Why to come to the Una valley?

Why to come to the Una valley?

To be more precise to come to the Upper Una Valley which we define as the stretch from Martin Brod to Cukovi with KulenVakuf as its geographic center.

Here the Una is the least influenced by mankind, meaning you can experience pristine nature. Nowadays only about 3.000 people live in this narrow valley of 50 km, there is no transit-traffic as it happens to be with so many other beautiful rivers, the next industrial and population centers Zadar, Split, Zagreb, Sarajevo are far away - 150-350 km or 2,5-5 hoursdrive through great landscapes - and we are shielded in each direction but several mountain ranges. Thus the air is very clean and even better so, augmented with negative oxigen ions – one (the) criteria todefine good air – by the two big waterfalls ofMartin Brod (cascades) and Strbacki Bug which is one of Europe’s highest.  

Due to the little influence of men, river-and spring-are very clean and tasty and have a very high PH-value, one criteria to define ‘good water’.

The Una itself is special: legend has it that a widely travelled roman legionaire called this river Una, meaning the unique one, because of its beauty, its smaragd-green clear water which osciallates in different shades depending of the time of the day and time of year.

Fact is, that hardly any river on this globe has a deeper source – the divers had to stop their excursion at 207 m as they did not expect this – and carries so many minerals, creating the wonders of  sedra/tuff stone.

Based on these facts the Una Valley is basically a respiration sanatorium and therefore one of the best places in the world to relax and recharge your batteries.

Another reason to come to the Una Valley is that only here one can find a factoryin a National Park, which recently was converted into a cultural center, one in which it is also possible to sleep and stay.

Normally no National Park has a factory, normally factories are not built outside cities or industrial clusters. But in the former Yugoslavia, which due to their independent policy –Non Align Movement -was afraid of an attack by the Soviet Union or by Nato it was part of the military doctrine to be self-sufficient, to build factories far from the borders in the mountains.

And so today there is the AtlantisBebiProjekt which gives space to experiment with new ways of working and living. Until now 25 artists left their traces and everybody can drop by to visit or apply to use the space for own ideas or use the workshops of sewing, screen printing, wood working & letterpress.

The Atlantis KV  NGO has been formed to promote the idea and principles*.

The third reason to come to the Una Valley is the same why one should cometoBosnia: it is not the wonderful nature that is the main reason or the cheap prices. It is the people, the spirit living here. What often is described as archaic, primitive, wildbehaviour is in effect human life much less affected by the techno-consumer culture spanning the globe. There is despite the recent war and killings a kind of humanity alive which is both puzzling and refreshing. It could be that the joke circulating in the intellectual circles of Sarajevo is true: Bosnia is not behind Western Europe but ahead. Experiencing as the only country of the world the great catastrophes of our time - de-industrialization, de-socialization, war and genocide -, placed at the crossroads of civilizations for thousands of years (Byzantium, Rome, later Konstantinopel, Vienna, Venice), having the memory of the promise of Yugoslavia’s Third Way* Link 5with its influence on social life, architecture*, music*(linkLaibach)etcculminating in hosting the winter Olympics1972 in Sarajevo,  Bosnia is special.  Its people are special and even when the ruling elite is kleptocratic there is a chance that from here a new humanity is formed.

Blue Heart

Center for Environment in cooperation with Bebi Art & Culture Center, Atlantis vcap
d.o.o. to host a screening of Patagonia’s Blue Heart in Kulen Vakuf, BiH
Venue Address: Gečet 13, Kulen Vakuf, 77206 BiH
Projection Date and Time: November 17, 6:00 pm
The entrance to the projection is free.

Welcome!

New documentary tells the story of the fight to protect the last wild rivers of Europe from

3,000 proposed hydropower projects
https://blueheart.patagonia.com/

Sign the petition to tell international banks to stop investing in the destruction of Europe’s last

wild rivers. https://blueheart.patagonia.com/take-action

Patagonia’s latest documentary film,​ Blue Heart​, depicts the fight to protect Europe’s last
wild rivers and brings international awareness to a potential environmental disaster in
Europe. The Balkan Peninsula between Slovenia and Albania is home to the last wild rivers
in Europe where more than 3,000 proposed hydropower projects threaten to destroy the
culture and ecology of this forgotten region. If fierce local opposition fails, 20,000 kilometers
of pristine sparkling creeks, raging tributaries and swift, braided currents of the last
undammed watersheds on the continent will be forever damaged by thousands of dams and
diversions—at a time when dams are being decommissioned throughout much of the
developed world.
Local activists living along the shores of these rivers and European NGOs such as
RiverWatch are fighting against government corruption and foreign investment. B​lue Heart
documents the battle to protect Albania’s Vjosa River, the largest undammed river in Europe;
the effort to save the endangered Balkan Lynx in Macedonia, and the months-long fight by
women of Kruščica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, who are protesting day and night to save their
community’s only source of drinking water.
“With the deluge of proposed hydropower dams and diversions in the Balkan Peninsula we
are looking at what could be irreversible environmental destruction, but there is very little
awareness of this issue in Europe or globally,” stated Ryan Gellert, Patagonia General
Manager, EMEA. “​ We hope that this film will bring international attention to the local
communities fighting to protect the free-flowing rivers they rely on and educate people about
why hydropower dams are an outdated, dirty technology.”

