores a critical reevaluation of scholarship on Yugoslavia and its aftermath, a critical reevaluation free of both the orientalist and occidentalist interpretative baggage. This research focuses on the role of the institutional politicisation of religion and the politicisation of history in education and civil society in general. Gorana considers how this causes divisive identity politics by molding ethnic and cultural identities.
Two decades ago Gorana was the founder of the first open access online journal for social criticism in Scandinavia, (Dictum, The Critical View). In recent years Gorana has organised and run a global network of scholars (Inanna Association) promoting “Praxis based on research – research based on praxis”.