Even before the wars in former Yugoslavia, new nationalist governments cut off communications between their subjects - to better groom them for hate. Politicians would fully accomplish that goal if it had not been for a bunch of daring hackers standing in their way. In 1991 and they set up an Internet-like network for the antiwar and human rights NGOs in all parts of former Yugoslavia. This network, which was a major communications medium for antiwar and resistance projects until 1997, was known as the ZaMir [for peace] Transnational Network, or ZTN.
The ZaMir Net functioned as a network of BBS-based relay stations--there was no "live" internet connection in most of the region, therefore the www was not available to most users of ZTN. Much of the infrastructure had been destroyed by war, leaving most people with no running water, no electricity most of the time, and very few telephone lines. During the siege of Sarajevo (1993-1996) people could not "surf the net"... Communication via email was a privilege reserved for very few people there, and messages sent through the Sarajevo Pipeline/ZaMir Net were relayed via personal contacts, NGO's in the region, on radio, and in some print media.
The Sarajevo Pipeline was the World Wide Web interface into the ZaMir Transnational Net (ZTN).
After the Dayton Accords (Sept 1995), ZTN began to fall apart, as detailed in the following history pages, and the volunteer network that made up the Sarajevo Pipeline no longer exists. We have included an archive of postings (large; slow load) that travelled over the Pipeline, and materials about the early missing-persons work on ZTN.
The remainder of this site includes links to current and ongoing efforts. There are today many web sites in the countries of former Yugoslavia, and thus many online sites where one can keep in touch with developments and where one can contact antiwar and resistance groups. There is perhaps less need today for a network specifically devoted to finding people lost during the wars. However, we will give here some hints for those who are still looking for lost friends and relatives.
