Three organisations have united to commemorate victims and survivors of the worst atrocity committed on European soil since the Second World War.
The annual Srebrenica Memorial Week runs from Sunday 4 to Sunday 11 July and this year marks the 26th anniversary of the Bosnian Genocide, which saw thousands of people tortured, killed and displaced, and sexual violence used against women on a widespread and systematic scale.
Durham County Council, Durham Cathedral and Durham University will all mark the anniversary by raising Remembering Srebrenica flags on their key buildings.
The flag will be flown from County Hall, 4 to 7 July; from Durham Cathedral on 5 July; and Durham Castle, home to University College, Durham from 6 to 11 July.
A short ceremony to commemorate the Bosnian Genocide, coinciding with the raising of the Remembering Srebrenica flag, which was donated by the North East Bosnian Community, will take place at the castle on Tuesday 6 July. It will be broadcast live at 11am via the University College Chapel Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CastleChapel
In the wake of the Covid pandemic, which has brought loss and difficulties to millions, this year’s Srebrenica Memorial Week focusses on ‘Rebuilding Lives’. As communities strive to recover from current health and economic challenges, it is hoped that the theme will bring people together to remember to learn from the past to help build a stronger, safer and cohesive society in the UK.
Smajo Beso, a former child refugee, Bosnian genocide educator and co-chair of the North East Board of the Remembering Srebrenica, shared his experiences of the Bosnian conflict and the impact on his family as part of a council event to mark Holocaust Memorial Day earlier this year.
Smajo, who arrived in the North East over 25 years ago, said: “I hope that this year’s Srebrenica Memorial theme ‘Rebuilding Lives’ will encourage people to remember the spirit of survivors of war and genocide who, despite the horrendous hatred and destruction they were subjugated to, have been rebuilding their lives with dignity and humanity, without calling for retribution or promoting division or hatred.
“I’m pleased that Durham County Council, the Cathedral and University are showing their support and honouring the two million people who were displaced during the genocide and ethnic cleansing in Bosnia in the 1990s.
“Srebrenica Memorial is an opportunity to combat the negative attitudes and perceptions that surround refugees whilst allowing us to learn from the stories of those who have shown enormous resilience to rebuilding their own lives.”
Cllr Alan Shield, the council’s Cabinet member for Equality and Inclusion, said: “This year marks 26 years since the genocide at Srebrenica in Bosnia, described by the United Nations as ‘the worst crime on European soil since the Second World War’.
“The lessons learned from Srebrenica are that hatred and intolerance can flourish if left unchallenged, even in an integrated society like Bosnia and Herzegovina, where people of different faiths had lived peacefully together for hundreds of years. Durham County Council stands in solidarity with Durham University and Durham Cathedral in rejecting all forms of hatred.”
The Reverend Dr Stephanie Burette, University College, Durham Chaplain and Solway Fellow, said: “We are honoured and humbled to fly the flag of Remembering Srebrenica. While we grieve and lament the horrendous ways human beings have been murdered or forever torn apart through the Bosnian genocide, we honour their memory and celebrate those who are rebuilding their lives.
“A university is a place where we seek education and which we can hope to leave as better human beings than when we entered it. As our university and college commit themselves to become bold centres of inclusiveness, Remembering Srebrenica reminds us all of our privilege and duty to use our education that such atrocities may never happen again, wherever we go into the world.”
The Very Reverend Andrew Tremlett, Dean of Durham, said: “As a church, Durham Cathedral is a place of faith where communities come together. We welcome people of all faiths and of none, celebrating shared experience, respecting the traditions of other religions. We stand alongside Durham University and Durham County Council in rejecting hatred and pray for tolerance, peace and understanding throughout the world.”
Further information about ‘Remembering Srebrenica’ can be found at www.srebrenica.org.uk
