“Remembering Srebrenica” is a British charitable initiative committed to using the lessons from Srebrenica, Bosnia, to tackle hatred and intolerance to help build a safer and more cohesive society for everyone. Churches are invited to to use the materials attached in a Sunday service on 8th or 15th July, which are the Sundays nearest the official date of remembrance each year, when we honour the victims and survivors of the genocide, and pledge ourselves to creating a better society.
Humanity has lived through the darkest of times, but few events have stained our collective soul more than the Srebrenica genocide. During the Balkans conflict of 1992–1995, Serb nationalist forces waged a co–ordinated campaign of ‘ethnic cleansing’ intended to create a ‘Greater Serbian’ territory. In July 1995, Bosnian Serb forces, led by General Ratko Mladić overran and captured the town of Srebrenica in Eastern Bosnia which had been declared a UN Safe Area in 1993. In the days following Srebrenica’s fall, more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were systematically massacred and buried in mass graves. Thousands of women, children and elderly people were forcibly deported. Throughout Bosnia, between 20,000 – 50,000 women and girls suffered rape and sexual violence; a weapon of war used to systematically ‘ethnically cleanse’ communities and terrorise them into fleeing.
Many in Bosnia–Herzegovina are still struggling for justice, not least the women who were left to pick up the pieces after their families and whole communities were wiped from during the genocide. The Mothers Association of Srebrenica were among the first to collect and document the names of those who were killed and they provided this information to The Hague. They campaign tirelessly so that the memory of their loved ones is preserved, and to ensure that such atrocities never happen again.
On the 11th July, the official date of remembrance each year, we honour the victims and survivors of the genocide, and pledge ourselves to creating a better, stronger and more cohesive society in the United Kingdom.
The lessons learned from Srebrenica are that hatred and intolerance can flourish if left unchallenged. Even in Bosnia–Herzegovina, where people of different faiths had lived peacefully together for many years, an integrated society disintegrated. We must all understand the consequences of leaving hatred and intolerance unchallenged. By doing this, we give ourselves hope of illuminating the darkness and creating a better, safer and stronger society for all.
On either Sunday 8th July or Sunday 15th July churches are invited to use some or all of the material provided here in a service to remember the victims and survivors of Srebrenica and help us all to commit to ensure that such atrocities do not occur again.
For further information please contact Rev Derek Johnston.