At the Panel Discussion, held in the framework of commemoration on occasion 22nd Anniversary of the memory of the victims of genocide in and around the United Nations secure zone The Srebrenica nation, July 1995, in Richmond, 8-11. July 2017, with active participation: academician prof. Dr. Smaila Čekić, Mr. Mira Lazovic, President of the Assembly of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, prof. Ivo Komšić, Member of the Presidency of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of the mayor of Sarajevo, prof. Dr. Senadin Lavić, President of the Bosniak Community of Culture Preporod Sarajevo; Mr. Saliha Brkić, prominent journalist and reporter, academician Dr. Emira Ramić, Director of the Canada Institute for Genocide Research; prof. Dr. Haris Alibašić, one of the Presidents of the North Bosniak Congress America, Eldin Elezovic, President of the Congress of North Bosniaks America, and so many other personalities, was adopted
Charter on the memory of victims of genocide
1. Institutions and organizations in North America are continually operating to create and increase awareness of the genocide to the American and Canadian public, one of the the most severe forms of crimes against humanity and international rights, which was carried out in Europe after World War 11 –in and around the United Nations safe zone area of Srebrenica, July 1995, as what also happened in all other occupied places, siege towns, and other United Nations safe areas in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
2. We thank the Congress in the US Senate and the Parliament of Canada on Adopting more resolutions on genocide in Srebrenica and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Mayors of more than 20 US and Canadian Cities, which declared July 11th as the Day of Remembrance of Genocide in Srebrenica and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We also wish to express a special thanks and gratitude to the Canadian Museum of Human Rights and Freedoms on a permanent display of genocide in Srebrenica We also express gratitude to Windsor and the local Community on building the first memorial to the victims of genocide in Srebrenica in the Diaspora; Academic research and educational institutions in the United States and Canada that investigate and study genocide in Srebrenica.
3.Civilization is a commitment and a cultural need to develop a culture of memories of the victims of genocide in and around the safe zone of the United Nations Srebrenica, July 1995 and the entire Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also much broader, both in Europe and throughout the world. The goal of this The project is:
-to scientifically investigate and find out the scientific truth about the crime of genocide; Speak in the name of innocent victims of genocide; Develops individual and social awareness and individual and collective need and
Responsibility for the prevention of genocide and appropriate timely
Reaction; Permanently persisting in holding those accountable for genocide by accepting responsibility and pleading guilty; Intense planning, organization, systematic, targeted and purposeful work on prosecuting those responsible for genocide; to work towards a degree of minimum justice, as invidvual human and social satisfaction; Develop activities of lasting memory on genocide and victims of genocide; To realize factual moral and legal normative assumptions and conditions disabling the denial of genocide.
4. The problem of genocide is the problem of humanity as a whole. As in accordance with the genocide in Srebrenica, a safe zone area of the United Nations, July 1995, should be seen through the European and world level within the framework of International law, the UN Charter, and the European Union. Genocide needs to be an essential factor of social consciousness and international conscience of the community which, unfortunately, has been disregarded in a way that in that zone does not allow Bosniak children, descendants of genocide, education in the Bosnian language, and a learning c on the truth of Bosniak history and culture of tradition. Today, the fight for Bosnia and Herzegovina, is among other things, guided by respect for the rule of Laws and recognition of the importance of the international law where the member UN must protect itself from barbarism, aggression, and large scale governmental projects which possess fascist and genocidal character. In the entity of the Republic Serbia, the preservation of the results of genocide is the main political and cultural goal of all governments after Dayton. The Dayton Peace Agreement enabled them to do so. The Republic of Serbia was created on genocide.
5. To think about the genocide in Srebrenica means to search for the answers to the question whether genocide is a legal manner in order to establish cultural and political goals. The Dayton Peace Accord, unfortunately, shows that it is. Likewise, the question if whether the judgment of the International Tribunal of Justice sufficient enough to realize the rights of the victims and achieve true justice? Is it possible that the offense of genocide still remains on the ground of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina? Bringing the necessary constitutional changes in Bosnia and Herzegovina and its Euro-Atlantic integration is not possible with the preservation of the acquisitions The genocide that has been committed in it. The entity of the Republic of Serbia was created on the crimes of genocide in the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. And we are asking that the offense and its perpetrators are sanctioned before the international institutions of law.
