This exhibit is on display at UNHQ in New York until 26 August.
This photograph was taken by Almin Zrno, a well-known Bosnian photographer in Sarajevo in 1966. Created in 2001 as one of his first memorable works, the photograph ¡°Mother of Srebrenica" portrays a woman from Srebrenica with a stony face that reflects, better than any words, all the pain and sorrow of the Srebrenica genocide. The photograph itself, like no other image or discourse, stands as a symbol of the unspeakable nature of the tragedy transpired in Srebrenica, depriving the viewer of the ability to speak. The woman in the photograph is a living person, but everything we call life has abandoned her. She is merely a remnant of the ephemeral and material world. Even her clothes are materially literal, with the forms of decoration and patterns dominating, just as the deep, tense lines dominate her utterly shriveled face. Her life has collapsed and immersed itself within her. All feelings, pain, and thoughts have sunk in, along with every sound and light from the outside world - that woman is no longer there.
For this photograph, Zrno received his first out of six awards for best photograph of the year, awarded by the Association of Applied Artists and Designers of Bosnia and Herzegovina. ¡°Mother of Srebrenica," was exhibited in 2015 in the National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo. Zrno's work have also been exhibited around the world, in Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Israel, Greece, and the United States.
In July 1995, in what had been established by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia as an act of genocide, more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were executed in just eight days by the Bosnian Serb Army (BSA) under the leadership of Ratko Mladi? in the town of Srebrenica, in addition to more than 20,000 civilians who were expelled. Srebrenica was a United Nations-declared ¡°safe area¡±. Ratko Mladi? has been convicted of genocide and war crimes before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, established by the United Nations in The Hague. The act of genocide, however, was the culmination of a brutal three-year siege, during which the population of the Srebrenica enclave lived under deplorable conditions and endured unimaginable suffering.
This was the largest massacre in Europe since the Holocaust. While it prompted a ceasefire that eventually led to the end of the war, it also left deep emotional scars on the survivors, families of victims, and the Bosnian and Herzegovinian society in general.
It is beyond the scope of this exhibit to address all the important segments of the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina. What is important, however, is to recognize how inaction in the face of hatred can lead to unimaginable consequences, to recognize how hatred spun into words kills without remorse. As we mark 18 June as the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, it is essential to recognize any form or expression that ¡°attacks others or uses pejorative or discriminatory language¡± for what it is ¨C hate speech and counter it.
Hate speech is an alarm bell - the louder it rings, the greater the threat of genocide. It precedes and promotes violence.¡±
United Nations Secretary-General, Ant¨®nio Guterres
As we mark 11 July as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica, the Permanent Mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United Nations, in partnership with the Office of the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, the UN Department for Global Communications, collaborated with the Memorial Center Srebrenica-Poto?ari Memorial and Cemetery for the Victims of 1995 Genocide to illustrate the power of words and their consequences. By providing examples of the role of language and rhetoric in the lead-up to genocide, we emphasize the dangers of hate speech and dehumanizing language. Framing the exhibit around photographs showcasing the donation of artifacts to the Srebrenica Memorial Center¡¯s archive as part of the ¡°Lives Behind the Fields of Death¡± project, we show the devastating power of words when they turn to hate speech. These artifacts, donated by survivors and victims¡¯ families, are accompanied by their personal stories. And this is where words can, in fact, have healing power. It is up to us how we wield the power of words.
Amidst the numeric data and judicial rulings that characterize genocide research, it is imperative that the humanity and identity of those individuals with first-hand experience of genocide remain at the center of our understanding. This exhibition aims to present, in a poignant and dignified manner, a portion of the horrors endured by the victims and survivors of the Srebrenica genocide, present genocide through the eyes of those who directly experienced it, as well as offer insights into the lives of Srebrenica¡¯s victims and survivors before the war, during the siege, and in the aftermath of genocide, the ongoing struggles of all those who continue to live with the consequences of the genocide.
