Stand up to hatred and outlaw racial atrocities
Here, Abi Carter, chairman of the board of Remembering Srebrenica in Wales, marks the 25th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide
HUMANITY has lived through the darkest of times, but few events have stained our collective history more than the Srebrenica genocide.
On July 11, 1995, Bosnian Serb forces, led by General Ratko Mladic, overran and captured the town of Srebrenica in Eastern Bosnia, which had been declared a UN Safe Area.
In the days following, more than 8,000 Bosnian mostly Muslim men and boys were systematically murdered and buried in mass graves.
Thousands of women, children and the elderly were forcibly deported.
Srebrenica was a culmination of a campaign of “ethnic cleansing” used by Bosnian Serb forces during the conflict.
This was implemented to achieve the aim of a “Greater Serbia”, free from non-Serbs.
Throughout Bosnia, between 20,000 and 50,000 women and girls suffered sexual violence, a weapon of war used to systematically ethnically cleanse the region and terrorise the populace.
Concentration camps were established in the Prijedor area, and many Bosnian Muslims were forced from their homes to be internally displaced or become refugees.
Described by the United Nations as “the worst crime on European soil since the Second World War” the genocide at Srebrenica was officially recognised by the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia at the Hague.
Yet denial of this remains widespread.
Many in Bosnia and Herzegovina are still struggling for justice. Among these are organisations such as the Mothers of Srebrenica, who campaign for the recognition of the deaths of their loved ones, and the Association of Women Victims of War, who campaign for justice of survivors of sexual violence who still fight stigma within Bosnia.
The lessons we learn from Srebrenica are that hatred and intolerance can flourish if left unchallenged.
Even in Bosnia and Herzegovina where people of many faiths lived as neighbours for centuries, an integrated society disintegrated in a matter of a few short days.
We must all understand the consequences of not taking action against hate, by doing this we give ourselves hope of creating a safer community for all.
On July 11, the official date of the remembrance each year marked by the date the genocide began, we honour the victims atrocity and survivors of the genocide and pledge ourselves to creating a better, stronger and more cohesive society in the United Kingdom.
July 2020 marks the 25th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica, which denotes a generational shift whereby the next generation are not likely to be old enough to remember seeing the Bosnian war on the news. It is therefore the responsibility of adults and young people today to educate the next generation, so they do not forget, and everyone does their bit to prevent such atrocities in the future.
Remembering Srebrenica is the UK charitable initiative that aims to do two things, to educate people on the consequences of hatred using the lessons of the Srebrenica genocide, and to commemorate the genocide in July every year.
The 2020 charity theme “Every Action Matters” seeks to encourage every person to reflect upon their own behaviour and choices that they make, and demonstrate that however insignificant it may seem, every action matters, whether positive or negative. It aims to show that those who stand up and unite against hatred can make a difference.
It sets out to dispel the notion that one person cannot make a difference and show that the action of one individual does matter and that they can achieve a great deal, however small their action may appear initially.
It is now more important than ever for the people of the United Kingdom to come together, no matter from what background, to celebrate diversity and to stand together in solidarity against hatred and discrimination.
The Remembering Srebrenica Wales board, chaired by Abi Carter and Professor Saleem Kidwai OBE, had an impressive 25th anniversary commemoration event organised at the Senedd with the First Minister and Deputy Minister taking lead roles among other poignant elements of the commemoration, most importantly a testimony from a Bosnian survivor.
Covid-19 restrictions resulted in this event being postponed to July 2021, but the board have adapted their plans by creating a plethora of ‘virtual’ commemorative and educational campaigns to showcase throughout Srebrenica Memorial Week, which runs July 5-12.
These will include a silent photo campaign of remembrance, statements and videos from the Senedd, Welsh Government and local authorities, and landmarks in Cardiff will be lit up in green as a tribute to Srebrenica using the charity colour.
The board have also created a unique musical ‘lockdown’ collaboration between the Sarajevo National Theatre and the Cardiff Ardwyn Singers as a dedication of remembrance from Wales to Bosnia.
The video of the poignant song White Flower can be seen, along with all other campaigns, throughout today – the date of the Welsh commemoration.
They can be viewed on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the handle @SrebrenicaWales.