Forum for Cities in Transition
The Forum for Cities in Transition from conflict maintains a web site that allows the cities interact with each other on both a formal and informal basis. The site is also open to the public, who are invited to visit and participate. http://citiesintransition.net
Boston 2009 Conference
A Pilot Project to explore the idea of creating a Forum for Cities in Transition took place in Boston in April 2009.
The founding cities are Derry/Londonderry, Kirkuk, Mitrovice/Kosovo Mitrovica, and Nicosia. Delegates decided to meet annually in one of the member cities.
Inaugural Forum for Cities in Transition - May 24 to 28, 2010 Mitrovica
The Underlying, Unifying Principles:
Cities that are in transition in countries divided by conflict are in the best position to help other cities in transition in other such countries. They have common problems ranging from policing, garbage collection, housing, road construction, the provision of health and welfare services, to identifying flashpoints and interfaces that trigger violence. Each city is at a different stage of transition. Ten such cities met in Mitrovica to assist each other and begin a process of growth.
Founding cities Derry/Londonderry (Northern Ireland); Kirkuk (Iraq); Mitrovica South (Albanian majority), Mitrovica North (Serbian majority); representatives of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities, Nicosia; and government officials from Belfast (Northern Ireland) were joined by Beiruit (Lebanon); Haifa and Jerusalem (Israel); and Mostar (Bosnia-Hertzegovina).
UMass at work in the Balkans: Cassidy Evans, Jeffrey Range, Pat Peterson, Rima Mahmoud, Padraig O'Malley (FCT Director), Nancy Riordan, Dean Steve Crosby
The North and South of Mitrovica come together for a remarkable panel discussion.
Conference Participants
Derry ~ Londonderry & Belfast (Northern Ireland)
- Gerard Diver, Mayor, Derry City Council
- Maurice Devenney, Deputy Mayor, Derry City Council
- Maeve McLaughlin, Councillor, Derry City Council
- Michael Doherty, Director, Peace and Reconciliation Group, Derry/Londonderry
- Brian Dougherty, Director, Peace and Reconciliation Group, St Columb’s Park House, Derry/Londonderry
- Mark Hamilton, Superintendent, Police Service of Northern Ireland, Belfast
- Jennifer Hawthorne, Head of Community Cohesion Unit, Housing Executive, Belfast
Kirkuk (Iraq)
- Razgar Ali Hama-Jan, Chairman, Kirkuk Provincial Council (KPC)
- Awat M. Mohammed Ameen Councillor, KPC
- Abdullah Sami Assi, Councillor, KPC
- Sherzad Adil Khorsheed, Councillor, KPC
- Silvana Boya Nasir, Councillor, KPC
- Hasan Turan Bahaulddin Saeed, Councillor, KPC
- Imad Yokhanna Yaqo, Councillor, KPC
Mitrovica:
From Mitrovica South (Albanian Majority)
- Bajram Rexhepi, Mayor, Municipality of Mitrovica, Republic of Kosovo
- Sadri Ferati, Minister of Local Government Administration, Republic of Kosovo
- Arban Abrashi, Advisor to the Minister of Local Government Administration
- Sadat Gashi, Head of Protocol, Municipality of Mitrovica, Republic of Kosovo
- Valdete Idrizi, Director, Community Building, Mitrovica
From Mitrovica North (Serbian Majority)
- Oliver Ivanovic, State Secretary, Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija
- Government of Republic of Serbia
- Ljubisa Petrovic, Vice President of Municipality of Kosovska Mitrovica
- Dragan Spasojevic, President, Citizens Movement for Kosovska Mitrovica
- Momcilo Arlov, Programme Director, Center for Civil Society Development
Representatives from the Greek and Cypriot Communities of Nicosia
- From the Greek Municipality of Nicosia
- Eleni Mavrou, Mayor, Municipality of Nicosia
- Persephone Kollakidou, Councillor, Municipality of Nicosia
- Lellos Demetriades, former Mayor, Municipality of Nicosia
- Marios Michaelides, Cyprus Academy of Public Administration
From the Turkish Cypriot Community
- Tolga Cagakan, Councillor, Nicosia Turkish Municipality*
- Deniz Birinci, Director of Foreign Relations, Nicosia Turkish Municipality*
- Mustafa Akinci, former Mayor, Nicosia Turkish Municipality*