Historical Background
At the onset of the war, Srebrenica was one of the few free territories or enclaves in eastern Bosnia. By the end of 1992, it had become a refuge for Bosniaks from across the region ?eeing terror and violence at the hands of the Bosnian Serb Army (BSA). Under the leadership of Ratko Mladi?, the BSA continued its relentless attacks on Srebrenica throughout the war, and, due to the in?ux of refugees, the enclave¡¯s population had swelled to over 40,000 by the spring of 1993. During a visit to the enclave, Venezuelan Ambassador to the UN Diego Arria described the situation as ¡°a slow-motion genocide.¡±
After a series of brutal assaults by the BSA, the international community decided to take action in Srebrenica. On April 16th, 1993, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 819, formally declaring Srebrenica a UN-protected ¡®safe area.¡¯ Many Srebrenica inhabitants believed that after a grueling year under siege, the violence was ?nally at an end. In February of 1994, the Canadian UNPROFOR contingent, which had been the ?rst to arrive in Srebrenica, was replaced by Dutch forces.
On March 8th,1995, Radovan Karad?i? issued ¡°Directive 7¡± which ordered the BSA troops ¡°to create an unbearable situation of total insecurity, with no hope of further survival or life for the inhabitants of Srebrenica.¡± At three o¡¯clock in the morning on July 6th, the BSA began its attack on Srebrenica. Advancing from the south, they set ?re to the Bosniak homes and villages in their path, forcing thousands of civilians to ?ee to the UN base in Poto?ari where several hundred Dutch peacekeepers were stationed.
On July 11th, General Mladi? entered Srebrenica with his troops and declared before a throng of assembled journalists, ¡°We give this town to the Serb nation...the time has come to take revenge on the Turks in this region.¡± In just over a week, Bosnian Serb forces deported more than 25,000 women and children, and systematically slaughtered more than 8,000 Bosniak men. Formally ruled a genocide by two international courts, the crimes committed in Srebrenica in July of 1995 constitute one of the darkest episodes of human history.
In July of 1995, the BSA began transporting the bodies of Srebrenica¡¯s victims to primary gravesites in close proximity to the places where the victims had been executed, in order to hide the evidence of their crimes. Between August and November 1995, the BSA employed civilian manpower and resources to exhume the remains of Srebrenica¡¯s victims from the primary graves and transport them to be reinterred at a number of secondary gravesites. To date, 94 mass gravesites have been exhumed in and around Srebrenica. While 6,765 victims have been buried in the cemetery of the Srebrenica Memorial Center, the search continues, as over one thousand individuals are still missing.
About the project
¡°The Lives Behind the Fields of Death¡± is a joint project by the Srebrenica Memorial Center and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIRN BiH).
It began with the ?lming of 100 testimonies from survivors of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide, where BIRN BiH provided a platform for survivors to share their stories in the public sphere, while the Memorial Center preserves personal belongings recovered from mass graves and donated by genocide survivors, incorporating them into exhibitions.
The content produced during this project forms part of the permanent exhibition at the Srebrenica Memorial Center Museum in Poto?ari.
Without testimonies of survivors, objects in photos would be reduced to exactly that ¨C objects. Sad and silent remnants of lives cut short, of a world lost. Giving them a voice through individual stories honors the lives through memories of what it once was, of childhoods and homes, of families torn apart. And by giving them a voice we amplify the power of words. Words of hatred led to so much death, destruction, and incomprehensible inhumanity. Now, different kinds of words share the power of love that preserves and upholds the memory of victims and the power of courage and resilience that speak of hope for the future. That is one of the most important messages of this project ¨C how words can bring about devastation and sorrow or how they can heal wounds and mend broken connections, countering the dehumanization messaging by the perpetrators.
The significance of this project further lies in preserving autobiographical narratives and transforming them into collective history. Many survivors have not lived to tell their stories. Among those interviewed, Djulsa Veli? and Senahid Mehmedovi? passed away in the course of the project. After the initial filming was completed, Hajra ?ati?, another interviewee, also passed away, followed by Ramiz Nuki? and Mehmedalija Usti?.
