Remembering Srebrenica

Remembering Srebrenica is a UK based charitable organisation which raises awareness about the Bosnian genocide and educates people about what the UN called “the worst atrocity on European soil since World War Two”.

The charity is the sole organiser of the annual Srebrenica Memorial Week which culminates in Srebrenica Memorial Day on July 11. Dr Waqar Azmi OBE founded Remembering Srebrenica in 2013 and is Chairman of the charity. The President of the charity is Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth and the Director is Amil Khan.[1]

Remembering Srebrenica is part funded by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and works to build a better, safer, more cohesive society. This is done through ensuring the victims of the genocide are remembered, lessons are learned from the atrocity through educational visits and through community champions who pledge to stand up to hatred and intolerance.

Origins

In 2009, The European Parliament adopted the resolution on Srebrenica calling "on the Council and the Commission to commemorate appropriately the anniversary of the Srebrenica-Potočari act of genocide by supporting Parliament's recognition of 11 July as the day of commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide all over the EU, and to call on all the countries of the western Balkans to do the same".[2]

In implementing the European Parliament Resolution, Prime Minister David Cameron announced support for Remembering Srebrenica in 2013 on the 18th anniversary of Srebrenica Memorial Day. The Prime Minister said: "Srebrenica was a stark demonstration of what can happen when hatred, discrimination and evil are allowed to go unchecked. I am pleased that the government has been able to work with Remembering Srebrenica, an initiative dedicated to commemorating and honouring the victims of Srebrenica". On Srebrenica Memorial Day, Prime Minister David Cameron also "met with three survivors of the Srebrenica genocide at Downing Street. The survivors shared their experiences of Srebrenica, and the Prime Minister stressed how important it was that we never forget what happened during this most shameful moment in European history".[3]

In 2014, Foreign Secretary William Hague MP, and the Special Envoy of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Angelina Jolie during their visit to Srebrenica announced "new UK funding that will enable 750 young people from Britain to visit Srebrenica over the next two years through the Remembering Srebrenica programme, so that the lessons from the Bosnian conflict are never forgotten.[4]

Support

Remembering Srebrenica's work has received broad support from numerous high-profile figures. During the commemoration of the 25th anniversary, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "There are those who would prefer to forget or deny the enormity of what took place. We must not allow that to happen. We owe it to the victims and to future generations to remember Srebrenica and to ensure it never happens again." [5]

HRH Prince Charles said: "By remembering the pain of the past and learning its lessons, we can together resolve that it must never happen again. This is why the work of organisations such as the United Kingdom’s Remembering Srebrenica is so vitally important and why, 25 years after these terrible crimes were committed, we should stand in determined solidarity with those who have lost so much.” [6]

Adama Dieng, former UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, said: "Remembering Srebrenica is working to raise awareness on the terrible tragedy and to educate on the consequences of hatred and intolerance. This work is essential everywhere." [7] Cardinal Vincent Nichols said "The programmes of education that organisations like Remembering Srebrenica UK...do [are] just so important." [8]

Boards

National and regional boards

Remembering Srebrenica has eleven national and regional boards across the UK that play a key role in organising and coordinating memorial events in their areas. All the boards are composed of volunteers. [9] Below is a list of these boards and their board chairs:

  • Scotland, chaired by Julie Adair
  • Wales, chaired by Abi Carter and Saleem Kidwai OBE
  • Northern Ireland, chaired by Peter Osborne
  • East Midlands, chaired by Kim Sadique
  • East of England, chaired by Dr Helen Connolly
  • London & South East, chaired by Rameez Kaleem
  • North East, chaired by Lucy Adams
  • North West, chaired by Elinor Chohan MBE
  • South West, chaired by Dr Louise Livesey
  • West Midlands, chaired by Alma Aganović
  • Yorkshire, chaired by Mashuda Shaikh

Advisory Boards

Remembering Srebrenica's Academic Advisory Board helps to provide support and guidance related to political, social, historical and educational matters regarding the genocide in Srebrenica and the charity's aims to raise awareness and commemorate the genocide in the United Kingdom and throughout the world. The board is chaired by Professor Eric Gordy. [10]

The charity's Bosnian Community Advisory Board is composed of members of the British Bosnian community from right across the country, and it advises and supports the work of the charity.

Work

Srebrenica Memorial Week

Since 2013, Remembering Srebrenica has organised nearly 7,500 Srebrenica Memorial events and activities across the UK.

