Remembering Srebrenica held a full programme of commemorative community action events in 2015, both nationally and locally, to mark the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide.
In 2015 the following community action events took place:
UK-wide National Commemoration – Westminster Abbey, London – 6 July 2015
On Monday 6th July, 2,000 guests attended a Solemn Commemoration for Srebrenica Memorial Day at Westminster Abbey. The service included testimony from Munira Subasic of the Mothers of Srebrenica Association and addresses by key figures including President Bakir Izetbegović of Bosnia, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Greg Clarke, the Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina and former High Representative of Bosnia, Lord Paddy Ashdown.
Schoolchildren from a number of schools who had participated in the Srebrenica education programme and the Srebrenica Memorial football tournament also gave readings, as well as Colonel Bob Stewart MP, who was a UN Commander in Bosnia and discovered the Ahmići massacre.
This was followed by a reception at the State Apartment hosted by the Speaker of the House, the Right Honourable John Bercow and a reception at Number 10 Downing Street hosted by the Prime Minister.
Wales National Commemoration – National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff – 8 July 2015
The National Commemoration for Wales, organised by the Deputy Presiding Officer of the Welsh Assembly and our Welsh Chair Saleem Kidwai OBE, was held on Wednesday 8 July 2015. The event was hosted by First Minister Carwyn Jones and featured powerful survivor testimony from Nedzad Avdic, who survived the executions in Srebrenica, and Nura Begovic of the Mothers of Srebrenica Association.
Scotland National Commemoration – St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh – 10 July 2015
The National Commemoration for Scotland, organised by our Scottish board under the chairship of the very Reverend Lorna Hood, was held at St Giles Cathedral on Friday 10 July. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon spoke movingly about the genocide, and hosted a reception for guests at parliament following the event.
Belfast City Hall, Belfast
We were delighted this year to organise the first official commemoration of Srebrenica in Northern Ireland, held at Belfast City Hall on Sunday 5th July. The event brought together members of different communities in Belfast to hear survivor testimony of Bosnians living in the region, and has led to the creation of a strong Country Board for Northern Ireland under the chairship of Dr Ahmed Helmy.
There were more than 200 memorial community action events across the United Kingdom in Srebrenica Memorial Week, which ran from 5-12 July 2015. Here is an ‘at-a-glance’ list of some of the community action:
Premiere of ‘Srebrenica Survivors’, a film by Samir Mehanović – Sarajevo – 11 July 2015
Northern Ireland Inter-faith Forum and Belfast City Council – Srebrenica Memorial – Belfast
Faiths Forum for London – Audience with the Mothers of Srebrenica – London
Lewes District Council – Srebrenica Exhibition and Memorial Event – East Sussex
Derby Bosnia & Herzegovina Community Association – Srebrenica Commemoration – Derby
New North London Synagogue – Srebrenica Memorial Service – London
Leeds City Council – Srebrenica Memorial – Leeds
Ramadan Tent Project – Open Iftar hosting Mothers of Srebrenica and UpRising – London
Manchester Cathedral – Srebrenica Civic Remembrance Service – Manchester
Wiener Library & City Sikhs– ‘Living the Lessons from Srebrenica’ Panel Debate – London
Home Office and DCLG – Srebrenica Memorial and Exhibition – London
Glasgow Central Mosque – Srebrenica Memorial Iftar – Glasgow
Manchester Regional Board – Srebrenica Visual and Creative Workshop – Manchester
Royal Bank of Canada – Srebrenica Workplace Commemoration – London
Birmingham Central Mosque – Srebrenica Special Friday Prayer Sermon and Memorial Iftar – Birmingham
St George’s Church – Musical Reflection for Srebrenica – Birmingham
Manchester Regional Board – Srebrenica Flashmob – Manchester
Harris Library – Srebrenica Commemoration & Memorial Exhibition – Preston
Bromsgrove Council – Srebrenica Memorial – Bromsgrove
Makkah Masjid – Srebrenica Commemoration and Interfaith Iftar – Leeds
London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham – Srebrenica Memorial – London
