As in previous years, this year the month of November is dedicated to the celebration of the Statehood Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina, organized by the BH UK Network with its members and distinguished guests. However, this year it was celebrated differently. Due to the newly emerging epidemiological situation caused by the Covid-19 virus, participants did it online.
This year’s commemoration event began with the national anthem performed by three students from the Birmingham Supplementary School of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Emina and Ajša Bolić and Amna Bešić. After that, viewers had the opportunity to watch video messages from members of the Presidency of BiH, Mr. Šefik Džaferović and Željka Komšić. They congratulated Bosnians and Herzegovina on November 25, the day when our country restored its statehood 77 years ago.
As always, the program was spiced up by our youngest, students from BH secondary schools in Manchester, Derby, Coventry, London, Hertfordshire and Birmingham. Despite being online, they managed to enrich the program with various recitations and performances. Followers of the program had the opportunity to enjoy their performances in the Bosnian language.
Of course, we should not forget to mention the teachers and parents who, with their dedicated work, support children to speak the Bosnian language more often and to present their home country in the best possible light. At the event, more than sixty students from secondary schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina presented themselves.
During the program, everyone had the opportunity to remind themselves that the adopted ZAVNOBiH Resolution expressed the determination of the people of BiH to have their country be a twinned community in which full equality of all peoples would be ensured, as well as the equality of the Republic of BiH within the Yugoslav federation, with historical borders dating back to the time of medieval Bosnia.
It also marked the second anniversary of the ceremonial opening of the Bosnian House and Birmingham, which was opened by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth, the Minister for Religion in the cabinet of the then Prime Minister Theresa May, on BiH Statehood Day 2018. In his address he expressed his satisfaction that he can celebrate statehood with the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina at least in this way.
Dr. Azmi Waqar, Patron of the BH UK Network and President of Remembering Srebrenica, addressed the audience. As President of Remembering Srebrenica and Patron of the BH UK Network, he extended his warmest wishes to all his Bosnian friends and the rest of the Bosnian community here in the UK and beyond.
The Mayor of Birmingham, Mohammed Azim, sent his best wishes to the Bosnian community on the Island on the occasion of their national day of statehood. He wished for many more years of mutual friendship and cooperation.
The musical part of the program was taken care of by KUD Mladost Bosne with a performance of a traditional carol and teacher Azra Bašić with a performance of the song “Pjesma rodnom kraju”.
Thank you to everyone who joined and in this way marked the birthday of our one and only homeland, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
BH UK Network