Filming began in October 2020 and continued throughout 2021 in Srebrenica, Sarajevo, and Tuzla. As part of the project, a documentary based on the testimonies was produced, as well as a documentary about the filming process. This video footage and the exhibits are part of a permanent exhibition at the Srebrenica Memorial Center in Poto?ari.
The video testimony of Emina Hajdarevi?¡ªwho is still searching for her son¡¯s mortal remains¡ªwon first prize in the online exhibition ¡°Remembering Through Art.¡± Her story was described as a powerful contribution to important discussions on memory, conflict, and justice, deeply impactful, and reflective of the profound experiences of those affected by the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia.
Building on the experience gained through this project and recognizing the importance of individual stories, BIRN BiH, in collaboration with the Srebrenica Memorial Center, produced the documentary film ¡°Samir Mehi? Bowie: Letters from Srebrenica.¡± This film, which premiered at the Sarajevo Film Festival in August 2024, tells the story of a rock guitarist killed in the Srebrenica genocide.
¡°The Lives Behind the Fields of Death¡± has since continued with the filming of an additional 100 testimonies. This still ongoing effort seeks to preserve memories, honor victims and survivors, and combat genocide denial.
Almir Rami?
As a young translator in Srebrenica during the war, Almir¡¯s first assignment was working for a doctor from the World Health Organization posted in Srebrenica. Almir still tears up when he recalls being asked about his salary expectations during the interview for this job: ¡°My answer was food for me and my mother.¡±
He recalls an especially traumatic experience in Konjevi? Polje, during shelling:
¡°At one point, a man came up to us crying and distraught, holding a child in each arm. The children were between six and eight years old, as far as I can remember. He was distraught, crying and pleading, and I was translating. The children were in a state of total shock, as if they weren¡¯t aware of what was happening to them. Both children¡¯s legs barely had any skin left. But they weren¡¯t crying, and they were telling their father, ¡®Dad, we¡¯re fine.¡¯¡±
Amir donated his UNHCR ID card¡ªa powerful symbol of his story.
Almedina Memi?evi?
Almedina was a child at the time of the war and genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She and her siblings lost their mother, Zelena, at the beginning of the war in 1992, followed by their father, Azem, in the July 1995 genocide.
¡°My father Azem was a wonderful dad ¨C the kind any child would want to have. He was our friend as well as our father¡ªand sometimes even our mother! He was everything we needed,¡± Almedina shared.
Almedina saw her father for the last time near the post office during the fall of Srebrenica in 1995: ¡°We said goodbye for the last time. He said we might never see each other again. Those were his last words. He hugged all four of us, kissed us, and then turned to our grandmother and told her to take good care of his kids. We looked back until we could no longer see him, and he looked back to see us.¡±
Almedina donated her father¡¯s sweater, her mother¡¯s headscarf, and a text she wrote as a child in 1996, to the Srebrenica Memorial Center. The sweater she donated was all she had left of her father¡¯s belongings.
¡°The decision to give my father¡¯s sweater away was a difficult one, but I think by doing so, I will help ensure people do not forget about Srebrenica or Poto?ari. All those tombstones must not be forgotten. It is not a lie. It is the truth ¨C that genocide happened in Srebrenica.¡±
Munira Suba?i?
As the president of the Movement of the Mothers of the Srebrenica and ?epa Enclaves, Munira has dedicated her life to seeking justice for genocide victims and their families, as well as fighting the genocide denial and the glorification of convicted war criminals. She donated artifacts belonging to her husband, Hilmo, and her son, Nermin, both of whom were killed in the genocide. She remembers Hilmo as a loving husband and dedicated father. Her son Nermin, who was just 20 years old at the time he was killed, was named Srebrenica¡¯s most handsome man in an event organized by the Dutch UN peacekeeping battalion in 1994.
After both Hilmo and Nermin went missing in July 1995, Munira put all of her efforts into finding her son¡¯s mortal remains.
¡°In the beginning, I thought maybe he was alive. I would sit on my balcony and think about him walking along with some other woman or children. In 2013, they found just two of his bones. One was found right near the Memorial Center and the other was 25 kilometres away, in a different grave in Jadar. So, in 2013, I buried him. I buried those two bones. I wanted to set an example for other mothers to bury their loved ones even if the body was not complete.¡±
The mortal remains of her husband, Hilmo, were found in Pilica in 1996, during the investigations of International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.
