Council to pay tribute to victims of the Srebrenica genocide
Birmingham: An exhibition of paintings by a British artist which depict aspects of the 11-day massacre in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica in 1995 will be displayed in the Council House this week.
Remembering Srebrenica together with the Bosnia and Herzegovina UK Network, both based in Birmingham, will be displaying paintings by artist Robert McNeil MBE, a forensic technician who worked for the United Nations in Bosnia gathering evidence of genocide.
This will form part of West Midlands Srebrenica Memorial Day event which will take place at the Council House on Thursday (11 July 2024) between 12.30pm-2.15pm and is open to the public.
The event, hosted by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham Cllr Ken Wood, will include readings, musical performances and testimony from genocide survivor Ernesa Ibišević-Hajdarević.
The Library of Birmingham will also be lit green as part of the council’s commemorations on 11 July to remember thousands who lost their lives in what was the worst atrocity on European soil since the Second World War.
This year marks the 29th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica, which saw more than 8,000 men and boys murdered because they were Muslims.
‘I am because you are’ is the theme for Remembering Srebrenica in 2024. Like Birmingham, Bosnia and Herzegovina was renowned as being a melting pot of culture and identities where Christians, Jews, Muslims and many other faiths lived side by side for generations.
Cllr Nicky Brennan, Cabinet Member for Social Justice, Community Safety and Equalities, said: “As an organisation that works with Remembering Srebrenica, we must ensure that we never forget about the genocide and reaffirm our commitment to standing up against all forms of hatred and prejudice – which have no place in our city.
“Our friends at Remembering Srebrenica and the Bosnia and Herzegovina UK Network have enabled us to display these paintings which depict the trauma of genocide and the wider Bosnian war on their communities – and we stand with them on Srebrenica Memorial Day.
“Now more than ever it is vital that we come together as people, regardless of our background, to celebrate diversity and stand together in solidarity – to help build a better future with hatred.”
For more information about Remembering Srebrenica, visit their website Remembering Srebrenica – Remembering the Bosnian Genocide
