As we have done in the past, we are providing you with a brief report regarding our actions for this period. If you are interested in more detailed information you can find it on our website at www.zeneucrnom.org or by contacting us by mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
We would like to thank you in advance, in solidarity.
Street actions: in this reporting period, street actions were dedicated to the campaign to proclaim July 11 as a day to remember the genocide in Srebrenica, for the commemoration of significant dates and of crimes committed in our name as well as for actions of feminist-antimilitarist and antifascist character.
May 9, Europe Day, the day of victory over fascism. Performance on Republic Square, organized by Women in Black and Queeria Center from Belgrade.
May 11 – “Day to Remember Genocide in Srebrenica – Proclaim it”, a protest in front of the Presidency of Serbia and public reading of a letter addressed to President Boris Tadic, demanding that he proclaim July 11 as “Day to Remember Genocide in Srebrenica”. This protest was organized with other human rights organizations: the Humanitarian Law Center, Youth Initiative for Human Rights and the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia. We have organized such a protest on the 11th of every month since February 2009.
June 5 – “Everything for Peace, Health and Knowledge and Nothing for Armament”, women`s peace march in Leskovac during which the following feminist-antimilitarist performances took place: “Let’s expel militarism from our lives”; “We go slowly to arrive surely” - women’s peace caterpillar; “Let’s demilitarize ourselves, let’s demilitarize our environment” – peace parachute. Over fifty women from the network of Women in Black took part in the march, from the following cities: Niš, Belgrade, Pirot, Leskovac, Vlasotince, Dimitrovgrad, Kraljevo, Kruševac, Novi Sad and Sremski Karlovci. Activists from Vukovar (Croatia), USA and Great Britain also participated.
June 11 – “July 11 – Day to Remember Genocide in Srebrenica – Proclaim it”.
June 15 – Antimilitarist action in Belgrade as part of the Global Week of Action against Gun Violence – IANSA (International Action Network on Small Arms); Women in Black took part in this action together with a group of activists from Mali Lošinj in Croatia.
July 10 – “July 11 – Day to Remember Genocide in Srebrenica – Proclaim it”.
July 10 -- “To not forget the genocide in Srebrenica” vigil on Republic Square in Belgrade, to mark fourteen years since the genocide in Srebrenica; performance “We Remember – Responsibility, Solidarity”. Around one hundred fifty activists attended the protest, from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, (Bihać and Sarajevo), Italy (Udine, Padova, Verona, Bologna), Spain, (Madrid and Santander), Israel, USA, Great Britain, India and Sweden. During this peaceful protest we were subjected to agressive verbal threats and attacks organised by clero-fascist organisations.
August 11 – “July 11 – Day to Remember Genocide in Srebrenica – Proclaim it”.
Facing the past/transitional justice – a feminist approach
This is one of the most important activities of Women in Black, which consists of many parts: Street actions, workshops, lectures, various models of transitional justice from a feminist approach, and cooperation with partner organisations in joint activities (campaigns, consultative meetings).
Street actions: aside from those street actions already mentioned, we realised other activities as well.
Visiting places where crimes were committed in our name:
Sarajevo – May 9, 2009: Unveiling of a monument for those children killed during the Serbian seige of Sarajevo from 1992 to 1995. Two Women in Black activists attended at the invitation of the Union of Parents of Murdered Children.
Bratunac – May 12, 2009: burial of the remains of 33 Bosnians murdered during the Serbian agression on Bosnia and Herzegovina and the genocide in 1992. Four of our activists from Belgrade were present.
Višegrad – May 25, 2009: We were present at the commemoration “3000 roses for three thousand murdered” on the bridge Mehmed Paša Sokolović, for Bosnians murdered during the Serbian agression on Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995. Thirteen activists from the Women in Black network attended.
Srebrenica/Potočari, July 11, 2009: .We attended the burial of the remains of 543 Bosnians killed during the genocide in Srebrenica in 1995. 48 people attended from the following places: Serbia (Belgrade, Dimitrovgrad, Vlasotince, Leskovac, Novi Sad and Kraljevo); Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo, Bihać); Spain (Madrid, Santander); Italy (Bologna, Udine, Padova, Verona) as well as from Sweden and India.
