Srebrenica Memorial Day
Paying tribute to victims of the Genocide, sending a clear message to future generations to say ‘Never Again’.
What is Memorial Day?
On 23rd May 2024, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the following resolution:
“The General Assembly … decides to designate 11 July as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica, to be observed annually … [and] invites all Member States … 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.”
Remembering Srebrenica holds a national memorial day on 11th July. We invite councils, schools, religious and civic institutions to join us in marking Srebrenica Memorial Day in remembrance of the genocide of 1995.
Why We Remember
By remembering the pain of the past and learning its lessons, we can together resolve that it must never happen again. This is why the work of organisations such as the United Kingdom’s Remembering Srebrenica is so vitally important .
The UK is the largest commemorator of the Srebrenica genocide in the world, holding more than 1,000 memorial activities annually and educating over 250,000 young pupils on the lessons from Srebrenica.
Looking Back at the 25th Anniversary
The 25th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide was due to be held in St Paul’s Cathedral but could not go ahead due to COVID-19. It was instead marked with the UK National Srebrenica Memorial Day Ceremony taking place entirely online, allowing people across the UK and around the world to virtually come together to commemorate this important anniversary.
Over 20,000 people attended the live UK Srebrenica Memorial Day Commemoration in 2020.
Memorial Day Reflections
Commemorations are powerful events that leave a lasting impression on the people who attend them. They offer an opportunity not only to remember the lives lost, but to reflect on the lessons we can learn from these tragedies and to pledge to take action to ensure that we prevent similar atrocities taking place again.
Attendee Pledges
Commemorations are powerful events that leave a lasting impression on the people who attend them.
Past Pledges
MPs’ and Peers’ Memorial Day Pledges 2016
In 2016, with the help of Yasmin Qureshi MP, we provided an opportunity for members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords to write a pledge for Srebrenica.
Fulfilling the Pledge: Misba Sheikh
“We have a duty to the victims in Bosnia, to recognise their plight and make sure their story is heard and recorded accurately” – Misba Sheikh, lawyer.
Fulfilling the Pledge: Saleem Kidwai OBE
Secretary General — Muslim Council Of Wales. “I was aware of the division of Yugoslavia and the ethnic tensions, but it was the Srebrenica genocide which really hit me …”
Fulfilling the Pledge: The Very Rev Dr Lorna Hood
The Very Rev Dr Lorna Hood is a retired Minister of the Church of Scotland and former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
Message from the Chairman
Dr Waqar Azmi OBE, Chairman of Remembering Srebrenica, talks about his reasons for establishing the charity and its ongoing work.
I grew up with the harrowing scenes of the war in Bosnia on our television screens – watching neighbour turn against neighbour, friend against friend, ethnicity against ethnicity. I will never forget the Omarska concentration camp, and that ethnic cleansing, systematic mass rape and genocide were all happening in Europe.
