The permanent exhibition provides documentary scenes of what was left of Srebrenica in the wake of this genocide. With photographs and videos of the “wall of death”, family portraits, scenes of survivors lives, the scattered and gathered remains of the victims, and offensive graffiti, the gallery portrays the impossible justice and the abolition of time split between Anne Frank and the women of Srebrenica.

Visitors of the Gallery 11/07/95 are not just passive observers of the exhibit – they are living witnesses to the horror and injustice.

Through a wide range of multimedia content – images, maps, audio and video materials, the Gallery aims to offer its visitors the documentary and artistic interpretation of the events that took place during July 1995."

I thought I should leave you with a few photos from this gallery, now these photos are not mine, they belong to Tarik Samarah (the photographer) and I just got them off the internet, but I thought as so many people will have the chance to go to beautiful Sarajevo, it might be in your interests to see a few photos here. 

I'm not sorry for the distressing content, it has to be seen. And although it may seem out of place on my blog, it is something so close to my heart that I had no choice but to share it. Especially today, the 11th July, marking 20 years exactly since the genocide.

Remember to keep the victims and their families in your thoughts today, as they are in mine everyday.

xxx

In 1993, Srebrenica had been declared a UN Safe Area, under the watch of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR). In July 1995, Bosnian Serb paramilitary units overran and captured the town, despite its designation as an area 'free from any armed attack or any other hostile act.'

In the days following Srebrenica's fall, 8,372 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were systematically massacred and buried in mass graves. It was the greatest atrocity on European soil since the Second World War."

xxx

In July 1995, in the midst of war in the former Yugoslavia, around 8,000 Muslim men and teenaged boys were massacred at Srebrenica. Now Myriam, a British Muslim, is visiting the site with a group of young people - all of whom were born in the year of the genocide. In an often emotional trip they learn first-hand how easily prejudice can take hold and why this story has important lessons for us all in multicultural Britain today.

The diverse group of young people include Julie, the daughter of Colonel Bob Stewart, who was United Nations Commander of the British forces in Bosnia in the early 90s; and medical student Abdul, who is astonished that he didn’t hear about the story in school. He wonders why, as he feels that “when Muslim people die you don’t learn about it as much.”

The group are all ‘delegates’ for a British charity called Remembering Srebrenica. It is the organiser of UK events for Srebrenica Memorial Day on the 11 July. The UK is the only EU country to officially designate such a day of remembrance.

On this trip, Myriam observes the British students discovering what the story of Srebrenica means for us in Britain today and why it’s so important to remember."

On July the 11th 2015, the UK will be commemorating the 1995 genocide in Bosnia. 8372 unarmed civilians were victims of ethnic cleansing.

To find out more I've got a few links for you...

Survivors stories

Show your support at events

Obviously thanks to my parents Bosnia will always be a very important part of my life, even though I have never been there, as my parents both played important roles in what happened. And of course they met and fell in love there... Leading to the birth of moi! Hence why all my life I have been called the Bosnia baby. 

I don't know a lot about what happened back then, partly due I think to my parents not wanting to talk about it as a way of shielding us from the more evil side of the world. For this I am grateful as I grew up happy and naive, but now I believe it's time that I learnt more. 

When I was younger my dad once tried to show me some footage he had of his experience and I remember becoming distraught over what I was seeing. I'm sure I will have the same reaction, as I am tearing up thinking about it now, but I believe that I will be even prouder of my parents for all their accomplishments.

 The photos I have included in this post are from when my dad was with the United Nations in Bosnia, where he spent time in 1992 and 1993. My mother was also there as a delegate for the Red Cross, where she looked after Prisoners of War and helped achieve peace.

"Remembering Srebrenica is a British charity. It recognises that we have achieved a lot in terms of building a cohesive society here in the UK, but discrimination, promotion of hatred, extremism, and exclusion persist, and we must play our part, no matter how large or small, to create a better and safer society for all. Remembering Srebrenica is the organiser of the UK events for the EU-designated Srebrenica Memorial Day, which takes place annually on 11 July. It runs a tailored education programme called Lessons from Srebrenica, which sees groups of delegates visit Bosnia and Herzegovina. The aim is to teach delegates the lessons of the country’s grim past to better inform the present. Alongside this, the charity conducts an awareness raising campaign, which is aimed at countering discrimination and building stronger community relations." - http://srebrenica.org.uk/