Munira donated Nermin¡¯s belt and Hilmo¡¯s glasses, found with his mortal remains.
Fatima Dautba?i? Klempi?
Fatima, who is now employed as a gynecologist, spent the entire war working at the hospital in Srebrenica. She donated the keys to the medical facility where she worked, as well as a hairpin in memory of Dr. Tomoko Dada Kanto, a Japanese surgeon who worked in Srebrenica in 1994. The medical staff in wartime Srebrenica worked under harrowing conditions, performing operations without anesthetics or basic medical supplies.
¡°I assisted Dr. Nedret Mujkanovi? during an abdominal surgery on a young man with a stomach injury. We held ether-soaked cotton over his mouth and stitched his intestines. Several days later, he jumped from a window due to the excruciating pain,¡± Fatima recalled. Later, she helped wounded survivors during the Death March.
¡°It was so hard, unspeakably awful. I was terrified that my brother, who was with me the whole time, would be hit in the legs. What could I do if that happened? These items take me back to 1995, as if they bring back the people and times I lost. They remind me of when we were all still alive and well, which is why they are so significant.¡±
Crime of Genocide
The United Nations was established 80 years ago in response to the atrocity crimes committed during the Second World War. Preventing genocide remains as critical today as it ever did. This exhibition is a call to action and reminds us of the need to build a world in which justice prevails and all people are equal in dignity and rights.
Where we see people facing systematic discrimination or becoming targets of violence simply because of who they are, because of their identity, we must act ¨C both to defend those at immediate risk and those who could be in jeopardy in the future. By promoting a culture of peace and non-violence that includes respect for diversity and non-discrimination, we can build societies that are resilient to the risk of genocide.¡±
United Nations Secretary-General, Ant¨®nio Guterres
Defining the ¡°crime without the name¡±
The term ¡°genocide¡± was first coined by the Polish Jewish lawyer Raph?el Lemkin in 1944 in his book Axis Rule in Occupied Europe, combining the words:
- genos, from the Greek word for race or tribe
- cide, from the Latin word for killing
In his 1944 book, Lemkin defined genocide as ¡°a coordinated plan of different actions aiming at the destruction of essential foundations of the life of national groups, with the aim of annihilating the groups themselves¡±.
In Lemkin¡¯s view, genocide is a premeditated crime with clearly defined intent, rather than just an aberration. Having lost over 40 members of his family in the Holocaust, Lemkin worked tirelessly to establish a legal framework that would prevent any future instances of genocide.
Murder had a name. Why was it a named crime for one person to kill another, but not for a government to kill millions of people? Shouldn¡¯t states be held accountable for trying to destroy entire peoples ¨C their lives, cultures and histories?¡±
Raphael Lemkin
His efforts led to the first-ever human rights treaty adopted by the United Nations: In 1948, genocide was recognized as a crime under international law by the United Nations General Assembly with the adoption of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
The Convention¡¯s preamble recognizes that ¡°at all periods of history genocide has inflicted great losses on humanity¡± and that international cooperation is required to ¡°liberate humankind from such an odious scourge¡±. It further defines genocide as any of the following acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group, as such:
- 1. Killing members of the group;
- 2. Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
- 3. Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
- 4. Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
- 5. Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
Genocide, whether committed in time of peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law.
Amra Begi?
Amra was 13 years old in 1992, the youngest of three daughters of Re?id and Hajra Fazli?. In April 1992, her family was forced to separate. With war approaching, her father decided to send his daughters on the last bus to Tuzla before the war began.
¡°My dad came to my room and said, ¡®Get dressed, the last bus is leaving Srebrenica and you¡¯re going to Tuzla.¡¯ My mother decided then to stay with my dad, and so the three of us were alone on the bus without our parents. I looked through the window and saw my dad crying. For the first time, I saw tears streaming down his face, and that¡¯s the last time I ever saw him,¡± recalls Amra.
