MOST MIRA UK - TRUSTEES
Tony Faint
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Tony Faint’s career has been spent working in international development, first in the British Department for International Development (DFID) and its predecessors, then as an independent consultant offering services in development policy analysis, organisation and evaluation.
He ended his public service career as International Director in DFID, with responsibility for DFID’s relations with and funding for Multilateral Development Agencies. In DFID Tony earlier gained experience in Eastern Europe in the 1990s, supervising the British Know How Fund, helping in the setting up of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and managing the British response to the refugee exodus and return during and after the Kosovo conflict.
Kirsteen Tait
Trustee
Kirsteen Tait is a founder trustee of Most Mira, was the first chair and now has specific responsibility for the Peace Centre. She set up and worked for nearly 5 years as founder director of the National Association for the Education of Sick Children, a charitable organisation which worked to improve hospital teaching and home tuition to children with both chronic and life threatening illnesses.
She also set up and ran as founder director for 5 years the Information Centre for Asylum and Refugees at Kings College London, to gather and publicise independent information and research about asylum and refugees. Kirsteen advises the Paul Hamlyn Foundation on its Supported Options Fund for young undocumented migrants which she helped to set up under their Social Welfare programme.
Ray Portelli
Trustee
Ray Portelli became a trustee of Most Mira in 2019. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants and an Associate Member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers.
Ray’s career in banking and finance spans 40 years. At the end of 2018 he took early retirement from the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) after 25 years of service, where he was Chief Internal Auditor for the last 12 years. The EBRD is one of the main multilateral development financial institutions, operating predominantly in Eastern Europe and North Africa. He is currently working as an independent consultant in internal audit and risk management.
John Clark is a forensic pathologist based in Glasgow, having practised for many years in both Scotland and England. Now officially retired, he concentrates on international forensic work for organisations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Criminal Court and other Tribunals.
His connection with Bosnia dates back to his time as Chief Pathologist for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in its work in Bosnia and Croatia from 1999 – 2001, which included testifying in multiple trials in The Hague. He has had continuing engagement with the country ever since, through further missions there, involvement with local colleagues in training and research, and teaching medical students in Sarajevo.
John Clark
Trustee
Kenneth Morrison is Professor of History and Research Theme Director at De Montfort University, Leicester. He has also previously held a Visting Professorship at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Kenneth is the author of six books and numerous articles and book chapters focusing on the modern history and politics of Montenegro, Serbia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina. In 2017/18, he was the Specialist Adviser to the House of Lords International Relations Committee for their ‘UK and the Future of the Western Balkans’ inquiry and has also provided consultancy for UK government agencies and several international organisations. He is a Trustee of the British Scholarship Trust and is also the Co-Director of the Hotel History Foundation, which is based in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina. Having been a member of Most Mira's Capital Committee for two years, Kenneth became a Trustee in 2022.
Matthew Hahn
Trustee
Matthew Hahn is a theatre director & theatre for development facilitator with experience of creating theatre projects in the UK, US, East & Southern Africa. He co-creates theatre projects focusing on developing & advocating for young people, peace-making and conflict resolution.
His play, The Robben Island Shakespeare, has been performed in the UK, US & South Africa; he facilitates ‘Ethical Leadership’ Workshops based on his interviews with former South African political prisoners and selections from Shakespeare’s Complete Works.
Matthew has degrees in Political Science & Journalism from Indiana University (US) and a Masters in Theatre Directing from Goldsmiths College (UK). He has trained with the SITI Company, Anne Bogart and Cardboard Citizens Theatre Company [Forum Theatre / Joker Training Programme].
Victoria Fifield
Trustee
Victoria Fifield is originally from Aberdeen, Scotland. She has a varied background in the creative arts, spanning music, art, design and creative writing. As a violinist, Victoria has performed and recorded in many genres including with Sir Elton John, the Palestine National Orchestra and jazz ensemble Basquiat Strings, with whom she was nominated for the 2007 Mercury Music Prize.
As an artist, she has run her own design label Hipster Spinster, as well as exhibiting her mixed media artwork in several exhibitions.
