On 1st July 2025, the West Midlands board of Remembering Srebrenica held a memorial event at the Council House, Victoria Square, in conjunction with Birmingham City Council and the Bosnia and Herzegovina UK Network, to mark the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide.
Here are the introductions from the programme brochure that was distributed at the event:
Richard Burden
Chair of Remembering Srebrenica West Midlands Board
Welcome to the 2025 West Midlands commemoration of the Bosnian genocide. Thirty years have passed since the systematic murder of 8,372 men and boys in and around the town of Srebrenica. For many of us, and most acutely for the loved ones who survived, it still feels like yesterday.
The theme of this year’s commemoration is “Remember Yesterday. Act Today”. We remember those who were killed in the genocide and we stand with their families who continue to work for justice and accountability.
Those who died were murdered simply because of their identity as Muslims. They died because of hate.
We act today because we know that hate must be opposed wherever and whenever it rears its head.
In Bosnia today, extremist politicians are once again stirring up sectarianism to threaten the peace settlement that brought the bloodshed of the 1990s to an end.
In the Middle East, Israelis live with traumatic legacy of the atrocity that was inflicted on them in October 2023. Just a few miles away, tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians have been killed over the past two years. The killing and starvation goes on in defiance of a ruling by the International Court of Justice that the people of Gaza must be protected from the threat of genocide.
While we in the UK have been spared such horrors, even here hate crime is on the rise and last summer’s riots showed how quickly hate can turn to violence.
It doesn’t have to be like this.
Survivors of the Bosnian genocide explicitly reject revenge and work for a tomorrow where the rights of all are respected, irrespective of their race, faith or identity.
Their message is one for our times – here in the West Midlands as well as internationally.
Thank you for joining us in our commitment to Remember Yesterday and Act Today.
Dr Anes Cerić
Honorary Consul of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Midlands
It is with deep respect and solemn reflection that we welcome you to the 2025 West Midlands Commemoration of the Srebrenica Genocide. This year marks 30 years since over 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were murdered in Srebrenica, Europe’s worst atrocity since the Second World War. We gather today not only to remember those who were killed, but to reaffirm our shared commitment to confronting hatred, upholding truth and standing with survivors and their families.
I extend heartfelt thanks to everyone participating in today’s memorial – our speakers, performers, civic leaders, diplomats, and members of the public. Your presence demonstrates that the lessons of Srebrenica matter not only to Bosnia and Herzegovina, but to us all, here and now.
I especially wish to thank the United Kingdom for its continued commitment to commemorating the genocide at a national level, and to Remembering Srebrenica UK for its tireless work in promoting education, awareness, and unity across communities. Through these acts of remembrance, the UK stands as a beacon of solidarity and moral clarity.
Today’s programme brings together survivors, young people, artists, and public servants to honour the past and inspire hope for the future. The performances from the National Theatre in Sarajevo, the voices of our youth, and the messages from leaders across the region remind us that remembrance must lead to action.
As we say, “Remember Yesterday, Act Today.” In a time when hate speech, denial, and division continue to threaten communities at home and abroad, our collective memory must be a foundation for building peace and mutual respect.
Let us never forget the consequences of silence and indifference. And let us honour the memory of the victims by committing ourselves to creating a world where dignity, justice, and humanity prevail. Thank you for standing with us.
Video and photos credit: World News Television Network