Bosnia and Herzegovina community in Birmingham celebrated the country’s Independence Day
Birmingham: The premises of the Bosnian House in Birmingham were full of BiH citizens and representatives of British organizations who came to celebrate the Independence Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The energy and atmosphere felt in Bosanska kuca were extraordinary. For this occasion a suitable cultural program was arranged. Children that attend Bosnian secondary school in Birmingham, with the help of their teachers Alma Aganović, Emir Bolić, Azra Bašić and Eldina Bolić, tried to entertain the attendees and show what they had prepared for this important day. Of course, the celebration of the national holiday would not be complete without the performance of the traditional Bosnian folk dancing group. Dressed in national costumes, they beautified the program with a mix of games, and the large audience selflessly rewarded them with applause.
Visitors had the opportunity to enjoy the exhibition “Man in the East” by Hadis Medencevic. The exhibition is a photographic story about the differences and similarities of people in the East, followed from Russia, Kyrgyzstan, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Malaysia and all the way to distant Japan, North and South Korea. Hadis Medencevic was born in Bosnia and has been living and working in Prague, Czech Republic since 1992. He received significant awards for his works, had a number of notable exhibitions, and his photos were used as illustrations for numerous books and news reports.
The results of the referendum (1st March 1992) enabled the international recognition of Bosnia and Herzegovina as an independent state. Since then, March 1st has been celebrated as the Independence Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On May 22, 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina became a member of the United Nations, and its national flag was placed in front of the headquarters in New York. Shortly after the declaration of independence, the four-year aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina began.
Acknowledgements were also given to Dr. Waqar Azmi OBE, president of the Remembering Srebrenica organization and patron of the BH UK Network for the continuous support he provides to our community in the UK; Hadis Medencevic, an artist from the Czech Republic, and Amra Dautovic, coordinator of the BH supplementary school Birmingham.
Dr. Anes Cerić, manager of BH UK Network. “We are a community that survived genocide and ethnic cleansing in Europe and found refuge in Great Britain. We are proud to celebrate the Independence Day of our homeland today in the Bosnian House in Birmingham, and in two weeks we will do it in the British Parliament. We are grateful for the solidarity and support we received from British society when we needed it most”
The message of all present BiH citizens from the Bosnian House is that we must build a better future for the new generations. We cannot forget the past, but we can learn from it, and go on the path of a common and more beautiful future.