Storm – August 4, 2009: Commemoration in Saint Marco’s Church dedicated to the victims among Serbs from Krajina during Operation Storm in Croatia in August 1995. Two Women in Black activists attended.
Women`s solidarity against the policy of impunity for war crimes: actions of women`s solidarity, mutual support, exchange and cooperation in the region, with the aim of building a just peace. During this period we organized visits by women from Bosnia and Herzegovina, survivors of the genocide in Srebrenica in 1995 and of the massacre in Prijedor in 1992.
June 27-July 1: Visit from Šuhra Malić from Potočari/Srebrenica, survivor of the genocide in Srebrenica and activist for peace and justice in the region. Her testimony was published in our anthology Women’s Side of War and is also part of Dah Theater’s performance Crossing the Line. We invited her to watch the performance with us and during her visit we also organized meetings with our activists in Belgrade, Sremski Karlovci and Novi Sad.
July 8-10: Visit from Mother Meira Dautović, survivor of the massacre in Prijedor, one of the most significant activists in the region and author of several books in which she bears witness, such as Mother Meira Offers and Seeks the Truth and The Bloody Truth of Prijedor. Her testimony is also part of a theatrical performance by Dah Theater, which she had the opportunity to see on July 9 in Belgrade. Mother Meira took part in all activities organized by Women in Black during this period. We also organized a meeting between Mother Meira and Žanka Stojanović, a mother whose son was murdered during the 1999 Nato bombing. Such meetings are very significant for strenthening the solidarity between victims of different nationalities and mutual cooperation in building a just peace
in the region.
In this period we also organized the following visits and exchanges with victims of war:
Tuzla (Bosnia and Herzegovina), June 23: Visit with the Association of Srebrenica Women.
Potočari June27: Meeting with a group of women from Srebrenica.
Potočari/Srebrenica, June 13 and July 1: Women in Black activists participated in the Organising Board for commemorating July 11, 1995 – 14 years since the genocide against Bosnians, “Not to forget”. The activists of Women in Black were the only participants invited from Serbia to take part in the activities of the Organising Board.
Punishment of crime – the way to a just peace: attending trials of the Special Court in front of the War Crimes Chamber in Belgrade.
The trials for war crimes in Podujevo: On March 28 1999 in Podujevo (Kosovo), members of the “Scorpions” (Djukić Željko, Medić Dragan and Šolaja Miodrag) which was active as a reserve unit within the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, killed and severely wounded 19 civilians of Albanian nationality on Rahmana Morine street in Haljim Gashi’s yard.
To date, the only member of the “Scorpions” convicted for the war crimes committed in Podujevo is Saša Cvjetan, who was sentenced to twenty years in prison.
The trial began on September 8, 2008 and Women in black activists monitored the trial sessions on:
May – 11, 12, 13, 14,
June – 15, 16, 17, 18 – Verdict: Željko Djukić, Dragan Medić and Dragan Borojević were convicted and received the maximum sentence of twenty years in prison, while Miodrag Šolaja was sentenced to fifteen years in prison.
Trial for war crimes in Zvornik: During the Serbian agression on Bosnia and Herzegovina, in May and June of 1992, in the municipality of Zvornik, the acused, Branko Grujić from Mali Zvornik (president of the temporary government, president of war headquarters and the war secretariat) and Branko Popović (also known as Marko Pavlović) from Sombor (territorial defense commander and member of war headquarters), tortured around 700 Muslim civilians (according to the indictment of the Serbian Special Court for war crimes), women, children and men from the villages of Klis, Djulići, Grbavci, Kučić Kule, Grebe, Šetići, who were then killed in Gerina klanica.
The trial began on November 10, 2008.
In this period sessions were held on:
May – 18, 19, 20
June – 8, 9, 10
Trial for war crimes in Lovas:
Members of the Yugoslav National Army and the paramilitary formation “Dušan the Great” killed around 70 Croatian civilians in Lovas in October 1991. Activists of the Women in Black network have followed the trial from the very beginning, in April 2008. In this period, sessions were held on the following dates:
May – 21
June – 24, 25, 26, 29, 30
Vehabia Trial: the trial began on January 14, 2008 in front of the Special Court Organized Crime Chamber in Belgrade.
