I had the honour of attending the West Midlands Srebrenica Day of Remembrance as High Sheriff of the West Midlands. It was the 29th commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide and served as a moving tribute to the victims and survivors of Srebrenica. It was hosted by Birmingham City Council and attended by many different regional leaders and residents of the city and wider region. There were several speakers, including an excellent opening speech by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Ken Wood. The event also included a very special memorial art performance by Melek Ali Oglour, and beautiful music was performed by a soprano and guitarist, who had travelled from Sarajevo to be at this event in Birmingham.
It was a very powerful event, and the theme for 2024 was “I Am Because You Are” which speaks to our connection and what unites us is our common humanity. The highlight of the event was the hearing of a very special lady, Ernese Ibišević-Hajdarević, who survived the genocide. Sharing the horrific impact on her family, she showed incredible courage in speaking out to all of us. The event concluded with the signing of the commemorative ‘I Am Because You Are’ statement by the Birmingham Council of Faiths. It was wonderful to see Birmingham come together to ensure that this genocide is never forgotten and never repeated anywhere.
