War memorialization in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) remains a persistent and contentious subject. In the absence of state laws and regulations governing memorials, let alone a national commemorative strategy, the country’s memorial landscape is saturated with a wide range of memorialization efforts stemming from all levels of Bosnian society.
Imagine you sit in front of a world map and get to pick any place in the world. That’s where you will go and live for a year. Harun Čandić sat at home one day and looked at that map showing the 60 countries where he could go volunteer for a year, including such places New York, Cape Town, and even New Zealand. However, with the world at his fingertips, he chose the Srebrenica Memorial Center.
On July 11th, 2023, thousands of mourners arrived at the Srebrenica Memorial Center in Potočari to commemorate the 28th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. This ever-expanding cemetery serves as a final resting place for many of the approximately 8,000 Bosniak men and boys who were killed in the civilian massacres of 1995. Although nearly three decades have passed since the genocide, 30 victims were buried this year, the youngest of whom was a 15-year-old boy. Additionally, the year witnessed 71 re-associations, referring to the burial of newly found remains of victims who have already been identified and partially interred.
Despite the overwhelming evidence, including numerous firsthand testimonies, forensic findings from mass graves, recovered items, and documented records, genocide denial and hateful rhetoric continues to plague Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and the wider region.
A fundamental part of state unity is a shared sense of national identity, embodied in a flag, anthem, or passport. Despite their many differences, both Canada and Bosnia have witnessed a rise in identity politics and division which have threaten the social cohesion and national identity in both countries.
The fourth annual Srebrenica Youth School, organized by the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC) in collaboration with the Srebrenica Memorial Center, brought together 40 young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Western Balkans, and around the world to explore topics such as transitional justice, memorialization, and historical narratives, as well as to honor the victims of the Srebrenica genocide.