Humanity has lived through the darkest of times, but few events have marked our collective consciousness more than the Srebrenica genocide.
Between 1992 to 1995, an inhumane plan was executed to ethnically cleanse Bosniak Muslims from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Bosnian Genocide was therefore a planned systematic and industrialised murder of just under 100,000 Muslims, displacement of two million people and the genocidal rape of up to 50,000 women simply because of their Muslim identity. In the space of just a few days in July 1995, over 8,000 Muslim men and boys were murdered and buried in mass graves in Srebrenica alone in what Judge Fouad Riad from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia described as ‘truly scenes from hell, written on the darkest pages of human history’.
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.
The 11th July has been designated as the official day of remembrance for the victims of Srebrenica. During this week each year, we are asked to honour the victims and survivors of the genocide, and pledge to create a better, stronger and more cohesive society in the United Kingdom.
There must be no empty pledges. We must ensure that people understand the horror that can be unleashed should we fail in our aim. The genocide in Srebrenica is truly the darkest moment of human history since the Second World War as thousands of innocent lives were taken as a result of nationalism which fuelled hatred against Muslims. By confronting this dark chapter of our collective history, we can illuminate the darkness with hope.
Every year, Remembering Srebrenica chooses a theme that honours the victims and survivors of the 1995 Bosnian genocide and speaks directly to the responsibilities we share in our society today.
This year, our theme is “We Are Here”.
“We Are Here” is the voice of survivors of genocide who endured unimaginable loss, yet stand today with dignity, courage and strength.
In July 1995, more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were murdered in and around Srebrenica simply because of who they were. Across Bosnia and Herzegovina, over 100,000 people were killed, approximately 50,000 women were raped, and more than two million people were displaced. The Bosnian genocide was the worst atrocity on European soil since the Second World War.
The intent was annihilation: to destroy a people, to erase their presence, to silence their future. But genocide did not have the final word. The survivors are here.
The Mothers of Srebrenica who lost sons, husbands, fathers and brothers, are here. Unwavering in their pursuit of truth and justice, they are determined that the names and stories of their loved ones will never be reduced to numbers. Their resilience is an act of defiance against hatred. Their voices carry across generations. As Munira Subašić, President of the Mothers of Srebrenica, reminds us:
“Today, our children are an example to others… They are engineers, doctors, lawyers, professors, and teachers. They did not commit acts of revenge. They are building their lives through success, not hate.”
The next generation is here.
Children and grandchildren of survivors are growing up in the United Kingdom. They are choosing education over revenge, contribution over bitterness, hope over hatred. They are living proof that those who sought to eradicate them have failed.
In the UK, “We Are Here” is visible in the thriving Bosnian community that has rebuilt life after displacement and trauma. For three decades, the Bosnia and Herzegovina UK Network, which is the voice of 10,000 survivors who arrived as refugees, has strengthened our towns and cities, supporting not only Bosnian survivors but also those fleeing conflict from Syria to Ukraine, with empathy rooted in lived experience.
Survivors and their children are now teachers, civil servants, healthcare workers, entrepreneurs, artists, and political and community leaders. They are contributing to the fabric of British society every day. They stand as a testament to what resilience, opportunity and solidarity can achieve.
But “We Are Here” does not belong to survivors alone. It belongs to all of us and to our shared responsibilities in society.
It belongs to everyone in the UK who stands shoulder to shoulder with survivors. To teachers who share survivor testimony in classrooms. To public authorities, employers, community and faith groups and our 1,500 Community Champions, eight English regional boards, and three national boards in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who gather each July to remember. To young people who bear witness and carry these stories forward.
When we listen, when we learn, when we speak out, we too say: “We are here”.
It belongs to those who risked their careers and safety to expose the truth: journalists such as Ed Vulliamy, Penny Marshall and Martin Bell OBE who reported from Bosnia and ensured the world could not look away.
It belongs to forensic technicians such as Robert McNeil MBE and Alison Anderson, who documented crimes and helped identify victims. To War Crimes Investigators such as Howard Tucker CBE, who worked tirelessly in the pursuit of truth. And to lawyers such as Sir Geoffrey Nice, who led the prosecution of Slobodan Milošević at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
Thirty years on, this theme is not only about remembrance. It is about responsibility.
Muslim men and boys murdered in the town of Srebrenica alone.
people displaced due to the genocide.
women victims of genocidal rape in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995.
people murdered across the country.
As hatred, division, dehumanisation and intolerance once again threaten our communities, “We Are Here” becomes a call to action. It reminds us that genocide begins with words, with prejudice left unchallenged, with hatred normalised, with neighbours turned into “others.”
