Was founded at the end of 1992, only several months after the beginning of the aggression on Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sarajevo was already in total blockade, and subject to daily, constant shelling, destruction of the whole urban zone, and brutal killing of its civil population. The siege, and the destruction lasted more than 1. 200 days. A small group of Sarajevo intellectuals, who decided not to leave their city, began to meet in basement rooms of the independent, and very popular local radio station STUDIO 99. Their intention was to elaborate the strategy, and modalities, of their intellectual resistance to the aggression and nationalism.

The main principles and directions of activity were reconciled very fast, as well as the basic postulates, that expressed the wish and the determination to preserve Bosnia and Herzegovina as the integral, independent and sovereign state, organised on the principles of civil democracy, and within it historical geopolitical borders, recognised by the international community. In the foundation of so organised democratic, civil, very much decentralised state, one should build in the idea of free and open society of citizens who have equal rights, regardless of their special sexual, social, political, religious, national and cultural identities. This idea should be realised through concrete, and absolute constitutional and legal guarantee of all basic human rights and freedoms. Only on such foundations can one restore multinational, multi-religious and multicultural essence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as centuries old tradition and treasure of mutual life in tolerance and respect of differences and particularities of every ethnic group on this soil. That is at the same time the only efficient way to defeat nationalism, distrusts among people, and to prevent the division of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

These were the ideas on which the ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT INTELLECTUALS "CIRCLE 99" was founded as the non-party, non-governmental association of citizens. Multinational structure of the CIRCLE 99, and free demonstration of national, religious and political opinions of its members, proves practically the possibility of common life, tolerance and mutual respect. That is why the CIRCLE 99 has more and more members and sympathisers. They are all united and motivated with the vision of the free, democratic state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with unrestricted freedom, and equal rights for its citizens, and with peace, as their supreme ideal. Nationalism, chauvinism, political fanaticism, social injustice, any form of discrimination of individuals or groups, as well as any, and particularly cultural isolationism, is incompatible with the principles of human rights and freedoms, and that means also with the principles of the CIRCLE 99. Encouragement of peace, organisation of Bosnia and Herzegovina as democratic, legal state of all its nations and citizens with equal rights, and democratic establishment and organisation of civil society are the primary and immediate aims of the CIRCLE 99. Through different forms of intellectual activities within the Association, or through individual activities of its members, the CIRCLE 99 practically helps to maintain and restore multiethnic and multicultural way of life. Supporting such state Bosnia and Herzegovina, we supported also the idea of Sarajevo as its capital. The multiethnic, multi-religious and multicultural city Sarajevo has always been an example of fortunate encounter and harmonious community of different nations, religions and cultures. One of the primary aims of the siege, and the destruction, of Sarajevo was the elimination of all traces of such common life. To achieve that, it was intended, Sarajevo should be ethnically divided city. That would mean not only the end of Sarajevo, but also the end of multinational Bosnia and Herzegovina.

That is why at the beginning of 1994; the CIRCLE 99 initiated and formulated the text of the DECLARATION ABOUT FREE AND UNITED SARAJEVO, the political document that was signed by 185 thousands of citizens of Sarajevo and by almost one million citizens from all continents. That was the initiative, and the action that procured great respect for the CIRCLE 99 both in Sarajevo, and in Europe, and in the rest of the world.

The CIRCLE 99 established the first and the best contacts, except in Sarajevo with SERBIAN CITIZENS COUNCIL, also with FORUM OF CITIZENS FROM TUZLA and with the BELGRADE CIRCLE. However, through contacts and visits, the co-operation developed also with intellectual circles of democratic orientation from Banja Luka, Mostar, Bihać, as wells as from Serbia, Montenegro and Slovenia. The project CIVIL ALTERNATIVE PARLIAMENT was initiated, and successfully realised with the FORUM OF CITIZENS FROM TUZLA. This parliament is the movement of civil initiative in B&H. It is the organisation (association) of individuals, non-governmental and non-party organisations, and of civil movements of Bosnia and Herzegovina. And it represents the need to co-ordinate and reconcile activities and initiatives on establishing institutions of parliamentary democracy and civil society. Today CIRCLE 99 have active collaboration with many non-governmental organizations from B&H, from countries of former Yugoslavia and from obroad, as well as with highest level international institutions in B&H.

The CIRCLE 99 has particularly intensive contacts with the intellectuals from Switzerland, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, USA, Italy and other countries. The members of the CIRCLE 99, individually and on the whole, were guests of many institutions and associations in Paris, Vienna, Brussels, Graz, Geneva, Prague, Helsinki, Rome, and many other cities in Europe.

There are now active in the CIRCLE 99 more than 150 distinguished personalities from science, culture, art and public life. Among them, there are members of the Academy of Science B&H, writers, journalists, painters, film directors, doctors, economists, lawyers, theatre artists, theologian, musicians, humanists and other personalities.

Amid the members of the CIRCLE 99 there are also intellectuals from other countries. They live and work as prominent members in Rome, Paris, London, Brussels, Sofia, Helsinki, Ljubljana, Belgrade, Rovinj, Zagreb, and in other cities in Europe, and in former Yugoslavia.

Association of independent intelctuals CIRCLE 99 along with SERBIAN CITIZENS COUNCIL, COUNCIL OF BOSNIAN INTELECTUALS CONGRESS and CROAT'S NATIONAL COUNCIL was for two years active in process which ensure equality for all constitutional nations on whole teritory of B&H, resulting with well known judgment of Constitutional Court of B&H.

For the activities during the war, and as the recognition for the ideas it represents, the CIRCLE 99 received also high international awards: the award from the OLOF PALME FOUNDATION (Stockholm), KING BAUDOUIN FOUNDATION (Belgium), ALBERTO MORAVIA FOUNDATION (Rome) and many others.

During year 2003, CIRCLE 99 will organize various events in order to celebrate a 10-th anniversary of work.