Message from the Founder

The Foundation is an independent, non-govermental, non-profit, and strictly non-political organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of the shared heritage of Sarajevo. And what is Sarajevo's shared heritage? In a nutshell, it is a common heritage of humanity! Sarajevo is a unique symbol of universal multiculture and a hub for civilization.

Sarajevo is not just a geographical or political term, but primarily a civilizational and cultural notion. The capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina has a long and rich history of religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity. Sarajevo is not just a city, but a living paradigm of universal values. This paradigm is, in essence, at the very heart of the idea of Europe, and that is what modern Europe should strive for. Unity and richness in diversity have been and still remain a trademark of Sarajevo for the past five and a half centuries.

Nowadays, the world is more diverse than ever. Growing tendencies to label and segregate people along different cultural, racial, ethnic, and religious lines in many countries and societies pose a real threat to the peaceful coexistence and challenge the survival of divergent human civilizations.

Sarajevo is one of the most heterogeneous places in Europe. It is a place where, during its long and fascinating history, the eastern and western civilisations met and clashed occasionally, but nonetheless always enriched, complemented and strengthened one another. Throughout its history, Sarajevo has developed into a microcosm encapsulating and integrating different ethnicities, religions and cultures, and where extremism of any kind has never taken root. It has always been a place and a bridge where different cultures created a mosaic of a diverse, but also a sui generis unique shared heritage.

Despite the losses and destruction suffered by the city in the past due to foreign invasions, wars and conflicts, including the longest siege in the history of modern warfare, Sarajevans have never been deterred from the principle of living together and protecting and preserving their shared heritage and their inherent centuries-old values.

And therein lies the significance of Sarajevo in today's world. Its significance transcends that of an administrative capital. It is immeasurable in a world that is beginning to tear down the values of multiculturalism and richness in diversity. And therefore Sarajevo's shared heritage has to be protected and promoted as a living example of common heritage of humanity and a way out of the growing divides and present cultural, religious and ethnic conflicts and cleavages.