Fifteen individuals were indicted: Senad Ramović, Jasmin Smajlović, Adnan Hot, Nedžad Memić, Fuad Hodžić, Mirsad Prentić, Erhan Smailović, Senad Vejselović, Vahid Vejselović, Mehmedin Koljši, Husein Čuljak, Aldin Puljić, Memić Bekta, Safet Bećirović and Berbo Damir.
According to the indictment of September 14, 2007, the accused are charged with a crime which is in opposition to the constitution, connected to the war crime of terrorism and illegally owning fire arms and explosives. They were arrested during the March 16, 2007 police action in which Ismail Prentić was killed. During the reporting period we attended the following trial sessions:
May – 20
June – 23, 24, 25
July – 3, verdict
During this reporting period, we followed 25 sessions in front of the Special Court. Women in Black activists (Persa Vučić and Miloš Urošević) attended all trials, accompanied from time to time by other activists of the Women in Black Network in Serbia, who reported on the trials within the internal network as well as the international network with which we cooperate.
Artistic engagement in facing the past/transitional justice
In this period we continued our mutual work and cooperation with art associations and professional theaters, and with artists engaged in the artistic expression of women’s resistance to war, war crimes, repression and human rights abuses.
June, 28, 2009, Novi Sad: Infant Festival (36th International Festival of Alternative and New Theater), Crossing the line was performed by Dah Theater. The piece is based on our book Women’s Side of War, published in 2007 in Serbian, in 2008 in Albanian and in 2009 in English. The performance is directed by Dijana Milošević and features actresses Sanja Krsmanović-Tasić, Ivana Milenović and Maja Mitić. Šuhra Malić, author of one of the testimonies featured in the piece, attended the perfomance from Srebrenica.
July, 9 2009, Belgrade: Crossing the line was performed by Dah Theater. The piece is based on our book Women’s Side of War, published in 2007 in Serbian, in 2008 in Albanian and in 2009 in English. The performance is directed by Dijana Milošević and features actresses Sanja Krsmanović-Tasić, Ivana Milenović and Maja Mitić. Mother Meira from Bihać (whose testimony was artistically presented in the performance) was present as well as activists from the international network of Women in Black from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Spain, India, Israel, Kosovo and Great Britain.
Educational activities: Conferences, workshops and lectures on transitional justice
Belgrade, July 9 and 10, 2009: Transitional justice – a feminist approach – international conference organised by Women in Black and Dah Theater. We held the following sessions: Institutional mechanisms of transitional justice; The experience of the War Crimes Chamber of the District Court – Special Court in Belgrade.
Speakers included: Mioljub Vitorović, deputy war crimes prosecutor for the Belgrade District Court – Special Court; Vesna Rakić-Vodinelić, dean of the Faculty of Law Union in Belgrade; Dragoljub Todorović, Belgrade lawyer; Marijana Toma, Impunity Watch (moderator).
Does the legal system achieve justice? About the responsibility and initiatives of civil society in achieving justice Participants included: Memnuna Nuna Zvizdić, executive director of the NGO Women to Women, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Dr. Martin Alonso, philosophy, Santander, Spain; Patrizia Tough, Women in Black, Bologna, Italy; Nora Ahmetaj, human rights activist, Kosovo; Nataša Kandić, executive director, Humanitarian Law Center, Belgrade; Ljupka Kovačević, coordinator for peace education, Anima Center, Kotor, Montenegro; Miloš Urošević, Women in Black, Belgrade; Marijana Toma, Impunity Watch (moderator).
The engagement of art in facing the past/transitional justice – About the process of creating the performance Crossing the line, Dah Theater, based on the book Women’s Side of War, published by Women in Black; participants included: Dijana Milošević, director, Maja Mitić, Sanja Krsmanović-Tasić and Ivana Milenović, actresses and Boban Stojanović (moderator).