They managed to exchange letters before her father went missing in July 1995. His remains were identified in 2008, and he was laid to rest the following year.
Amra has since dedicated her life to preserving the memories of survivors and honoring the victims of genocide through her work at the Srebrenica Memorial Center.
She donated her father¡¯s glasses and wristwatch¡ªa gift from his wife¡ªthat were found with his mortal remains in the mass grave in Snagovo. ¡°In the last letter that I received from my dad from Srebrenica, he wanted me to know that he¡¯d been thinking of me that day and that all his thoughts were with me. These belongings remind me of my father and my grandfather, both victims of the genocide, and they will be permanently preserved at the Memorial Center in Srebrenica.¡±
Hajra ?ati?
Hajra donated the driver¡¯s licence and ID of her son Nihad, known as ¡°Nino,¡± to the Srebrenica Memorial Center. Nihad disappeared during the 1995 Srebrenica genocide. In 2021, Hajra passed away in Sarajevo, without ever finding his remains.
¡°He said, ¡®Mom, see you in Tuzla.¡¯ I searched for his bones for 25 years. I live for that day. As time passed, I got a lot of information from people who saw him wounded. I went to those places hoping to find his bones, but they wouldn¡¯t let me search because of the landmines.¡±
As a journalist, Nihad reported from besieged Srebrenica for Radio Bosnia and Herzegovina. In his last broadcast on July 10th, 1995, as Bosnian Serb forces overran the enclave, he warned, ¡°Srebrenica is turning into the biggest slaughterhouse.¡±
Hajra was the head of the Srebrenica Women¡¯s Association, dedicated to raising awareness about the 1995 genocide. She fought alongside other mothers for the truth and to locate the missing, hoping to bury her son while she was alive. She also attended numerous war crimes trials and was an activist for commemorating the suffering of genocide victims.
Her husband, Junuz, was also killed in the genocide. His body was identified in 2005 after being discovered in a mass grave near the Drina River. Hajra also donated his wallet to the Srebrenica Memorial Center.
Zumra Mehi?
Zumra lost her husband Husein and their four sons in the July 1995 genocide. All five had attempted to flee Srebrenica through the woods after the fall of Srebrenica, but none survived. Their remains were found in mass graves, and she was left with only photographs. She donated these photographs to the Srebrenica Memorial Center, in the hopes that they will show the world the tragedy of her loss¡ªa mother left all alone.
¡°I loved them all equally. A mother can¡¯t pick favorites. We joked about when it would be time for them to move away¡ªone of my sons would say, ¡®Mom¡¯s coming with me!¡¯ The other would say, ¡®No, she¡¯s coming with me!¡± Then my husband would ask what about him, and they would reply, ¡®You¡¯re coming with us, too! Somebody has to work.¡±
Dehumanization
Dehumanization is a critical element in the machinery of genocide, stripping individuals or entire groups of their humanity and moral consideration. It allows perpetrators to see their victims not as people with rights, families, and aspirations, but as subhuman, inferior, or expendable. This transformation of human beings into ¡°others¡± paves the way for extreme violence, as it removes the psychological and ethical barriers to cruelty. Throughout history, dehumanization has been a precursor to mass atrocities¡ªfrom labeling victims as vermin or parasites to depicting them as threats to society. By diminishing the worth of individuals, dehumanization justifies actions that would otherwise be unimaginable. It is a powerful tool in enabling genocide, as it erases the compassion and empathy that binds us as humans, making brutality and annihilation seem not only acceptable but necessary.
Dehumanization in Nazi Germany
Before the Holocaust, Jews were labeled as ¡°parasites,¡± ¡°disease,¡± and ¡°vermin.¡± This dehumanization was not fringe rhetoric, but part of state policy. Propaganda, led by figures like Julius Streicher, created a climate where violence was justified. He was convicted at Nuremberg ¡ª not for killing, but for inciting hatred.
Dehumanization in Rwanda
In 1994, Rwanda¡¯s RTLM radio became a deadly weapon. Hutu extremists used the airwaves to dehumanize the Tutsis, calling them ¡°cockroaches¡± and urging their extermination.
