Long before July 1995, when they witnessed the destruction of their own community in the only recognized genocide in Europe after the Second World War, they had learned about the Holocaust. This was confirmed by Munira Subašić, the President of the Movement of Mothers of the Srebrenica and Žepa Enclaves Association, whose son and husband were among the more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys killed by Bosnian Serb forces in July 1995.
Youth leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) have an important role in driving necessary changes and inspiring young people with their activism to contribute to positive changes in local communities. Adnan Družić from Bosanski Petrovac is one such leader.
The Srebrenica genocide is commemorated in Tuzla, where many survivors came after the fall of Srebrenica in July 1995. The commemoration features demonstrations demanding justice and emphasizing the importance of remembrance, a commemorative march, a recitation of the names of the genocide victims, and various other cultural activities and events. The message of the commemoration is clear: “We don’t hate, but we will never forget.”
For some, maps serve as a streamlined tool to help one get from point A to point B. But for the team of the Subjective Atlas project, the act of cartography itself represents a complex journey informed by politics, history, and the personal relationships we have to the landscape in which our lives unfold.
Although the Spid swimming club was founded with the goal of developing inclusive sports, over the last eight years, it has become a gathering place and a source of unbreakable friendships for children from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), regardless of their ethnicity or any other differences. This club has also been a place where children with developmental difficulties or disabilities, who are often referred to as “water heroes,” have won numerous awards.
In the last 50 years, there have been no death penalty verdicts or known blood feuds in Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite the country’s violent history of atrocities and genocide.