Last night, awards were presented to eight regional English committees and three national committees in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as champions from Remembering Srebrenica UK. (Remembrance of Srebrenica), by survivors of genocide and crimes against humanity in Bosnia and Herzegovina now living in the UK.
The UN has declared genocide and crimes against humanity in Bosnia and Herzegovina “the worst crime on European soil since World War II.”
The ceremony took place at an awards dinner held at the Bosnian House in Birmingham. It was organised by the BH UK Network, the national voice of over 10,000 British Bosnians living in the UK, to thank Remembering Srebrenica for all its work in commemorating the Srebrenica genocide and educating people about the dangers of hatred and intolerance.
Bosnia UK Network Manager Dr. Anes Cerić said:
“Outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the UK is the largest commemorator of events organised to commemorate all the victims of the Srebrenica genocide. These commemorations are organised by Remembering Srebrenica UK through its eight English regional committees and three national committees in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and 1,450 champions. Every year during Srebrenica Week in the UK, nearly 2,000 memorial events and activities take place in schools, town halls, police stations, community centres, mosques, synagogues and churches across the UK. We, as a community, wanted to recognise the incredible work and have the opportunity to thank the Remembering Srebrenica committees and champions with these awards.”
Last year alone, over 50,000 young people actively participated in educational activities and with that number, the historical reach has been reached since 2013 So far, more than 180,000 young British people have been educated about the lessons of Srebrenica. Coverage in the UK’s broadcast, print and online media has created more than 70 million opportunities to view key messages. Also, last year, over 15,000 people watched the online commemoration of Srebrenica Day in the UK.
Also, Remembering Srebrenica’s podcast “Untold Killing” won numerous awards last year, including a platinum AVA award, two ARIAS awards, and best branded podcast at the Lovie Awards, and over 200,000 people have listened to the podcast so far.
Remembering the president of Srebrenica UK dr. Waqar Azmi OBE said:
“There is no greater honour than the survivors of the worst atrocity on European soil since the Second World War thanking and presenting the Remembering Srebrenica UK Award to the Chairs of its eleven committees and 1,450 volunteers in recognition of their tireless and impactful work across the UK to commemorate Srebrenica and raise awareness of where hatred can lead if it is tolerated in the first place and appropriate action is not taken.”
“I have no doubt that these awards will be an additional incentive for our champions, volunteers, ambassadors, patrons and regional and national committee members to do more to preserve memories and help build stronger, safer communities for all. Thank you to BH UK Network and all members of the Bosnian community for this great honor,” said Dr. Waqar.
Each year, Remembering Srebrenica UK chooses a theme that not only reflects the aspect of the genocide that needs to be commemorated, but also speaks to communities in the UK. The theme for 2022 is ‘Fighting Denial: Confronting Hate’, which was announced at a parliamentary reception in the House of Lords last month.
Despite the fact that the atrocities in Srebrenica have been characterized as genocide by both the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, denial of genocide and crimes against humanity throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to prevail among individuals and institutions at the highest levels, including the mayor of Srebrenica, the current political leadership of Republika Srpska and Serbia, as well as Russia, which vetoed a UN resolution in 2015 condemning the killings in Srebrenica as genocide. Moreover, in response to the law banning the denial of genocide and glorification of mass murderers, the Republika Srpska Assembly, led by the Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik, formally voted to adopt a set of resolutions withdrawing from state institutions, including the re-establishment of the Bosnian Serb army, the very institutions responsible for the genocide in Srebrenica.
President of Remembering Srebrenica, Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth said:
“Denial not only brings more pain and suffering to survivors, but also serves as a rallying call to perpetuate division and hatred, as well as to glorify the killers. Denial also serves as a significant obstacle to peace and reconciliation, which can never be achieved without acknowledgment.”
“This year’s theme is dual in purpose, therefore, it seeks to highlight the importance of combating denial and the need to confront the hatred behind denial. We hope to bring together thousands of people during Srebrenica Remembrance Week in the UK, which will take place from 4 to 11 July,” he said.