We must exterminate them.¡±
RTLM Radio, Rwanda, 1994
Do not leave any of them. Cut them down like trees.¡±
RTLM, during the genocide
Day after day, ordinary citizens, fueled by this hate-filled rhetoric, took up machetes to murder their Tutsi neighbors. Radio broadcasts transformed the airwaves into a call for violence, turning words into action.
Genocide as a Strategy: Dehumanization and the Denial of Identity in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992-1995)
Bosniaks were often depicted as ¡°traitors¡± and ¡°Muslim rats,¡± terms that stripped them of their humanity and painted them as a threat to the ethnic and religious purity of the region. Serb propaganda portrayed Bosniaks as dangerous, unworthy of basic rights or protection, and even framed them as an existential threat to the survival of the Serb nation.
Before genocide begins, victims are stripped of their identity. On January 8, 1993, the self-declared Assembly of Republika Srpska declared:
Muslims are a Communist creation. We do not accept that artificial nation.¡±
Mom?ilo Kraji?nik
By declaring a people as ¡°fake,¡± the groundwork was laid for their removal. In Republika Srpska, genocide was not hidden ¡ª it was planned. During the Bosnian War (1992¨C1995), political and military leaders openly discussed the destruction of Bosniaks (Muslims).
We do not want to accept the Islamic state in Europe... we would spend the lives of our generations to neutralize Islam...¡±
Radovan Karad?i?, President of Republika Srpska
We cannot cleanse, nor sieve only Serbs to remain... That is genocide.¡±
Ratko Mladi?, General, Army of Republika Srpska
These admissions were made during the war itself, not after. The perpetrators openly acknowledged their actions as genocide and executed it nonetheless. The genocide was planned, executed, and justified through language and rhetoric. Language was used to normalize genocide. Orders like ¡°Cleanse the territory. No Muslim must remain,¡± and ¡°Do not waste bullets ¡ª kill them with knives. Make it personal¡± transformed mass murder into a ¡°military operation.¡± Cold, bureaucratic language made atrocities easier to carry out.
I advised General Krsti? to go straight into town and declare the fall of Srebrenica... I approved the radical task and do not regret it.¡±
Radovan Karad?i?
This is genocide... I don¡¯t know how we will explain it to the world.¡±
Ratko Mladi?
History shows that genocides follow a pattern. The signs are clear ¡ª the warnings visible ¡ª but often ignored. The critical missing element is action.
Mirzet Hrusti?
Before the war, Mirzet lived in a loving family with his father Salih, his mother D?ulesma, and his brothers, Sadudin, Jasmin, and D?evdet. His father was a carpenter, and his mother was a housewife.
In December 1992, his father was killed on the front line, and in the winter of 1993, his mother died in an artillery strike. During the Srebrenica genocide, Mirzet lost his brothers, Sadudin and Jasmin, both of whom were later found in mass graves and laid to rest at the Srebrenica Memorial Center. Only Mirzet and his brother D?evdet survived the horrors of the Srebrenica siege and the genocide in July 1995.
The two brothers grew up in an orphanage. Mirzet donated photographs from his lonely childhood to the Srebrenica Memorial Center.
¡°The photos were spontaneous. We were just hanging out in the orphanage. The second one is from a celebration at Slavinovi?i Primary School. I loved being around people. The third was taken at a technical school, while we were making a mosaic for the Íæż½ã½ã Park in Slana Banja, Tuzla. I donated these photographs to serve as evidence of everything I went through. The photographs tell their own story,¡± he said.
Kadefa Rizvanovi?
Kadefa donated hair clippers belonging to her late husband Mirsad, which he used to provide haircuts to Srebrenica residents during the war. Kadefa and Mirsad married in 1991. She fondly remembers her husband as quiet, handsome, and serene. When Srebrenica fell in July 1995, Mirsad decided to go seek safety through the woods, while Kadefa went to Poto?ari with their children.
