July 11, 1995 – July 11, 2008
Artistic activist project on the occasion of the thirteenth anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica
Report
The Project was entirely implemented in the period May – July 2008.
1. Production of Video Performance
- The recording of the video material / interviews with the women of Srebrenica was done in two instances: on June 7 (the recording in Potočare, Srebrenica and Bajramovići) and on June 11 (the recording in Tuzla – during the regular monthly gathering and commemoration of the women of Srebrenica and other places where genocide toook place. A total number of 17 women were recorded.
- Editing: from June 20 until July 5. A 17-minute film was produced out of 120 minutes of recorded material. The title of the film is The Women of Srebrenica Speak.
- Burning of DVD-s: from July 5 until July 10, for the commemoration of the anniversary, which also continued later because of the great interest and constant pleas. Around 100 copies were made altogether.
Press conference: July 10, 2008 in the International press Centre in cooperation with NGO-s: Humanitarian Law Fund, Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Queeria Center and Center for Cultural Decontamination. The speakers were: Mirjana Karanović, actress; Boban Stojanović, Queeriač Milan Antonijević, Yukom; Jovana Dimitrijević, Women in Black; Aleksandra Miletić, Youth Initiative for Human Rights and Jelena Mirkov, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia.
Around sixty people were present at the conference.
The following media were present:
News agencies:
- Fonet
- Tanjug
- Beta
Radio stations:
- Deutsche Welle
- Free Europe
- Radio B92
- Radio Index
- Radio Belgrade 2
TV Stations:
- RTS
- B92
- TV Fox
- TV Pink
- TV Studio B
- TV BiH
- TV Avala
Printed media:
- Danas
- Politika
- Večernje novosti
The conference had a very large appeal: throughout July 10 and 11, the media reported the statements of the participants of the conference, especially excerpts of the interview with Mirjana Karanović.
II. Peace Action on Republic Square
The commemoration of the 13th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide was held on July 10, from 20h to 21.30h under the slogan Solidarity and Accountability.
Video performance: by the author Milica Tomić was presented on July 10 in the duration of 68 minutes, i.e. the 17-minute film was shown four times repeatedly, on a large display, with very loud sound. For the first time since the beginning of the wars in the area of the former Yugoslavia, the voices of the victims of Srebrenica were heard; what is more, they were heard on the eve of the anniversary of the genocide; the video performance was accompanied by strong police security, but unfolded without a single incident.
During the peace action, white roses were laid in the memory of the genocide in Srebrenica and fliers in the form of ‘silver’ stickers made of aluminum foil bearing the inscription: Srebrenica were handed out. The stickers were applied throughout Republic Square, as a powerful political and moral paradigm of the Srebrenica genocide on the level of the institutions and society of Serbia, with a symbolic remembrance of the genocide that must be remembered and publicly condemned, and its victims be cared for.
More than two hundred persons participated in the action, mostly NGO activists, but also outstanding public and political figures, such as: Nadežda Gaće, president of NUNS (the Independent Association of Journalists), Čedomir Jovanović, president of LDP, representatives of human rights organizations (Biljana Kovačević-Vučo, Nataša kandić, Sonja Biserko, Borka pavićević, etc.).
It is noteworthz that the majoritz of the participants of the peace action on Republic Square were young people.
The action was covered by all the above mentioned TV stations (and also TV Slovenia and some others) , representatives of the printed media and radio stations. During that evening and the following day, all TV stations broadcasted reports and highlighted the video performance The women of Srebrenica speak.
III. Commemoration in Srebrenica
Fifty-seven activists of the Women in Black Network of Serbia from Niš, Leskovac, Vlasotince, Velika Plana, Kruševac, Dimitrovgrad, Novi Sad and Belgrade traveled to Potočare in the organization of WiB.
Besides them, our delegation was also joined by members of the following organizations: Humanitarian Law Fund, Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Incest Trauma Center and the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights.
Furthermore, foreign human rights activists now living in Belgrade as international volunteers from France, USA, Israel, Italy, Croatia, Russia, Great Britain, Germany and Sweden – ten of them altogether – with Women in Black, YUCOM and the Humanitarian Law Fund were also present.
Three journalist traveled along with Women in Black, from the daily newspaper Danas and TV Fox.
Women in Black laid a wreathe bearing the words: “We shall never forget the Srebrenica genocide”, paying their respects to the victims of the genocide and expressing sympathy to their families.
The arrival of Women in Black attracted great interest of the victims’ families, the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the media and the representatives of the international public.
Statements were given to more than fifteen media houses, with live coverage of some of the TV stations. Such statements were given, for example, to the following media:
- TV Hajat
- TV BiH
- TV Tuzla
- TV Nova
- OBN
- BN
- TV Fox
Numerous printed media reported of this event and special interviews were published by the following newspapers:
- Danas, Belgrade
- Nezavisne novine, (The Independent Papers) Banjaluka
- Novi list, Rijeka / Croatia
On the same day, on July 11, TV B92 INFO played the integral version of the film The Women of Srebrenica Speak, at peak time between 22.40h until 23h.
Evaluation of the Project / conducted activities:
- The effect of the conducted activities was excellent – exceeding expectations from every aspect: activist, organizational, aesthetic and media;
- Multimedia approach – introducing modern technologies for the presentation of particularly important facts from the near past and our messages, and above all the testimony of the victims and creating space for the victims of the crimes that were committed in our name achieved full success;
- The importance of our activities related to the commemoration of the genocide in Srebrenica for the community of the victims – presence of the families of the victims in Potočare was significant, and we see this as the most important element of the manifestation;
- The impact and echo of all the activities related to the commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide on the public in Bosnia and Herzegovina was particularly powerful, which is confirmed by the great media attention they attracted and numerous messages of gratitude;
- The media coverage was constant and fair;
- The impact of the activities related to the commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide on the public in |Serbia was very satisfactory, bearing in mind our experience (physical and verbal assaults) related to the anniversaries of the Srebrenica genocide. The media coverage was also very good and we believe that we have helped in making the facts of the genocide to become an institutionalized fact and to be treated in a serious manner;
- Joint activities, cooperation and mutual support among the organizations that realized some of the segments together further consolidates the solidarity that is already present among the organizations that have continually pledged for a policy of sanctioning crime, above all of the crimes that were committed in our name, for the implementation of transitional justice, etc.
- International solidarity has also marked this year’s commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide. Women in Black models related to transitional justice attract significant interest in human rights organizations in many countries as well as in international networks for peace and justice.
Belgrade, July 21, 2008