An alternative legal system – About women’s tribunals
Panelist: Corinne Kumar, international coordinator for women’s tribunals and secretary general of El Taller International, Tunisia (also a founding member of the Asian Women`s Human Rights Council, Bangalore, India); Nuna Zvizdić (moderator).
Discussion of a feminist approach to justice – reflections and experiences
Participants included activists from Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mother Meira Dautović), Žanka Stojanović, Association of employees of National Radio and Television of Serbia killed during the Nato bombing of 1999, as well as activists of the Women in Black network from Serbia and participants of the international conference. Jadranka Milićević, Girls Fondation, Sarajevo and Staša Zajović, Women in Black, Belgrade moderated the panel.
The international conference was held on July 9, in Dah Theater and at the Center for Cultural Decontamination, on July 10. It was attended by activists from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Italy, Spain and USA.
Joint initiatives on transitional justice: consultations, conferences, seminars....
Campaign “Day to Remember Genocide in Srebrenica – Proclaim it!”: The campaign was begun in February 2009, after the European Parliament adopted a resolution declaring July 11 as a day of rememberance of the Srebrenica genocide. Women in Black initiated this campaign, together with partner civil society organizations in Belgrade (Humanitarian Law Center, Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights, Center for the Advancment of Legal Studies and Youth Initiative for Human Rights). The campaign is aimed at pressuring the institutions in Serbia to declare July 11 as a day to remember the Srebrenica geocide, as well as towards the citizens of Serbia, to appeal to their sensibility and compassion; to awaken respect and solidarity for the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica. In this period, we also organized a number of consulative meetings in connection with this initiative. Unfortunately, despite the pressure we exerted, the Serbian government did not concede to the demands of civil society. We therefore decided to continue with the campaign until our demands are met.
REKOM activities: This coalition for the founding of a regional commission to establish
and bring to public attention the facts on war crimes and other severe human rights abuses in the former Yugoslavia is one of the most important initiatives, which involves over fifty organizations of civil society in the former Yugoslavia. Women in Black have been active from the very beginning in the REKOM coalition, and during this reporting period we took part in the following activities:
May 21, Zagreb: Participation in consultations with women’s organizations, scientists and politicians about the founding of REKOM.
May 28-30, Bečići, Montenegro: Fifth Regional Forum on transitional justice in ex-Yugoslavia: mandate and characteristics of REKOM.
June 11, Leskovac: consultations about the founding of REKOM, organized by Women for Peace, Leskovac.
June19, Belgrade: Participation in a roundtable discussion on the role of civil society in transitional justice. In this period we also held many meetings of the coordinating group for consultations in Serbia, in which Women in Black is very active.
Antimilitarist activities:
In addition to the aforementioned street actions marking important international dates, in this period we also realized the following educational activities:
“Everything for peace, health and knowledge – nothing for armament”, International conference, organized in Kukavica (near Leskovac), June 5-7, 2009. During the conference we discussed questions connected to militarism/demilitarization, and alternatives from a feminist point of view:
Militarism and alternatives – two workshops coordinated by Boban Stojanović and Staša Zajović.
Women on the front line – Congo, a 21 minute documentary film produced by UNIFEM in 2007 that addresses the war crime of rape of local women by military and paramilitary forces during the civil war in the Congo. Prior to viewing the film we had a short lecture and power point presentation (by Miloš Urošević) about the history of conflict in Congo. Discussion followed the presentation and viewing.
Militarisation of the media in USA – interactive lecture by Dr. Christina Morus, visiting professor from the USA to the Faculty of Political Science in Belgrade and Women in Black volunteer.
“And then there was light…” -- 60 minute documentary film by author Dzemal Sokolović, sociologist and founder of the Institute for Democracy in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This documentary tells three heroic trans-ethnic stories that occurred during the Bosnian war from 1992 – 1995, and is an interesting alternative contribution to the process of reconciliation and the search for truth. After the viewing we had a conversation about different, nonviolent media, about a culture of compassion as a civic responsibility, and also about the demilitarization of the media.
