Srebrenica Memorial Day
In 2009, the EU designated 11 July as Srebrenica Memorial Day. Since our founding in 2013, Remembering Srebrenica has helped organise community action to mark this day on and around this date.
Srebrenica Memorial Day honours the victims and survivors of the genocide. It offers a unique opportunity to remember the lives lost in Srebrenica, to highlight the continued consequences of genocide, and to reaffirm our own commitment to strong community relations here in the UK.
By holding a memorial day in your local community you take a significant step towards helping achieve this goal. It is through these powerful messages that we are all able to strengthen our resolve and send out a message to all those attempting to create divisions within our societies. For more information on how to engage the whole community, take a look at our information sheet.
There are a number of different ways that you can commemorate Srebrenica Memorial Day. Take a look below for some ideas of how you might want to get involved and bring your community together or read our case studies of others who have organised powerful memorial community action events in previous years.
Host a Film Screening
A powerful way to raise awareness of the impact of hatred and intolerance is to hold a film screening event. Remembering Srebrenica has a number of films you can show on our YouTube channel or take a look at some film suggestions. Please make sure you comply with any copyright requirements.
Hold a Women’s Event
Work with your networks or women’s groups to highlight the role of women in conflict using our presentation or take a look at some of the powerful stories from the Mothers of Srebrenica who fight for justice to this day.
Host a Community Meal
What better way to bring people together or learn about other cultures than through a shared meal. Read about our supporter Aida, a Bosnian who now lives in the UK and used a community meal at her work place to raise awareness of Srebrenica and bring people together. You can find some delicious Bosnian recipes for you to try here or why not hold an interfaith Iftar during Ramadan to bring those from different faiths together to learn about religion.
Run educational workshops for assemblies
Why not teach others about the lesson learned from Srebrenica and promote tolerance and the embracing of difference in schools and education institutions. Perhaps go back to your old school and present an assembly or if you are a teacher as a number of downloadable lesson plans for you to use in class. Take a look at our educational resources.
Hold a Bookclub
If you are a member of a book club, consider selecting one of our recommended books to learn more about the history of Bosnia or genocide to discuss in July and use as a way to bring people together to create dialogue around the issues of prejudice and intolerance.
Hold an Interfaith Event
We can use the lessons from Srebrenica to strengthen and develop interfaith relations at all levels, to provide an increasing awareness of the different and distinct faith communities in the UK, and to celebrate the contributions made by people of different faiths to their communities and to wider society. Why not organise a ‘Peace Walk’ between different faith venues in your town or if you are part of an interfaith group, you could read an interfaith prayer and light a candle for those who lost their lives promote understanding a dialogue between different groups.
Work with your Local Authority
Work with your local authority to organise a civic memorial event with your local community, trade union, school and library to create a powerful community event. These programmes can have a huge impact in bringing together communities in a collective act of remembrance to create a more cohesive society. Find out more about how your council can be involved or encourage your council to pass a motion to commemorate Srebrenica.
Creative Ideas
Consider artistic ways to hold an event. Dance, music, poetry, and photography create a unique element to any memorial event. Try holding a poetry slam as a way to express the emotions felt at Srebrenica or read out a poem about Srebrenica which has already been written. Creative workshops based on lessons from Srebrenica are excellent – creating your own version of the Srebrenica flower and write messages of peace on the petals or hold a photography exhibition, either using some already available photos or using your own photos from Srebrenica.
Take a look at our further resources below to help you plan your own memorial day. Remembering Srebrenica offers additional support with the planning and organising of your event. For more information or to discuss ideas please email events@srebrenica.org.uk
Resources
- How to engage your community information sheet
- Case studies of events
- List of films and link to YouTube channel
- Survivor Stories
- Bosnian Recipes
- Education Resources
- Suggested reading list
- Poems and prayers
- Guide for Councils
- Council Motion
- Photographs
- Media Guidance
- Template press release for promoting your event
