I will never forget walking around the factory site at Potočari, where thousands of Bosnian men and boys were deliberately slaughtered in a brutal act of genocide.
The cold, empty and vacant space, and the walls lined with individual stories and mementoes, leave an indelible impression of horror that sinks deep into your bones. It makes the beholder question humanity, and ask how anyone could possibly survive losing their family in such evil circumstances.
But in powerful contrast to that evil, I encountered such deep goodness in the Mothers of Srebrenica, and in the dignity and poise with which they live their lives and hold onto the memories of their children. Their decision to reject vengeance and hatred is a level strength that left me speechless.
The pain of the survivors of Bosnia’s war will never go away. It is magnified by those who still callously deny history. It is therefore all the more important that all of us, as friends of the Bosnian people, help ensure the memory of Srebrenica can never fade. We must stand by Bosnia today and long into the future—in honour of all those who died, and in solidarity with those who mourn them still.