North West Regional Board – ‘Stories of Survivors’: Film Screening and Panel Discussion – Manchester
London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council – Srebrenica Commemoration – London
Bishop Llandaff School – Srebrenica Documentary Screening – Cardiff
British Muslim Heritage Centre – Interfaith Iftar – Manchester
Brent Council – Srebrenica Memorial – London
St Margaret’s Church – Srebrenica Memorial Service – Altrincham
Bengali Women’s Project – Srebrenica Commemoration and Interfaith Awareness Day – Luton
Manchester Regional Board – Srebrenica Iftar and Poetry Session – Manchester
West Midlands Regional Board – Srebrenica Memorial – Stoke on Trent
Royal Holloway, University of London – Special Srebrenica Friday Prayer Sermon – London
Islamic Cultural Centre – Pathways Interfaith Meeting on Srebrenica – London
Brent Council – Srebrenica Memorial – London
Yorkshire and North East Regional Board – Srebrenica Iftar – Bradford
Waltham Forest Council – Srebrenica Memorial – London
Leyland Library – Srebrenica Memorial Exhibition and Documentary Screening – Leyland
Islamic Cultural Centre – Jummah Feature Stall on Srebrenica – London
Community Voluntary Services for Broxbourne and East Herts – Srebrenica Memorial – Broxbourne
Skelmersdale Library – Srebrenica Memorial Exhibition and Documentary Screening – Skelmersdale
Liberal Jewish Synagogue – Srebrenica Memorial Service – London
St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Bromley – Srebrenica Memorial Service – Bromley
Bradford City Council – Srebrenica Memorial and Ceremonial Stone Laying – Bradford
Kirklees Council – ‘The Srebrenica Genocide: Young People’s perspectives’ – Dewsbury
‘Lessons from Srebrenica’ – Creative Workshop – Sunderland
St Mary Magdalene Church – Musical Reflection for Srebrenica – New Milton
Media Museum – Halima’s Path Film Screening – Bradford
Cathays High School – Srebrenica Documentary Screening – Cardiff
General Synod – Srebrenica Commemoration – York
Huxlow Science College – Srebrenica Memorial Assembly – Northampton
Birmingham City Council – Srebrenica Memorial – Birmingham
Leicester Central Mosque – Srebrenica Memorial Iftar – Leicester
Shrewsbury Interfaith Forum – Srebrenica Commemoration – Shrewsbury
University of Birmingham Interfaith Association – Srebrenica Commemoration – Birmingham
Iota Gallery – Srebrenica ‘Witness’ Exhibition – Glasgow
Manchester Creative Studio School – Srebrenica Workshops – Manchester
Meifod Parish Church – Srebrenica Memorial Service – Powys
Hayes Muslim Centre – Srebrenica Special Friday Prayer Sermon and Iftar – London
The National Eisteddfod of Wales – Srebrenica Commemoration – Wales
Darul Isra Muslim Community Centre – Srebrenica Documentary Screening – Cardiff
Al Manaar Centre – Srebrenica Documentary Screening – Cardiff
Gina Melosi Jewellery – Srebrenica Silver Workshop – London
Preston City Council – Srebrenia Memorial Exhibition – Preston
Ali Jafri – Srebrenica Documentary Screening – London
Leicestershire General Hospital – Srebrenica Commemoration – Leicester
Masjid e Abu Bakr – Srebrenica Friday Prayer Sermon and Documentary Screening – Cardiff
Chorley Library – Srebrenica Memorial Exhibition and Documentary Screening – Chorley
UpRising – ‘XPerience 20’ – Srebrenica Commemoration and Intercultural Awareness Day – London
St Peter’s Collegiate Church – Srebrenica Memorial Service – Wolverhampton
British Muslim Youth – Srebrenica Memorial Iftar – Sheffield
East Midlands Regional Board – Srebrenica Commemoration – Northampton
Holy Family School – Srebrenica Workshop – Keighley
Innovate Walsall – Big Iftar and Remembering Srebrenica Community Event – Walsall
Masjid Ghausia – Srebrenica Memorial Prayer and Iftar – Huddersfield
Fitzalan High School – Srebrenica Documentary Screening – Cardiff
North Cestrian Grammar School – Srebrenica Memorial Service – Altrincham
Blackburn Cathedral – Srebrenica Memorial – Blackburn
Amnesty UK Europe – Srebrenica Vigil – London
Oldham Council and Oldham Faith Forum – Srebrenica Commemoration – Oldham
Dar-al-uloom Jamia Masjid – Srebrenica Memorial Prayer and Iftar – Sheffield
Accrington Library – Srebrenica Memorial Exhibition and Documentary Screening – Accrington
Bethnal Green Academy – Srebrenica Memorial Lessons – London
Peel Cathedral – Srebrenica Memorial Service – Isle of Man
Nelson Library – Srebrenica Memorial Exhibition and Documentary Screening – Nelson