“I believe this wild place requires and deserves protection. To destroy it, especially for an
outmoded and expensive technology, is a waste of money and a moral travesty,” says ​Yvon
Chouinard, Patagonia, Inc. founder
Created by Patagonia, in partnership with NGOs from across the Balkan region and
throughout Europe and directed by Britton Caillouette, the film is a powerful moment in the
larger ongoing effort to raise global awareness for the S​ave the Blue Heart of Europe
campaign​. In the film and throughout the campaign, Patagonia asks people to act now and
sign an online petition to put pressure on foreign developers and banks, who are funding
dam-building projects, including within protected areas.
Blue Heart launches globally on 28 April 2018. The world premiere of the film was held at
Idbar Dam, ​Konjic​, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, followed by screenings across the Balkan
Peninsula and in major cities worldwide.
About Patagonia
Founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, Patagonia is an outdoor company based in Ventura,
California. A Certified B Corp, Patagonia’s mission is to build the best product, cause no
unnecessary harm and use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental
crisis. The company is recognized internationally for its commitment to authentic product
quality and environmental activism, contributing $90 million to date in grants and in-kind
donations.
https://www.patagonia.com/home/
About the director
Britton Caillouette has been making films in the outdoors for over a decade. A student of
history with a keen eye for photography and a love for challenging production situations, he
brings a unique style of visual storytelling and humanity to his stories. Britton directed his first
documentary in war-torn West Africa while an undergraduate at Stanford University and has
won awards for his work in both film and advertising including a Cannes Lion.
About Bebi Art & Culture Center, Atlantis vcap
Bebi Art & Culture Center has been in existence since May 2015, as an unprofitable art
platform for ideas and opportunities for their realization. We are located in Kulen Vakuf, in
the middle of the National Park Una. The goal of our projects is to get close art to ordinary
people, positively surprise people with unselfish good work, spread positive attitude and
cooperation among people. In addition to art projects, the second focus of our work is
children and ecology.

TRADITIONAL AUTUMN KORN FESTIVAL.

Atlantis Bebi Project invites you to the TRADITIONAL AUTUMN KORN FESTIVAL.

04/11/2017. (Saturday) from 10 am, address: Gečet 13.

Visit us and enjoy music, traditional food, games for children and adults, competitions, pleasant conversations in our center.

The organizers also made an effort this time and prepared for you:

1. Competition for the best traditional corn broth (KURUZA) and the best innovative corn dish.

* All participants who bring traditional Kuruza and other corn dish are eligible to participate. *

2. Competitions in different games for children and adults

3. Tombola

* The winners of the above competitions automatically take part in the Tombola, for all other 1 Tiket 1 KM

4. Grill for all present

5. Movie projection

6. Surprise for the little ones

7. Fair for local products and arts and crafts

We have prepared a rich prize fund (cash and others)

ALL ARE WELCOME!

YOUR ATLANTIS & BEBI TIM!

"FRIENDSHIP BRIDGE TO BANJA LUKA" by Djurdjica & Maja

Bridges will always connect people! 

Another milestone is achieved with the work "FRIENDSHIP BRIDGE TO BANJA LUKA" 

We now not have a mural with a friendship bridge to Istanbul made by Mr Hure and Seth, but we have a new work by Djurdjica Bjelosevic and her friend Maja Zolak, a friendship bridge to Banja Luka. A sophisticated work combining paint and ceramic, which closes a gap in more than one meaning.

They were the first local artists - Artist in Residence (=AiR) 

 

 

 

CARPENTER WORKSHOP IN OUR CENTER

From 4 to 12 October 2017. our dear guests from Germany Elke and Klaus visited us and our Center

Klaus is a carpenter with many years of experience, who has decided to share his knowledge and experience with our team in a short workshop. In the Worshop, our guys could see how some of the products are manufactured.

 

Our team was outstanding in the new challenge and plans to do the same work  in the future. Elke and Klaus have promised us a new visit for next year.

We would like to thank Elke and Klaus for everything, for the visit, a great cooperation, a pleasant atmosphere and we looking forward to our reunion.

WORKSHOP MOKOSA - SASA, NEVID THEATER & PROSTOR IN BEBI ART & COMMUNITY CENTRE

29 and 30.07.2017. Sasa Aleksandar and Art Club Prostor from Banja Luka were present at our Center.

Sasa held a workshop called "Mokosa" in Bebi Art & Community Center, Kulen Vakuf,  he presented his art of unique hand painting on fabric various colors and templates. For you we have a part of the atmosphere which can be viewed at the following link: 

https://www.facebook.com/artklubprostor/videos/1939956199619864/

Also on 29.07.2017, as part of the educational and cultural event "Mokosa", we hosted members of Nevid Theater, who performed for all of us performances "Pohvala Ludosti"

It was our pleasure to cooperate with Sasa, Nevid Theater and Prostore, and we hope to re-cooperate in our Center.