The UK held its first Srebrenica Memorial Day in 2013 to mark the 18th anniversary of the atrocity with survivors, senior politicians and religious leaders paying their respects to the victims at Lancaster House in central London, including Foreign Secretary William Hague, Secretary of State Eric Pickles, Shadow Secretary of State Hilary Benn, Lord Paddy Ashdown and Cardinal Vincent Nichols.[11]

Since 2014, a whole week of memorial events across the UK has been organised each year, with national Srebrenica Memorial events held in London, Cardiff and Edinburgh (and also in Belfast from 2016 onward) that featured survivors, politicians and religious leaders.[12]

The commemorations for Srebrenica Memorial Week have followed specific themes each year since the 20th anniversary in 2015:

  • 2015 - Learning the Lessons
  • 2016 - 21: Coming of Age
  • 2017 - Gender and Genocide
  • 2018 - Acts of Courage
  • 2019 - Bridging the Divide: Confronting Hate
  • 2020 - Every Action Matters

In 2020, due to COVID-19, many planned events to commemorate the 25th anniversary were cancelled, including the national Srebrenica Memorial event due to be held at St Paul's Cathedral. [13] Despite this, over 1,500 memorial activities took place across the UK, and the UK National Srebrenica Memorial Day Ceremony was broadcast online on the charity's social media platforms and by Al Jazeera, Face TV, Hayat TV and the Islam Channel. [14]

The distinguished speakers who participated in the 25th anniversary ceremony included HRH Prince Charles, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Angelina Jolie, the President of Bosnia and Herzegovina Šefik Džaferović, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP, Sir Keir Starmer MP, Leader of the Labour Party, the Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina Husein ef. Kavazovic, the Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, The Archbishop of Westminster, David Cameron, President Bill Clinton, Lord William Hague and Secretary Madeline Albright. [14]

Lessons from Srebrenica visits programme

'Lessons from Srebrenica' is a flagship education programme established to help strengthen British society, with over 1,450 people taking part from the UK since 2013. These individuals come from all walks of life, all ethnicities, and all faiths or none, but have one thing in common: the desire to promote positive change within their local community by agreeing to undertake a pledge to promote community cohesion and integration. The participants play an important role in arranging memorial events and other activities across the country, working together with Remembering Srebrenica’s eight English regional boards and three country boards.[15]

Education

Working together with schools across the UK, Remembering Srebrenica has educated over 100,000 young people about Srebrenica in the past six years. The charity provides learning resources such as lesson plans and assembly presentations to support teachers in educating both primary and secondary school pupils. [16]

It also facilitates the 'We Are One' football tournament in schools and youth groups, which is supported by the FA, Kick it Out, the ESFA, Show Racism the Red Card and footballer Asmir Begovic.[17]

Conflict Transformation and Srebrenica programme

In 2019, the charity also began the Conflict Transformation and Srebrenica programme, which is funded by the PEACE IV programme and supported by Mid and East Antrim Council in Northern Ireland. This programme teaches young leaders aged 18-25 from Mid and East Antrim about Srebrenica and helps them make links to their own communities.[18]

See also

Further reading
  • Ed Vulliamy, The War is Dead, Long Live the War: Bosnia: the Reckoning Bodley Head (London 19 April 2012) ISBN 978-1-84792-194-9.
  • David Rohde, Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica, Europe's Worst Massacre Since World War (29 May 2012) ISBN 0-374-25342-0.
  • Noel Malcolm, Bosnia: A Short History (New York 1994) ISBN 978-0-8147-5520-4

References
  1. "Remembering Srebrenica - Who We Are". Remembering Srebrenica. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  2. European Parliament (2009) OJC 157 E, 6.7.2006, p. 468, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&reference=P6-TA-2009-0028&language=EN
  3. Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street, 11 July 2013, '18th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide: Prime Minister’s statement', London, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/18th-anniversary-of-the-srebrenica-genocide-prime-ministers-statement
  4. Foreign & Commonwealth Office (27 March 2014), 'Foreign Secretary and UNHCR Special Envoy visit Bosnia ahead of Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict', London, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/william-hague-and-angelina-jolie-on-joint-visit-to-bosnia
  5. "Message of Support - Prime Minister Boris Johnson". Remembering Srebrenica. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
  6. "Message of Support - HRH The Prince of Wales". Remembering Srebrenica. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
  7. "Message of Support - Adama Dieng". Remembering Srebrenica. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
  8. "Message of Support - Cardinal Vincent Nichols". Remembering Srebrenica. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
  9. "Regional and Country Boards". Remembering Srebrenica. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
  10. "Academic Advisory Board". Remembering Srebrenica. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
  11. The Huffington Post UK, 11/07/2013, 'Srebrenica Genocide Remembered As Hague, Pickles Pledge Support For Bosnia Genocide Education', http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/07/11/srebrenica-genocide_n_3581824.html
  12. Sarajevo Times, 8 July 2014, 'UK Leads World in Remembering Srebrenica Genocide', http://www.sarajevotimes.com/uk-leads-world-remembering-srebrenica-genocide/
  13. "St Paul's Cathedral UK Srebrenica Memorial Service cancelled due to Covid-19". Remembering Srebrenica. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
  14. "UK National Srebrenica Memorial Day Commemoration 2020". Remembering Srebrenica. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
  15. "Remembering Srebrenica - Regional and Country Boards". Remembering Srebrenica. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  16. "Remembering Srebrenica – Education". Remembering Srebrenica. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  17. "We Are One Tournament". Remembering Srebrenica. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  18. "Pioneering youth project remembers Srebrenica". www.ballymenatimes.com. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
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