¡°He hugged me and told me to keep our children safe. I never saw him again. He got those hair clippers from his father in Austria. He used them before the war as well. I don¡¯t even know how I managed to bring them here. My children and I decided to donate them to the Memorial Center. He¡¯s always with me in my thoughts,¡± Kadefa shared. Mirsad¡¯s body was found in a mass grave in Pilica, near Zvornik. He was buried in Poto?ari in 2003, alongside his brother.
Mirza Ba?i?
Mirza Ba?i? was only 15 when the Srebrenica genocide began in 1995. His family was forced to separate, with his father and older brother fleeing through the woods, while he, his mother, and older sister sought refuge at the Poto?ari UN base.
¡°I was taller than my peers and looked older, almost 17. The fear of going to Poto?ari made everything seem worse. I kept telling my mother I didn¡¯t want to go. We ran into a school friend and joined their group, heading toward ?u?njari,¡± he recalled.
About ten days after Srebrenica fell, during his journey through the woods, Mirza found a small notebook in an abandoned house. He began writing a journal, recording his thoughts and experiences. Mirza reunited with his father and brother in the woods but lost both during an ambush.
¡°Twenty-two days after Srebrenica fell, I found my father. I never saw my brother again; he is listed as missing. I used to read the journal often in the early years. Today, with genocide denial and fabricated narrative, having this material evidence means nobody can accuse me of lying,¡± he said.
Mirza read his journal for an audio project by BIRN Bosnia and Herzegovina and donated the journal to the Srebrenica Memorial Center.
?uhra Sinanovi?
?uhra lost more than 20 family members in the Srebrenica genocide. As the president of the Bratunac chapter of the Podrinje Women¡¯s Association, she has dedicated her life to the pursuit of justice for genocide victims from Bratunac and their families. She donated a cigarette case found in a mass grave alongside the mortal remains of her husband Muriz to the Srebrenica Memorial Center for the exhibition.
In July 1995, ?uhra and her husband said their goodbyes. Before setting off through the forest, Muriz took his children into his arms and held them close. ¡°?uhra, keep them safe,¡± he said, as if he knew he would never see them again.
Muriz was killed in Kravica.
¡°I talked to my children about donating the cigarette case to the Memorial Center. My children were against it because that¡¯s the only item belonging to their late father that we have. But I think it¡¯s important for it be exhibited at the Srebrenica Memorial Center, so that everyone can see what happened to him and learn from it, ensuring that the 1995 Srebrenica genocide never happens to anyone else.
Ramiz Nuki?
During the ambush at Kamenica Hill in July 1995, near his native village, Ramiz lost sight of his father and two brothers, who ultimately perished. Ramiz survived the Srebrenica genocide after days of trekking through the forest to reach the free territory in Nezuk, near Tuzla.
After the war, Ramiz returned home, where he dedicated his life to searching for the remains of Srebrenica¡¯s victims. Over the course of many years, he managed to find over 270 skeletons.
Ramiz donated a makeshift cigarette lighter that had been used during the siege of Srebrenica to the Srebrenica Memorial Center for the project Lives Behind the Fields of Death. In the UN-protected enclave, where lighters and matches were in short supply, this rudimentary device relied on steel plates and mushrooms to create a spark, which could then be used to light a cigarette.
¡°On July 11, 1995, when Serb forces overran the Srebrenica enclave, I put this lighter in my pocket because I didn¡¯t have anything else. On the seventh day after leaving Srebrenica, I arrived in Nezuk, and I even used it there for a while. It¡¯s important to me that there is a memento of mine in this museum, to show that I survived what I did and that I carried this,¡± he said.
Ramiz passed away in 2022, but his legacy lives on through his dedication to the victims of Srebrenica and his efforts to ensure that their stories are never forgotten.
From Words to Violence
In 2019, the United Nations Secretary-General launched the United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech with two overriding objectives:
- 1. To enhance UN efforts to address the root causes and drivers of hate speech in a coordinated way, with a focus on education as a preventive tool to raise awareness and build unity.
- 2. To focus on the United Nations response to the impact of hate speech on societies, with an emphasis on engaging with relevant actors, strengthening advocacy, and developing guidance for counter-narratives.