Feminism and antimilitarism: workshop coordinated by Maja Pešić, about the links between feminist and antimilitarist values (critique and analysis of war and militarism from a gender perspective, anti-patriarchal resistance to gender roles), feminist-antimilitarist initiatives.
Militarism and feminist – antimilitarist alternatives: interactive lecture and power point presentation coordinated by Jennifer Carter, Saša Kovačević, and Miloš Urošević, on global feminist-antimilitarist initiatives, organizations, and leaders of the women`s peace movement; published in our volume Antimilitarism and Women.
42 women from across Serbia took part in the conference (from Leskovac, Vlasotince, Niš, Pirot, Dimitrovgrad, Belgrade, Kruševac, Kraljevo, Novi Sad, Sremski Karlovci) as well as several from USA, Great Britain and Croatia.
Seminars on globalization - “ Me and globalization”: workshops and interactive lectures on globalization, the impact of neoliberal economic globalization, the gender aspects of globalization, as well as alternatives and new global strategies being developed by feminist-antimilitarist and alterglobal movements against political, economic and military power.
June 10, Belgrade: in the Women in Black office, with the participation of fifteen WiB activists, as well as other civil society activists.
June 18, Dimitrovgrad: at the Center for Cultural Affirmation, with the participation of twenty women from various social and educational structures.
June 27, Novi Sad: seminar in Novi Sad, at the organization Esperanza. Twenty-five activists from civil society and political parties were present.
All three seminars were coordinated by Ivana Vitas and Marijana Stojčić.
Networks, coalitions and alliances – mutual support and solidarity
Women in Black initiated or were actively involved in numerous regional networks, coalitions and alliances – active participants in the actions of partner organizations in order to strengthen mutual support, solidarity, civil society and democracy in Serbia and the whole region. In this period we realized many activities of which we will emphasize
the following:
Meetings of Women in Black: strengthening cooperation between groups which represent the core of the network, initiating joint activities, gathering knowledge in connection with certain questions and based on the expressed needs of the women participants. In this period we held working meetings on July 6 and 10.
Bulletin “ Solidarity is our strength”: since January 2009, we have published a bulletin
every month (in Serbian with English translation) consisting of news from all over the world about human rights abuses and women’s human rights – solidarity campaigns in which Women in Black is involved. With the aim of strengthening global solidarity and mutual support, the bulletin is distributed within the Women in Black network in Serbia as well as in other regions. It is directed by Jennifer Carter, activist from USA.
“Enough is Enough”, Pančevo, May 9: antifascist meeting organized by the Social Democratic League of Vojvodina against fascist tendencies and associations, and attacks on antifascist activists and human rights defenders on the occasion of May 9 - Day of Victory over Fascism and Europe Day. Speakers at the meeting were: Marko Karadžić, state secretary in Serbia’s Ministry for Human and Minority Rights, Ljilja Spasić, Civil Initiative, Pančevo, Nenad Čanak, president of the Social Democratic League of Vojvodina and Staša Zajović from Women in Black, Belgrade.
Right at Home: Belgrade, May 27: artistic activist action of mutual support and solidarity with the Roma population from Block 67 in New Belgrade, who were exposed to brutal human rights abuses (destruction of their cardboard settlements) and the “transformation” of their space for purposes of the Universiade sporting event that took place in July 2009. The action was organized by Women in Black and the Roma Democratic Association, Roma Association “Oasis”, the artistic associations “Buro” and “Context”. Of the numerous actions of solidarity with the Roma population, we would emphasize the visit on July 8 of the international network of Women in Black to the aforementioned Roma settlement.
Šabac, May 7, meeting with activists from the Office for Youth: activists from the Office and Women in Black took part as well as Dr. Zagorka Golubović, anthropologist from Belgrade.
“And then there was light…”, Belgrade, May 11: screening organized by the Center for Cultural Decontamination of a documentary film by Džemal Sokolović, sociologist and
founder of the Democracy Institute in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The screening and discussion were organized by Women in Black and the Center for Cultural Decontamination.
Lecture “Culture in the transitional period in Serbia”, Kragujevac, May 14:
Dr. Zagorka Golubović, anthropologist from Belgrade; the lecture took place in the Student Cultural Center in cooperation with Women in Black, Belgrade.