Victoria also has many years' experience in creative education, including working for the charity Sistema Scotland and teaching in the Palestinian West Bank. The latter was a life changing experience which subsequently inspired her to pursue a MA in Reconciliation and Peacebuilding. As part of her studies, she spent 2 months working with the marginalised Bedouin communities in southern Israel.
Mel Hadzovic
Trustee
Born in Prijedor, North-West part of Bosnia - Herzegovina, at the age of 15 Meliha was detained in Trnopolje concentration camp (which was her secondary school) and witnessed the horror of the war first hand. It was at this time that she made a promise to return and rebuild the country. She graduated from De Montfort University Leicester, BSc (Hons) in Construction Technology and Management. Meliha has worked in a variety of professional disciplines including Architectural services and Project Management on domestic, healthcare, commercial and residential projects. She has worked on number of OJEC Bids and tender package submissions for various projects in Bosnia including the Bridge on Vrbas river in Banja Luca with IPSA Institute in Sarajevo.
Meliha has always been an active member of the Bosnian Diaspora, Bosnian Supplementary School Birmingham and has provided advisory services to Bosnian Cultural Centre Midlands on purchase, change of use and refurbishment of the premises. Meliha has joined Most Mira in February 2017.
MOST MIRA BiH - TRUSTEES
Kemal Pervanic
Chair of the Board of Trustee
Kemal is a founder trustee of Most Mira. He was born in Prijedor, Bosnia-Herzegovina, one of the regions most severely affected during the Bosnian War. A survivor of the notoriously brutal Omarska concentration camp, he witnessed first-hand horrific acts of genocide, some of which were perpetrated by individuals whom he knew personally. He has since dedicated his work to education, reconciliation and peace-building.
He is the author of 'The Killing Days: My Journey Through the Bosnian War'. Most recently he has produced ‘Pretty Village’, his first film. Kemal holds a BSc in Management Studies from Royal Holloway University of London, a MA in Conflict Resolution from Bradford University. He was a 2012 Human Rights Advocate from Columbia University.
Azra Jakupovic
Trustee
Originally from the Kozarac region, Azra brings a strong international and diverse background academically and professionally, with a B.A. in Political Science / International Studies from Loyola University Chicago, and a M.A. in International Affairs from the New School University.
Having been an intern at the United Nations (DESA), a consultant for non-profits, and a fundraiser for international charities and humanitarian organizations. She currently is a vital member of the individual fundraising team at UNICEF Canada based in Toronto. Azra has also been an active member of the BiH Diasporic Conference (BiHDYC), and also currently serves as a Board Member for the Bosnian American Professionals Association (BAPA) based in Salt Lake City. While always a Chicagoan at heart, Azra has also lived in Rome, New York, and is currently based in Toronto.
Zrinka Bralo
Emeritus Trustee
Zrinka is a founder trustee of Most Mira. She is Chief Executive of Migrants Organise – a community organising platform for migrants and refugees acting for justice. Zrinka is a refugee from Sarajevo, where she was a journalist and worked with leading war correspondents during the siege in the 90’s. She is a founder of the ‘Women on the Move Awards’ to recognize achievement of migrant and refugee women and winner of the 2011 Voices of Courage Award by the Women’s Refugee Commission in New York.
In September 2015 she became founding Chair of the National Refugee Welcome Board, which is now developing community sponsorship visa schemes to ensure sanctuary for Syrian refugees. Zrinka holds an MSc in Media & Communications from LSE and is a 2014 Churchill Fellow.
OUR ADVISORS
Vernes has played a critical part in designing the concept and plans for the Peace Centre in Kevljani. He has over 6 years of diverse architectural experience, working on all stages of the design and building process from inception to delivery. He gained professional experience at Avanti Architects, London and Zvi Hecker Architects, Berlin.
Over the past three years, alongside his role as Director at PROJECT V, Vernes has worked part-time as Project Architect at London-based Phelan Architects.
Vernes Causevic
Architect
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Liz Wilson
Charity Coordinator
Liz is a social worker with experience in the social impact sector in the UK, Latin America and the USA. Liz has a background in supporting people who face a range of challenges. Her previous positions have focussed on volunteer management and programme design, in addition to direct service delivery, she also trains student social workers.