It was the single worst atrocity committed on European soil since the Second World War – yet the Srebrenica genocide is an event that is often left out of history lessons and spoken about even less in the media.
Remembering Srebrenica is a charity that aims to change that. The charity is dedicated to creating a safer and better society for all, using the horrors of the Srebrenica genocide to demonstrate what happens when discrimination, extremism and exclusion are allowed to flourish.
Anousheh Haghdadi is the co-ordinator for Remembering Srebrenica in the South West and will be speaking about her work at The Friendship Café on Monday the 6th of February, as part of the Spirit of Peace Community Bring and Share Supper.
David Bennett, a volunteer for Spirit of Peace, said, “Anousheh is a trained lawyer and human rights advocate who is passionate about educating people about the horrors of the Bosnian war and tackling hatred and intolerance through community cohesion.
“The effect of hate crime should not be underestimated. Not only does it impact the life of the victim, but it can also have a ripple effect across an entire community”.
Gloucestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl visited Srebrenica in 2014 as part of a trip organised by the Foreign Office.
“We were there to pay tribute to those who had died in the war, and to gain an understanding of the extent of the atrocities. It was an incredibly moving experience; one image that will forever be in my mind is the seemingly endless rows upon rows of white gravestones that identify remains, not bodies.
“I do not presume to be an expert on what was an extremely complex episode in a very brutal war, but what I do know, is that this horrific loss of human life is unjustifiable. It is imperative that we learn the lessons from history, and I applaud Anousheh Haghdadi and everyone at Remembering Srebrenica for keeping the memory of the genocide alive, in order to prevent such horrors from happening again”.
Justice after Genocide – Lessons from Srebrenica is at The Friendship Café, Chequers Bridge Centre, Painswick Rd, Gloucester, on Monday 6th February, 7pm. Admission is free and all are welcome. There is plenty of parking and wheelchair accessibility at the venue. Everyone is warmly invited to bring food if possible, which does not contain alcohol or meat, to share.
For more information contact Eleanor.mccloskey@gloucestershire.pnn.police.uk or Imran Atcha imran@thefriendshipcafe.comor visitwww.srebrenica.org.uk