Northampton Borough Council – Srebrenica Memorial – Northampton
Central Jammia Masjid – Special Srebrenica Friday Prayer Sermon – London
IDEA – ‘Living the Lessons from Srebrenica’ Debate – London
Rushden Academy – Srebrenica Memorial Assembly – Northamptonshire
Rawtenstall Library – Srebrenica Memorial Exhibition and Documentary Screening – Rawtenstall
Masjid e Bilal – Srebrenica Friday Prayer Sermon and Documentary Screening – Cardiff
Lancaster Library – Srebrenica Memorial Exhibition and Documentary Screening – Lancaster
East London Mosque – Srebrenica Special Friday Prayer Sermon and Iftar – London
Clitheroe Library – Srebrenica Exhibition and Documentary Screening – Clitheroe
Manchester Islamic Girls School – Srebrenica Memorial Assembly – Manchester
North Manchester Jamia Mosque – Srebrenica Memorial Iftar – Manchester
University of Edinburgh – Round table panel discussion: ‘Lessons learned for law, justice and practice’
Remembering Srebrenica Scotland – Srebrenica Memorial Iftar with the Mothers of Srebrenica – Edinburgh
Harrow Central Mosque – Srebrenica Memorial Iftar – London
St Annes Library – Srebrenica Memorial Exhibition and Documentary Screening – St Annes
BiH Community in North Staffordshire – Srebrenica Memorial Lunch – Stoke-on-Trent
Beatfreeks – Srebrenica Edition Poetry Jam – Birmingham
Abington Jame Masjid – Special Srebrenica Friday Prayer Sermon – Northampton
Beatfreeks – ‘Srebrenica Stories’ Storytelling Evening – Birmingham
Isle of Man Cathedral – Srebrenica Memorial Service – Isle of Man
Hillingdon Borough Mosque and Community Centre – Special Srebrenica Friday Prayer Sermon – London
University of Worcester – Srebrenica Seminar – Worcester
Northampton Central Mosque – Srebrenica Special Friday Prayer Sermon – Northampton
Fleetwood Library – Srebrenica Exhibition and Documentary Screening – Fleetwood
Al Mahdi Institute – Special Srebrenica Friday Prayer Sermon – Birmingham
Greenfields Community College – Srebrenica Memorial Assembly – County Durham
Madni Mosque and Community Centre – Srebrenica Special Friday Prayer Sermon – Wales
Deloitte – Srebrenica Workplace Commemoration – London
Conservative Muslim Forum – Srebrenica Commemoration – London
Masjid Umar – Special Srebrenica Friday Prayer Sermon – Leicester
Faiths Forum for London – Srebrenica Memorial – High Wycombe
Northampton Central Mosque – Special Srebrenica Friday Prayer Sermon – Northampton
Princes Trust – Srebrenica Commemoration – London
University Academy Keighley – Srebrenica Memorial Assembly – Keighley
Al Khoei Foundation – Srebrenica Memorial Documentary Screening – London
Nottingham Masjid – Special Srebrenica Friday Prayer Sermon – Northampton
Porter Croft School – Srebrenica Memorial Assembly – Sheffield
Remembering Srebrenica Bradford Delegates – Srebrenica Touring Exhibition for Schools – Bradford
Stand UP, Speak Out – Exhibition dedication to Srebrenica – Bradford
Jame Ghausia Masjid – Special Srebrenica Friday Prayer Sermon – Sheffield
Luton Borough Council – Srebrenica Commemoration and Iftar – Luton
Elays Network & Faith Forum for London – Srebrenica Memorial Screening and Iftar – London
Idara-e-Jaaferiya – Srebrenica Memorial Documentary Screening – London
Northamptonshire Police – Srebrenica Commemoration – Northampton
Hyderi Islamic Centre – Srebrenica Memorial – London
Burnley Library – Srebrenica Memorial Exhibition and Documentary Screening – Burnley
Al Noor Mosque – Srebrenica Special Friday Prayer Sermon – Wales
Greater Manchester Police – Srebrenica Commemoration – Manchester
Wembley Central Mosque – Srebrenica Memorial Iftar – London
Beatfreeks – Srebrenica Memorial Walk and Film Screening – Birmingham
Swansea University Mosque – Srebrenica Special Friday Prayer Sermon – Wales
International IDEA – Srebrenica Commemoration – Sweden
Masjid e Uthman – Srebrenica Special Friday Prayer Sermon – Wales
Abbey Gates Primary School – Srebrenica Memorial Assembly – Northampton
Luton Toastmasters – Srebrenica Memorial Presentation – Luton
Jamia Mosque Newport – Srebrenica Special Friday Prayer Sermon – Wales
St Catherine Hatcham – Srebrenica Memorial Service – London
Kettering Muslim Community Centre – Srebrenica Memorial – Northampton
Staffordshire University – Srebrenica Memorial Iftar – Stoke-on-Trent
St Anne’s Orthodox Christian Church – Srebrenica Memorial Service – Northampton
