During several visits to Bosnia in 1993 during the war, CRC began working with a broad range of concerned citizens to formulate a long-term grassroots-based peacebuilding plan which evolved into the People Connection Project (PCP) in 1994. Key components are community center / safe spaces, conflict resolution education, discussion groups, constructive citizen engagement and shared learning, and support from international volunteers. These activities address the critical needs of citizen empowerment, rebuilding community, overcoming fear, social and ethnic reconciliation, trust and relationship-building, and democratic development. CRC was one of the first international NGOs to work on both sides of the Bosnian conflict. In partnership with the local community organization "International Centers for Help, Communication and Relationships Project (ICHCR)," CRC began PCP services in Sarajevo (Bosnian Federation) in July 1994, and in Banja Luka (Republika Srpska) in January 1995. (Due to political sensitivities around cross-ethnic relationship building and reconciliation, the project was called "Hope for the Future" in Banja Luka until 1997.) Major funding for the project was provided by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, along with contributions from many private individual and group donors.

• Community Centers (in Sarajevo/Ilidza and Banja Luka):
  

  - Centers provide a safe haven for people of all nationalities to rebuild relationships and learn conflict resolution skills and approaches. Each week hundreds of Bosnian children and adults, residents and refugees, Serbs, Croats, and Muslims work, learn, and play together.

• Communication and Conflict Resolution:
  

  - work with local educators to develop conflict resolution and peace curriculum for local schools.
  - peer mediation, prejudice reduction, and non-violent problem solving training for youth and adults

• Citizen Discussions, Forums, and Presentations:
  

  - parents' forums
  - OSCE presentations and information materials on upcoming elections
  - Round-table public discussions with representatives of various political parties
  - Discussion groups on housing and refugee return, and human rights
  

• Psychological and Youth Programs:
  

  - Targets at-risk populations, such as refugees, women, demobilized soldiers, juvenile delinquents, with activities such as counseling, support groups, arts therapy, and Ropes Courses.
  - Ongoing work at the Rada Vranjesvic state orphanage in Banja Luka.
  - Youth Community Initiative, with Catholic Relief Services, dealing with social problems of youth
  - "Children's rights" puppet shows
  

• Practical Skills Training and other Educational / Recreational Programs:
  

  - English, German, and Spanish language
  - Computers, Internet, and web-building
  - Music, dance, arts and crafts
  - Sports and Tai Chi

• Community Media:
  

  - Balkan Youth Bridge (BOM), a monthly journal written, edited, and produced by youth, which circulates throughout Bosnia.
  - Radio Balkan, a popular Banja Luka radio station, broadcasts music, public discussions, psychology call-in programs, and community announcements.
  - Technical assistance to independent journals: Reporter and Nepitani
  - Media workshops and weekly journalism classes

• "Bosnia Bridge":
  

  - inter-ethnic relationships between the two entities of Bosnia through joint activities, correspondence, media, and weekly exchanges. Efforts included transporting people back and forth on a regular basis, sleepovers, camping trips, joint newspaper, conferences, obtaining passports, music concerts, Internet use

• "International Bridge":
  

  - to expand international understanding of the situation in Bosnia, and, for Bosnians, increased international exposure and contact which support personal/social healing, and the development of a wider perspective. Activities include pen pal relationships, presentations, exchanges, hosting international visitors (such as Swedish clowns, Japanese artists, British theater performers), info on educational opportunities outside Bosnia, cross-cultural programs in schools.

• Develop and Support Local NGOs:
  

  - To empower Bosnians through local ownership and help build civil society, via partnerships, consultations, trainings, plus support in start-up and infrastructure development. CRC helped create the following groups: ICHCR, ODIL youth group, Nesto Vise (Bosnia-wide network of youth centers), Youth Communications Center, Protector

In Sarajevo / Ilidza and Bosnia Federation:

• First conflict resolution training - November 1994.
• Bjelave orphanage work -- spring / summer of 1995, despite heavy shelling and sniper fire
• First CRC Community Center opened in Sarajevo - April 1995
• Began innovative call-in program, Resolutions Radio, featuring conflict resolution teaching and consensus-building discussions on key social issues and practical problems -- December 1995
• Opening of Ilidza Community Center, in formerly Serb-held suburb of Sarajevo. (relocated from Sarajevo Center, due to political and demographic changes). Initial activities included children's peace art and games, a weekly psychological call-in program, training for mental health professionals in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, English language classes, chess club and tournament. -- fall 1996
• Assistance and participation in in conflict resolution and peacebuilding training by Dr. Louise Diamond of Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy (in Banja Luka also) -- June 1997
• Women's Awareness Day, and start of women support group focusing on health, social, and employment issues for women and their family. Also, outings to other parts of Bosnia - Nov 1997

In Banja Luka and Republika Srpska:

• Opening of first Banja Luka Community Center, at Banja Luka University, with English language classes, after-school youth activities, and SOS telephone counseling / information hotline-- Dec 1995
• Established trauma assistance programs for children in primary schools, a refugee kindergarten, and general refugee centers -- January 1996.
• Training for 90 educators and psychologists from Banja Luka, Prijedor, Derventa, and Doboj - focused on children's psychological trauma, tolerance, self-esteem, and conflict resolution. Done in cooperation with ICHCR, and support by the International Federation of the Red Cross -- Feb 1996
• Opening of CRC Banja Luka Community Center in Mejdan district -- July 1996
• First issue of BOM youth newspaper published -- August 1996
• Radio Balkan begins broadcasting -- June 1997

Outside Bosnia:

• In Italy: ten-day retreat with young people throughout Bosnia, including CRC local staff from the two community centers. Emphasis on conflict resolution, inter-ethnic dialogue, democracy education, and teambuilding -- June 1997
• In the United States: nine trainings, 4-7 days each, for 70 int'l volunteer candidates of PCP. (Total of 33 worked in project). Focus on conflict resolution and relationship-building -- Feb 1995 to June 1997

In accordance with CRC's mandate to foster local sustainability and ownership, and in order to concentrate resources on the evolving needs of post-war community conflict resolution in Bosnia, the two community centers are now operating under new organizations. The Banja Luka Community Center become independent on November 1, 1997 and is now managed by Youth Bridge International. The Ilidza Community Center became independent on March 1, 1998, and is now managed by Danas Za Bolje Sutra ("Today for a Better Tomorrow"). The two former CRC centers continue to pursue many of the same goals and programs of PCP. The People Connection Project officially ended on March 1, 1998.

Read an evaluation report of CRC's project, written by Dr. Paul Stubbs of the University of Zagreb, or read the Mott Report.