"a.network" is regional initiative of new media centers, which are involved in production, promotion and critique of new technologies and contemporary new media culture, as well as their influence on the society. Members of this network are: Ljudmila, Ljubljana (Ljubljana Digital Media Lab, www.ljudmila.org); mi2, Zagreb (Multimedia Institute, www.mi2.hr); pro.ba, Sarajevo (www.pro.ba) and kuda.org, Novi Sad (New Media Center, www.kuda.org). Regional network of partner organizations has very important role in broadening the "territory" for assembling and disseminating information. "a.network" stands for "alternative network", which is one way to say that this informal network is looking for the most suitable models for mutual cooperation.

Creating a network is very powerful way to build professional relationships, actively foster communication and disseminate information. The fact is that the introduction of networks within organizations over the past decade has changed workflows but hasn't reached the level of decision-making. Although many development and networking strategies of European Union are directed towards East Europe and towards creation of networks between West and East Europe, the tail of detected constraints is appearing. Some of them are financial problems, problems with the technical communication infrastructure in CEE, language barrier, visa problems, differences in work methods or contexts. a.network is positioned strongly in the context of South-East Europe, as all organisations share a common background and similar context of working in transition. Creating regional network in ex-Yugoslav territory is the way to escape some of the usual difficulties of networking.

In recent years, media manipulation played a crucial role in the investigation of the conflict in former Yugoslavia. There is a lack of fruitful communication between former Yugoslav countries in this period after the war, which has its origins back in the nineties where the key to the politicians' success was communication - or, more precisely, the lack of it. Former state controlled media in each republic got under the control of resurrected nationalists. Independent, alternative-media magazines were confiscated and the police was closing low-power FM radio stations if they tried to cross republic borders. Almost ten years after the war, connections are rebuilt and there is attempt to normalize communication at both institutional and informal level. Still, economic and political situation in the region is turbulent and it takes a lot of effort to sustain a non-profit organization and to make it function systematically and strategically. It demands even more organizational efforts and funds to sustain thoughtful network cooperation.

Over the past period, some principles of informal functioning of the "a.network" were established. The most visible and the most successful method is exchange of people, in sense of "redirecting" international guests - artists, theorists, practitioners - throughout network organizations in ex-Yugoslav region, but also in the sense of exchanging people from network member institutions themselves. More or less continuous collaboration represents potential introduction, a kind of preparatory period for common production within the scope of "a.network".

http://www.anetwork.org