A survivor of the Bosnian War will be sharing his experiences at a special Cumberland Council organised event to mark Srebrenica Memorial Day 2024.
The public event, held at the Civic Centre, Carlisle, will be held on Monday 8 July, starting at 11am.
It will be an opportunity to learn more about the Bosnian War and the genocide at Srebrenica and remember this significant episode in modern history. It will include guest speaker Jasmin Dajic.
Jasmin was born in 1979 in a small town in central Bosnia.
He was 12-years-old when the war broke out in May 1992. There were several years of intense fighting and forced displacement of Bosnian Muslims followed. Many families were separated.
Jasmin had an accident in 1994 where he lost his left arm and had injuries all over his body. He was found in hospital by some British aid workers who brought him to England in April 1995.
He said:
“It was extremely difficult with my injuries, pain, and language but people around me made it easier to settle in a new country. Today after so many years with a family (wife and two children) I feel at home in Manchester.”
In July 1995, a genocidal massacre took place in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica, in the far east of the country, carried out by Bosnian Serb forces under the command of General Ratko Mladić, who was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2017 for war crimes and his role in the genocide. Approximately 8,000 Bosnian Muslims were murdered. The victims were mostly men, ranging from teenagers to the elderly. The massacre in Srebrenica is one of the most horrific events of the Bosnian War and remains the single largest mass murder on European soil since World War Two.
The theme for this year’s Srebrenica Memorial Day 2024 event is ‘I Am Because You Are’. It will underline the importance of standing up against those who try to divide us and standing up for each other against hatred, discrimination, harassment or prejudice. It will also help empower everyone in our communities to understand the importance of interconnectedness to help build a safer, stronger, and more cohesive society for all.
Andrew Seekings, Cumberland Council’s Chief Executive, said:
“It's very important that we learn from the past to create a better future. Srebrenica Memorial Day is a time for us all to remember the millions of people killed under regimes of hatred or who have suffered atrocities.
“It is also a time to recognise that there are still people today who are persecuted because of their sex, race, gender and religious beliefs.
“Our area has welcomed and provided a safe haven for those who suffered from the Holocaust and the Bosnian genocide. In times of trouble, our generous people have opened their doors and hearts to survivors.
“We are delighted that Jasmin has kindly and bravely offered to share his experiences, the discussion will highlight the continuing need for understanding between different cultures.”
The Srebrenica Memorial Day event has been organised with the support of AWAZ Cumbria, Dr Tony Foody, a History Teacher at Keswick School and Mohammed Dhalech.
School children and key partners have been invited to attend the event on Monday 8 July, however the event is open to all to attend. It will be held between 11am (10.45am arrival) and 12.30pm. If you’re interested in attending the event, please email Cumberland Council at events@cumberland.gov.uk
Remembering Srebrenica is committed to educating young people about the Srebrenica genocide and the valuable lessons that we must learn for our own communities.
They have developed a range of free resources which are available for free download, explore the links below to find the resources that would best suit your needs. These are available on the Remembering Srebrenica website.