6. Genocide in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was a process that begun in 1992 and ended in 1995 with genocide in Srebrenica as a result. The international community intervened after the genocide in Srebrenica and is the reason why it insists that only the crimes committed in Srebrenica on July 1995 are to be called genocide. The Bosnian society has not learned the lesson from the genocide in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina which culminated to the genocide in Srebrenica. The processes of the international community in accordance to holding those responsible of genocide in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to run parallel to the process of dealing with the facts about genocide in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Every genocide has its own national and international context, as well does the genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Without tacit approval and an ignoble relationship of the International community, no genocide is possible. However, he International community if far from confronting its responsibility for the Genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The moment the International community is ready to faces its responsibility then only can the process begin in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
7. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the denial of genocide is a norm. Negating
Genocide is practically the official discourse of power in the entity of the Republic of Serbia. As long as the authorities of that entity and the authorities in Serbia are not ready
to face their responsibility for genocide in the Republic of Bosnia and
Herzegovina, this denial will last. The process of recognizing genocide is complex, because it implies, above all, political consequences in Bosnia and Herzegovina. For the authorities in the entity of the Republic of Serbia to face genocide would mean that they consent to constitutional changes, more equitable solutions and not promoting the legitimization of the goals of genocide.
The genocide theories do not promote the idea of a genocidal nation, but they speak of massive participation in genocide. By promoting the thesis that the genocide was only committed by individuals, it distances us from the response to the question as to why some people act as rescuers, some as perpetrators and some as observers. Serbian negation of crimes of genocide against Bosniaks is the result of a political project of the Serbian authorities, regardless of the party on the political scene.
8. Recognition of the genocide in Srebrenica, as the only genocide which was carried out in Europe after the Second World War, sets the foundation of change in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the foundation of better future relationships between all those in Bosnian society and governments, and the foundation for Euro-Atlantic integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A country in which a genocide has been committed, with many attempts, has not adopted a document on the conviction of genocide. The Euro-Atlantic future of Bosnia and Herzegovina implies, among other things, the adoption of a resolution on the conviction of genocide, implies developing a system of education that will teach generations that multiple aggression were committed against the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a Bosniak genocide. Negative historical facts, which court verdicts and political decisions confirm, may result a new genocide.
Without lessons from the past, without truth and justice, there is no better future. What kind of future can we expect without justice and the truth? Those who deny genocide would be better off dealing with truth, so that their children have a safer, better future.There is no alternative to a better future based on learning about genocide, the institutionalized of the culture of memory, truth, and justice. A better future based on learning about genocide, on Institutionalization of the culture of memory, there is no truth and justice Alternative. It is on us and our activism to attempt educate others on genocide, we will definitely not count on those who disrespect truth and justice, and dehumanize the victims. We will teach younger generations the values of peace, the values of memory, values of truth and justice, values of the idea of Bosnia and the Bosnian spirit but also about the continuing anti-Bosnian campaign of various political establishments in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
9. We are seeking to amend the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in order to,
among other things, prohibit negation, minimization, justification or
granting on the crime of genocide. The implementation of the Tribunal’s judgment Justice in 2007, which found that as a legal fact it was in the Safe zone United Nations Srebrenica that a genocide was committed in 1995, has no lifetime. In this way, it would contribute to building a secure state as well as respect for the victims of aggression and genocide. Genocide researchers point out that the last phase of genocide is a denial that it happened. Our moral and historical obligation is to expand the truth about genocide, we seek justice for the victims of genocide and to institutionalize a culture of memory.
10. We invite the representatives of the European Union in the process of opening new
Chapters for negotiations on Serbia’s accession to the European Union
The condition that this country must recognize the decisions of the international tribunals on genocide in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We call on representatives of the European Union from Croatia, which is already a member of the European Union, to seek decisions of the international courts. We invite the representatives of the European Union to the process of opening a chapter for the negotiations on the accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina does not negotiate with the European Union with those who deny the decisions of the international courts, because if someone does not respect these decisions how will they respect other European standards. In the part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, subsequently Serbia, the genocide of Bosniaks is continually denied, the greatest war criminals are praised, where ideology and politics are at play, including the media, that the sow the seed of evil for a new aggressive genocide. Younger generations who not have their own experience around the time period of the genocide may fall victims of manipulation on the grounds of ideology, or become supporters of genocide with a change to repeat the genocide. The incrimination of denial of genocide has a symbolic function for Bosnia and Herzegovina in which genocide was committed. In order to distinguish the past from the present it requires public recognition as fact of committing genocide as one of the most important conditions for Euro-Atlantic integration.
11. Bosniaks, victims of genocide have a historical duty of memory and to remind other of the genocide that has been committed against them. Carriers of ideology and the genocide policies, as well as the perpetrators of genocide, have a historical responsibility to condemn the ideology, politics and practice of genocide and demand for the most responsible penalties in this process.
12.The present civilization must enable victims of genocide to be realized in order to achieve the right to material and financial compensation for the committed genocide, Therefore, we invite all surviving victims of genocide to address the Council The security of the UN, the leading states of the international community, in particular the United States and the United States Canada, as well as Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro and the Republic of the Republic Serbian with the requirement to exercise this right.