Internal lectures and workshops: at the office of Women in Black.
Lecture “Why is Antonio Gramshi current even today?” Dr. Lino Veljak, Professor of Philosophy at the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb, Women in Black, Belgrade, May 13, 2009. Attended by seventeen people.
Lecture, “The media and conflicts – reporting on Kosovo 1999 – 2009” Dr. Snježana Milivojević, politicologist at the Faculty of Political Science in Belgrade, and Dr. Christina Morus, visiting professor from Villanova University, USA, Women in Black, Belgrade, May 6. Attended by fourteen people.
Lecture, “Analysis of religious text books, from the approach of gender perspective
and intereligious dialogue” Dr. Svenka Savić, sociolinguist, Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad, Women in Black, Belgrade. Attended by eighteen people.
Publishing activities
Anitmilitarism and Women -- publication in the edition Feminism, pacifism, nonviolence, published by Women in Black, June 2009. The booklet consists of the following chapters: Militarism; Alternatives to militarism and militarization; Feminist – antimilitarist alternatives to militarism and militarization; Women were always rebellious whether alone or together; It is not enough to be angry…but to transform anger into creative resistance; Food not arms, school not tanks; Even at the negotiating table women create peace. The booklet has ninety pages and was edited by Staša Zajović.
International politics: Active participation in international conferences, exchanges and consultations, activist peace tours, international solidarity, global solidarity campaigns and visits. In this period we had many activities that can be categorized as international meetings, exchanges and visits, of which we will emphasize the following:
June 12-14 – Bridges of friendship and peace, regional meeting between eight activists from Women`s Group, Mali Lošinj, Croatia and Women in Black, Belgrade. During their visit we organised a discussion and screening of the documentary film Always Disobedient. We also organized a visit to Sremski Karlovci and Novi Sad. Women in Black activist Marija Perković served as their guide in Sremski Karlovci, and Gordana Stojaković in Novi Sad, who introduced us through a “women`s rhythm of the city” with Novi Sad from a feminist point of view. A meeting was also organized with the peace group Esperanza and Nada Dabić.
July 6-16, visit to Belgrade by activists of the international network of Women in Black: working meetings of exchange and mutual information sharing, international solidarity of Women in Black activists from Serbia, Italy, Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel and USA and our joint trip to the commemoration in Srebrenica.
July 27, Belgrade: Meeting with activists of the Peace Caravan from Italy.
August 6-16, Mali and Veli Lošinj, Croatia – active citizenship classroom:
youth summer camp, organized by the Center for Healthy Child Development “Idem i ja” (I will join too) Campaign from Mali Lošinj in cooperation with Women in Black from Belgrade and “Taboo” from Vukovar, Croatia. Twenty young people (mostly high school students) from Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in the program on human rights, overcoming stereotypes and prejudices, nonviolent communication and media workshops.
The coordinators of the program were: Boban Stojanović (WIB and Queeria Center, Belgrade), Danijela Beretin, Vukovar, Bojana Genov and Ljiljana Živković, Mali Lošinj and Danica Aćimović, Novi Sad.
August 22 – September 1 – Kuća Seka, Brač, Croatia – Women’s Active Holiday, ten activists of Women in Black from Serbia (Belgrade, Novi Sad, Dimitrovgrad, Vlasotince, Leskovac, Kruševac, Pljevlja).
During this period Women in Black also had fifteen appeals/campaigns for international solidarity in the following countries: Sri Lanka, Burma, Sweden, Iran, Russia, USA, Pakistan, Zimbabwe.
Research visits by international activists and researchers from the following countries:
USA, Germany, Argentina, Great Britain, Sweden, France and Holland.
Through the Advocacy Project, US students Simran Sachdev and Donna Harati, from Georgetown University, spent two months with Women in Black and interviewed numerous activists.
Christina Morus, recipient of a Fulbright scholarship, visiting professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade, Women in Black volunteer.
In this period we also attended many international conferences.
Belgrade, September 5th, 2009. (report prepared by Staša Zajović and
Miloš Urošević).