We are here to challenge that.
We are here to reject hatred.
We are here to build cohesive communities where difference is not feared but valued.
“We Are Here” is a message to perpetrators past and present: you did not succeed. Survivors are here and their children are here. And it is a message to all of us: remembrance is not passive. To stand with survivors is to commit ourselves, actively, visibly and courageously, to ensuring that hatred and division do not prevail.
The UK’s Srebrenica Memoria Week in 2026 will run from 5th to 12th July and see hundreds of community actions taking place around the country, each organised by ordinary people who want to stand up against hatred. Some suggestions of what you can do include:
You can take part in Srebrenica Memorial Week by organising a memorial event or an activity. There is no singular way to commemorate the victims and honour the survivors of Srebrenica, and each event and activity is unique to the community with whom it is held. We have bespoke resources that can be used to organise a commemoration either online or in person.
Remembering Srebrenica has a new range of teaching resources for primary and secondary schools to download and use free-of-charge. Topics include the Srebrenica genocide, form time activities to encourage reflection on issues such as hatred and intolerance, and lessons on the Bosnian war. All lessons include survivor testimony and are focused on empowering young people to reflect on the lessons from Srebrenica and bring them into their own lives.
Local authorities are uniquely connected to the individuals and organisations in their area and by commemorating Srebrenica Memorial Day they can bring communities together, either online or in person, in a single act of remembrance to encourage everyone to reject hatred and help build more cohesive communities. From publishing a statement on a website and social media to lighting up a building in green and white or flying the Srebrenica flag from the town hall, councils can play an important role to honour and remember both the victims and survivors of the Srebrenica genocide. We have a template programme, presentation and speech with some content which you can adapt to suit the nature of your event.
We have significantly increased our engagement with police forces to try and address the rising levels of hate crime across the UK. The lessons from Srebrenica highlight the importance of tackling prejudice and intolerance before it escalates, and the need to root out the underlying causes of all forms of hate crime, as a failure to act can allow such levels of hatred to flourish with devastating consequences. We have developed a bespoke ‘Hate Crime and the Stages of Genocide’ resource available on our website.
Commemorating Srebrenica within your place of worship is a powerful and often meaningful way to connect with the lessons from Srebrenica. Whether you observe the Srebrenica genocide through prayers, sermons, or sharing stories in your place of worship, we have ready-made materials suitable for different faiths.
If you are an organisation, you can join our existing group of supporters in publishing a statement of commemoration on your website to mark Srebrenica Memorial Day and show your commitment to rejecting hatred and promoting equality for all.
If you are interested in organising an activity to commemorate in 2026, please get in touch with a member of the team who will be able to support your idea by emailing:
events@srebrenica.org.uk
Our vision is a society free from hatred. We work to achieve this goal through our objectives of Remember, Learn, Pledge.
We bring communities together to REMEMBER Srebrenica through organising commemoration activities in the UK.
memorial events and activities take place every year in schools, local authorities, places of worship, community centres, prisons and police forces right across the UK.
We take people out to Srebrenica on our ‘Lessons from Srebrenica’ educational visits programme to LEARN from the survivors of the genocide. We also work with schools and institutions across the UK to teach people to stand up to hatred and intolerance.
young people have been educated about Srebenica and the consequences of hatred.
We create Community Champions who PLEDGE to stand up to hatred and intolerance in their communities.
Community Champions created who pledge to stand up to hatred and intolerance in their communities.
In 2025 we marked the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide. For this milestone year, we held over 1,000 memorial activities in schools, town halls, places of worship, community centres and places of work across different cities and towns in the UK, bringing people together to honour the victims and help raise awareness about the importance of rejecting hatred and building more cohesive communities.
The UK National Srebrenica Memorial Day Ceremony was held at St Paul’s Cathedral, London which was attended by nearly 2,000 guests including the Deputy Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Angela Rayner MP, Members of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency, His Excellency President Denis Bećirović and His Excellency President Željko Komšić the Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina, His Eminence Husein ef. Kavazović.
At the UK National Ceremony Munira Subašić, survivor of the genocide and President of the Mothers of Srebrenica and Žepa Enclaves, and Elmina Kulašić, survivor of the Trnopolje concentration camp, spoke powerfully about their own experiences.
In July, we also held a UK National Wreath Laying Ceremony at Westminster Abbey, which was attended by the His Excellency Ambassador Osman Topčagić, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and survivors of the genocide and ethnic cleansing along with key dignitaries and guests. The UK National Wreath Laying Ceremony was led by the Minister for Faith and Communities, Lord Khan of Burnley and the Rt. Hon. Caroline Nokes, Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons.
