Report on commemoration after nineteen years since genocide in Srebrenica
This year I went to Srebrenica for the first time thanks to organization of Women in Black, although it's been a long time since I wanted to be present on that place of suffering. I don't belong to sort of people whose "patriotism" endangers others and who believe that conflicts can only be resolved with force, abuse or war, for such attitude results with and serves crimes.
I wanted to support the demand by the Women in Black to declare 11th of July the Memory Day of Genocide in Srebrenica. I know that activists of Women in Black fight to have denial of genocide in Srebrenica punishable by Law and I support them in that as well.
What impresses me even more is the fact that in Srebrenica I haven't heard a single voice that might insult or humiliate Women in Black, even though sometimes mourning and grief for the closest ones who died can produce hate that cannot allow forgiveness for a long time. Sole the words of sympathy and gratitude!!! This is certainly the result of many years of work by activists of this organization.
Given the attack on Women in Black that took place in Valjevo several days before the departure for Srebrenica, many people asked me weather I was afraid to go there. I was not afraid, but on the other hand the police followed us everywhere. It is true that there was probably more police then it was necessary, and that was the reason why other people who think alike couldn't join the protest. But, if they wanted to take part and support the Women in Black, they would have come to them, and the protest would have been even more efficient together with them.
Unfortunately, we live in an environment which doesn't allow information, nor truthfulness in informing. Such system, in which we've lived for a long time now, doesn’t educate children and young people in spirit of peaceful coexistence even in their own country. To have young people approach this organization and with their energy and youthful enthusiasm join the activists who have fought against different shapes of stereotypes in our lives for a long time, they need to be given a possibility to learn the truth about what happened in the past and to know that their lives won't be threatened if they join the fight for a better tomorrow.
I suppose that many would join the organization or support actions of Women in Black, if they had real information about the goals of the organization which are largely referred to as "non-Serbian".
Hatred and bigotry have been fed to us for years, so those who have the strength and the will to change social consciousness, to develop and contribute to building society which includes peace and tolerance, who stand for equality and respect of human rights and rights of minorities... unfortunately, they still can hardly win that fight, even in their closest environments, among their colleagues, friends, and very often even within their own families.
If someone ought to bring our countrymen and countrywomen to a higher level of living... Parents, mothers and fathers, schools, state elite (whom we elect, by the way) are the ones who ought to educate children in a way that they grow to be people who will appreciate the more peaceful and tolerant relation to those who surround them, on small space as well as on the world wide one, because that’s the only way they will manage to live well and not endanger others.
If ideas and work of Women in Black could touch brains of adults in a larger part, maybe we would have the fortune of changing the system in which we've lived for many years, and that would bring us piece of mind and joy of life.
In Krusevac
16th of July 2014
Bozana Ivanovic, LDP member
