Mostar is slowly, but merciless heating up – which is especially felt in the MM house. On the other hand, this is the time people have been waiting for the colder period: Bustling activities throughout the city, masses strolling through the Old town and the newly labeled ‘center of town’ in West-Mostar.

Meanwhile moving in the city by feet is more challenging then before as there are only two bridges in reach, whereas ‘Tito bridge’ is being rebuilt and the Old bridge anything else than connecting people. However, there are new trashcans everywhere and new street lights on the Boulevard, which has been celebrated with a big concert attracting a crowd of three thousand Mostarians…

• Alija Izetbegovic, who is the Muslim member of the joint presidency, said in Sarajevo on 6 June that he will retire from politics in October at the end of his current term as presidency chairman. In the first place he named reasons of his high age of 75. But furthermore Izetbegovic is dissatisfied with the International Community’s pushing forward things --what he perceives as -- on the expenses of Muslims.

• Largely unnoticed, Muslim displaced persons in the Bosnian federation have been selling or exchanging their former homes in the Republika Srpska during the four years since the Dayton agreement came into effect. Similarly, Serbs now living in the Republika Srpska have been legally disposing of their properties on federal territory. If the process continues, the results of ethnic cleansing will become permanent.
• Beginning of June, Spasoje Tusevljak has been elected joint Prime Minister of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Tusevljak does not belong to any party. After war broke out in 1992, he was an economics adviser to former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. His appointment has been criticized by both, international and domestic politicians. For example, Social Democratic leader Sejfudin Tokic said that the new prime minister will bring Bosnia closer to Belgrade and away from Europe.
• In Mostar, slow progress on the political level is visible. According to yet unconfirmed reports, the local HDZ (Croatian nationalist party) agreed to adopt the law on local self-government. The law states the existence of a Central Zone in the town and its joint government by the (Muslim and Croat dominated) city government. Till now, HDZ refused to even discuss about it. The move is seen as result of increased pressure on the HDZ as its former political and financial support from Zagreb abated.

RFE/RL newsline and local observation by MMM staff. The report "Reunifying Mostar: Opportunities for Progress" by the NGO ‘International Crisis Group’ (April 2000) is available through MM on request.

Working in the new house is giving us new motivation and a real refreshment. We now have a much bigger darkroom with two enlargers and a lot of space for working – thanks to Frank, who helped to make this happen quickly.

During May the Photo Group did not have as many activities as usual, due to vacations of the Photo coordinator and the assistant. Nevertheless, on Saturday May 13^th we organized a photographic excursion with 7 students to "Hutovo Blato", where we took photographs of Tasha, a Yoga teacher, doing Yoga in a natural setting. The most satisfying results will be then chosen to make "business" postcards for her.

Meanwhile preparations are being made for our next photography exhibition. The exhibition will be shown on June 8^th in the frame of the opening of the "Čoreviča kuća" in Mostar. The Swiss Embassy, who renovated this house, invited the Photo Group to do this exhibition.

Our exhibition "A Portrait of Mostar" is still with the "Crucible of War" team in the States. They have organized another exhibition event in Rockville, Maryland on May 27^th and try to sell our photographs in order to support us.

The Photo Group’s participation at the festival "Forbidden Fruits of Civil Society" in Mala Loka in Slovenia from June 3^rd to June 9^th has been canceled in the last minute. The Photo Group wanted to show its photographs there as well as collaborate with other artists in creative workshops. The Group cancelled the trip, because the festival organizers could not raise enough money to ensure transport costs for the invited groups and individuals.

The Photo Group is looking for a new colleague for the Photo assistant, as Uli (the resent coordinator) is finishing her job at the End of June. So far we are in contact with three interested photographers from the States, Italy and Russia.

Uli, Photo Project

Young Women’s Project held regular Creative workshops in MM Mostar in May every Wednesday. Those workshops were now more focused on discussion about some interesting topics that the participants expressed the wish to talk about. Some workshops also consisted of drawing, as an introduction into the discussion. This type of workshops proved to be very successful in general. Participants from Čapljina were involved in these workshops, too. No theatre workshops were held this month.

Apart from these workshops, YWELN group members had regular weekly meetings this past month, talking about all the relevant issues for the group and it’s present and future work.

Two Outreach Workshops were held this month. One was held in Nevesinje, involving 15 people, and the other one in Konjic, involving 7 people. These were held in the newly opened youth centers OCL Nevesinje and Omladinski Klub "Neretva", Konjic. All the participants expressed the wish to have these workshops on a regular basis.

Four members of our group will go to Spain at the end of June and stay there for about three weeks, spending time and participating in different workshops at the youth center in the town of Rubi, near Barcelona, and then going to a summer camp also organized by the Rubi youth center. Now we’re still in process of getting the visas and arranging their trip to Spain. We’ll fill you in on their visit later on, when everything’s done.

Arijana, MM women’s group

As the Ninpo Project is lying dormant till Frank comes back, there is space to report about the ongoing activities of the Mostar Intercultural Festival (MIF). MIF has been organized by the French organizations "Drugi Most" and "Gernica" and thus is not a MM project by itself. However, this year people from all over Mostar – incl. MM -- were brought together by our French friends and are participating in the organization and implementation of the fest.

We proudly regard it as honor that the MIF Organizing Committee© chose Mladi Most as its residence.

Thus the MM space is now packed with people, and in every corner working groups are trying to tame the difficult reality of setting up a major cultural event in Mostar.

And this is what is going to happen on the MIF explosion, June 27^th till July, 10^th: Theatre, cinema street shows, exhibitions, concerts, circus, DJs and partying…

Mladi Most has come over the top of mountain or past the sole of the valley, as you want… That is why motivation increased dramatically and the projects are looking forward to the next twelve months. Meanwhile, as we still are waiting for the money to drop in on our account, Uli and Timm took some days off. Uli in order to arrange her "phasing in" into Austrian life and her future job.

Timm used his stay in Berlin to meet the support group of Mladi Most in Berlin. Jointly they reached the conclusion that – regarding the successful ongoing localization process – the Berlin group is not needed in the same way as during the years before. Consequentially, the group will cease its activity and only maintain its logistical base. But, there are still numerous people in Berlin who will continue cooperation with MM in future...

Thus, we are looking forward to the future, especially the next weeks which are filled up with loads of wonderful events.

Timm, MM administration