We also marked the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, hosting President Željko Komšić in Oxford for our first Presidential Lecture, held at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies. Alongside this activity were President Komšić’s visits to Parliament and Bosnia House for Statehood Day celebrations, hosted by the Bosnia and Herzegovina UK Network.
With these commemorations, as well as services and community activities we are proud that outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Britain is the largest commemorator of the Bosnian genocide in the world.
“The UN General Assembly … urges all States to fully adhere to their obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, as applicable, and customary international law on the prevention and punishment of genocide, with due regard to relevant decisions of the International Court of Justice; Requests the Secretary-General to establish an outreach programme entitled “The Srebrenica Genocide and the United Nations”, starting its activities with preparations for the thirtieth anniversary in 2025, and also requests the Secretary General to bring the present resolution to the attention of all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system and civil society organizations for appropriate observance; Invites all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system, other international and regional organizations and civil society, including non-governmental organizations, academic institutions and other relevant stakeholders to observe the International Day, including special observances and activities in memory and honour of the victims of the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica, as well as appropriate education and public awareness-raising activities.”
United Nations General Assembly Resolution: May 2024 (extract)
“The terrible events that occurred at Srebrenica in July 1995 are historical facts and have been documented extensively. Both the ICTY and the International Court of Justice have concluded that the acts committed at Srebrenica constituted genocide. The ICTY has determined the criminal responsibility of different individuals for the Srebrenica massacre and has convicted them of genocide. To help prevent future such atrocities, we must look honestly at the past, and acknowledge that these crimes occurred.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres
“The European Parliament calls on the Council and the Commission to commemorate appropriately the anniversary of the Srebrenica Potočari act of genocide by supporting Parliament’s recognition of 11 July as the day of commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide all over the EU, and to call on all the countries of the Western Balkans to do the same.”
EU Resolution: 15 January 2009
“We stand by Bosnia and Herzegovina citizens as they commemorate and honour the memory of the citizens lost in the act of genocide that took place in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica. This was an act of genocide of a scale unseen in Europe for decades, and a tragedy which should never be allowed to occur. We will never forget these events.”
Joint statement by the UK and German governments
I would like to thank the MHCLG for continuing to support Remembering Srebrenica and our twelve boards across the country for their tireless work to remember, learn and pledge. I would also like to thank our 1,500 Community Champions, Patrons and Trustees, and all our supporters who make our work possible.
Alison Anderson MBE
Chair of Scotland Board of Ambassadors, Remembering Srebrenica UK
Josephine Grech
Co-Chair of Wales
Adam Poole
Co-Chair of Wales
Peter Osborne
Chair of Northern Ireland
Smajo Bešo OBE
Chair of the North East
Cllr Sabiya Khan
Chair of Yorkshire
Dr Helen Connolly
Chair of East of England
Dr Kim Sadique
Chair of East Midlands and Academic Advisory Board
Dania Hanif
Chair of London and South East
Richard Burden
Chair of West Midlands
Neil Sledge
Co-Chair of North West
Yusuf Tai
Co-Chair of North West
Cara Hall
Co-Chair of South West
David Morgan
Co-Chair of South West
Layla Harrison
Co-Chair of South West
Cara Hall
Co-Chair of South West
David Morgan
Co-Chair of South West
Layla Harrison
Co-Chair of South West
Chair, Dr Waqar Azmi OBE
BiH Country Director, Elmina Kulašić
Operations Manager, Aron Môn
Policy and Operations Manager, Luke Scott
Howard Tucker CBE
Robert McNeil OBE
Abi Carter (Patron, Remembering Srebrenica Wales)
Rt Hon Baroness Warsi
Baroness Hussein-Ece OBE
Baroness Alicia Kennedy of Cradley
Rt Hon Baroness D’Souza CMG
Baroness Mobarik CBE
Baroness Hodgson of Abinger CBE
Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon OBE
Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP
Nusrat Ghani MP
Martin Vickers MP
Yasmin Qureshi MP
Afzal Khan MP
Saqib Bhatti MP
Dr Waqar Azmi OBE, Chair
His Excellency Vanja Filipović
Dr Sabiha Shahid-Azmi
Moin Azmi
Dr Helen Connolly
Dr John Short
Bosnia House, 639–641 Stratford Road, Birmingham, B11 4AE, UK
+44 (0)121 454 3343 info@srebrenica.org.uk
This page is a web version of the 2026 Theme and Impact Report, which has also been published as a PDF. To download the PDF, please click the button below.