The Strategy recognizes that hate speech is a precursor to atrocity crimes, including genocide. This was the case in the Holocaust, the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, and Bosnia & Herzegovina, in the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica. The United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect is the focal point for the Strategy and supports its implementation across the United Nations system and with other relevant actors.
What can you do? Here are a few ideas:
- 1. Educate yourself: Learn about the warning signs and causes of genocide. Use your knowledge to counter the spread of disinformation and misinformation.
- 2. Get involved: Become familiar with organizations that work to protect human rights and prevent genocide. Follow the United Nations #NoToHate campaign to learn more and counter the spread of hate speech.
- 3. Foster a culture of mutual respect: Promote a culture of peace and non-violence that includes respect for diversity and non-discrimination. This way we can build societies that are resilient to the risk of genocide.
How Hate Speech Works
Hate speech is not just harmful words¡ªit is a potent weapon that can incite violence, fuel discrimination, and divide societies. Its power lies in its ability to dehumanize and create an ¡°us versus them¡± mentality that justifies injustice and hatred. Throughout history, hate speech has fueled atrocities, from the genocide in Rwanda to the rise of extremist movements across the globe. In our modern world, the digital age amplifies its reach, making its consequences even more widespread. We must recognize that silence in the face of hate allows it to grow, while action¡ªthrough education, empathy, and standing up against intolerance¡ªcan dismantle its power. It is our collective responsibility to confront hate speech head-on, ensuring that future generations inherit a world built on respect, unity, and understanding. The time for action is now.
Hate speech is a precursor to violence. It labels people as ¡°foreign,¡± ¡°fake,¡± or ¡°dangerous,¡± dehumanizes, calls people animals or pests, justifies violence, turns murder into ¡°defense,¡± and spreads through media, politics, and silence.
Language becomes policy and, eventually, action. Words shape the narrative that justifies the unthinkable. Words Have Consequences
Words Have Consequences
The power of language cannot be underestimated. Words can divide, dehumanize, and incite violence. The rhetoric of hate must be recognized and resisted before it leads to destruction. History teaches us that unchecked language can lead to unspeakable horrors. We must never forget that words have consequences.
Genocide does not begin with bullets. It begins with words that dehumanize, divide, and incite. It is, therefore, important to remind how hate speech and political rhetoric evolved into genocide in Bosnia, Rwanda, and Nazi Germany. Through real quotes and historical records, we confront how language was weaponized and how it must never be ignored.
It happened, therefore, it can happen again: this is the core of what we have to say. It can happen, and it can happen everywhere.¡±
Primo Levi, Holocaust survivor
Never Again Means Now
¡°Never Again¡± is more than just a phrase¡ªit¡¯s a solemn vow to prevent the horrors of genocide from ever being repeated. It is a collective commitment to uphold human dignity, justice, and the universal rights of all people, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or identity. The atrocities of the past, from the Holocaust, the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, and other subsequent genocides to the 1995 Srebrenica genocide, serve as painful reminders of the consequences of indifference and inaction. To say ¡°Never Again¡± means not only remembering the victims, but also actively working to dismantle the systems of hatred, fear, and intolerance that allow such horrors to take root. It calls upon each of us to speak out against dehumanization, challenge discrimination, and ensure that the lessons of history are never forgotten. ¡°Never Again¡± is a call to vigilance, compassion, and a shared responsibility to protect the most vulnerable because the price of silence is too high, and the cost of forgetting is unimaginable.
We have the tools. We have history. We know how genocides begin ¡ª and how they are justified.
To prevent future atrocities, we must:
- • detect and condemn hate speech early,
- • educate media, politicians, and citizens on its dangers,
- • strengthen laws that hold inciters accountable,
- • support international mechanisms for early warning,
- • never normalize language that dehumanizes.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.¡±
attributed to Edmund Burke
We must remain vigilant in recognizing and responding to human rights violations when they start to occur. It is our individual and collective responsibility to react properly and timely so that ¡°Never Again¡± holds true meaning.
The time to act is now.
This exhibit was launched in July 2025