Lecture for CGE - Canadians for Genocide Education

Toronto, March 28, 2013

The Bosnian War and Genocide:

A Personal Journey and Perspective

Good evening. Thank you for having me here.

My name is Suzana Vukic. I’m from Montreal.

It is my pleasure to be here this evening in Toronto, at this event hosted by CGE - Canadians for Genocide Education.

I have been asked to represent the Institute for Research of Genocide, Canada - abbreviated as IGC….

…as a member of the Institute’s International Team of Experts.

I am here representing the Bosniak - that is, the Bosnian Muslim….

…community of Canada, for this event.

But I find it necessary to explain to you that I am not of Bosniak origin.

My background is Croatian - from Croatia, not Bosnia.

Both of my parents come from Kali, a small island village near the Croatian coastal town Zadar.

The only connection that I have with Bosnia, in terms of heritage…

….is a possibility of some ancestry from my belated father’s paternal side of the family.

But this is something of which I am not certain.

I would like to tell you a bit about the events that have led me here tonight…

… to participate in CGE’s 2013 Genocide Memorial Week event featuring a case study of the former Yugoslavia.

In my day job, I’m an educator, and I work with adults with intellectual disabilities and autism.

But for over four years now, I have also been writing my own column, called Her Voice, for the The Hudson/St.Lazare Gazette….

…a local weekly newspaper located off the island of Montreal.

Just over three years ago, I decided to write about Bosnia for the first time.

For those of you who are not familiar, Bosnia-Herzegovina (also often called Bosnia), is a country in south-east Europe, on the Balkan peninsula.

It’s one of the countries that once made up part of the former communist Yugoslavia.

Three main ethnic groups make up the population of Bosnia: Bosniaks, Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Croats.

By the early 1990’s, as each republic within Yugoslavia sought independence, one by one….

…it was clear that Bosnia was headed in that direction as well, but not before facing a genocidal war that nearly destroyed it.

Just before Christmas, 2009, I reflected on what I wanted to write about for my column.

I found myself disillusioned with the commercialization of Christmas here in the west…

…and thought to myself - how do they celebrate Christmas in a place like Sarajevo, today….

…after everything that has happened there in the recent past - the siege and destruction of a city, a nation and its people?

So I began to write a piece titled Christmas in Sarajevo - a story that I entered in The Hudson Gazette’s Christmas contest.

It ended up winning first prize.

This was the first time, since I began writing in earnest, that I had ever written about the Bosnian War.

It was the beginning of an important journey - one that continues to this day.

Writing about Sarajevo, and Bosnia, for the first time….

…brought me back to my experience, back in the early 1990’s, of observing, from the safety of my home on Canadian soil….

…the wars that broke out following the collapse of the former Yugoslavia.

This brought back the pain of watching Croatia fall under siege by Serbian forces….

…and watching my beloved ancestral Zadar fall under attack, along with other parts of the country.

But writing about Sarajevo also made me vividly recall all of the horrors of the Bosnian war, a descent into hell that seemed surreal:

- the siege of Sarajevo, with Serb forces sniping at the city and its people from the hills;

- the horror of concentration camps; rape camps;

- and a wholesale slaughter and ethnic cleansing of civilians - largely Bosniak - on the basis of their ethnic origins.

Sarajevo, the capitol of Bosnia-Herzegovina, was the centre of the world’s attention as host of the 1984 Winter Olympics.

Less than a decade later, the city was back in the headlines….

…as its citizens endured an almost four-year siege of their city by Serb forces during the Bosnian War.

Estimates put the death toll at close to 10,000, including 1,500 children.

More than 50,000 were wounded, including nearly 15,000 children.

The Olympic Stadium became a cemetery.

The Bosnian war created at least a million refugees, many displaced within the country.

The prosecution's opening arguments at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia….

…paint a word picture of what life in Sarajevo was like between 1992 and 1995...I’ll read this out to you:

"The siege of Sarajevo, as it came to be popularly known, was an episode of such notoriety in the conflict in the former Yugoslavia that one must go back to World War II to find a parallel in European history. Not since then had a professional army conducted a campaign of unrelenting violence against the inhabitants of a European city so as to reduce them to a state of medieval deprivation in which they were in constant fear of death. In the period covered in this Indictment, there was nowhere safe for a Sarajevan, not at home, at school, in a hospital, from deliberate attack."

Writing about Sarajevo - and Bosnia - for the first time, especially in the context of a Christmas piece - meant a great deal to me.

This experience made me become aware of a personal need to continue to write about Bosnia, and what happened there during the war.

When I wrote my story, I had done a considerable amount of research.

I came across quite a few stories about women who had been victims of mass and systematic rape during the Bosnian war….

….women who had been held captive, and subjected to cruel and humiliating treatment….

…as part of an ethnic cleansing campaign on the part of the Bosnian Serb forces, operating in conjunction with the Yugoslav National Army.

I remember reading the story of a 12 year-old Bosniak girl, from Foca….

….one of many being held captive and subjected to gang rapes from Bosnian Serb soldiers.

She was raped, beaten and tortured, and subjected to a variety of cruel and humiliating treatment.

This 12 year-old girl was made to parade down the streets of Foca naked, in full view of the town’s Serbian citizens….

…people who were once friends and neighbours and who, at that moment, did nothing to help her or try to protect her.

Eventually, this girl was killed by her captors.

But her story remains alive, because another Bosniak girl, also held captive and raped, survived and has been able to tell the world this story.

As I read this disturbing story and many others, I realized something very important:

The world knows very little, if anything at all, about the mass and systematic rapes that were perpetrated against women, men, and children during the Bosnian war.

And it occurred to me that the world needed to know what happened.

After writing my Christmas in Sarajevo piece, I felt a real sense of joy and accomplishment.

I also realized that the following summer, July of 2010, would mark a really important event:

…the 15th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide.

And I realized how important it would be for me to take the opportunity to write about it.

For those of you who are not aware, I’ll explain what the Srebrenica Genocide is all about:

- On July 11, 1995, Bosnian Serb troops, led by General Ratko Mladic, overran what was supposed to be the “UN safe haven” of Srebrenica;

- The Dutch peacekeepers who were supposed to be protecting Srebrenica were unable, or unwilling, to stop Mladic and his troops from overtaking the town and surrounding villages;

- In the days that followed, Serb troops gathered up the Bosnian Muslim population, separating the men from the women;

- An estimated 25,000 women and girls were forcibly transported to Bosnian-held territory; an additional number of females were kept aside and raped by Serb soldiers;

- 8372 men and boys, from the youngest to the oldest, were massacred; their bodies were dumped into mass graves;

- This is the single largest massacre to have taken place on European soil since the end of World War II.

- The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) at The Hague, in the Netherlands, has recognized that what happened in Srebrenica was genocide.

When I heard the news about what was happening in Srebrenica in July of 1995, it was difficult to believe that the world was watching this event….

…that we all knew in advance what was going to happen to the men of Srebrenica….

…and that those in charge, the ones who should have been doing everything possible to prevent this slaughter, did not seem to be interested in doing anything.

In May and June of 2010, as the 15th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide grew closer….

…I knew that if I wanted to write about Srebrenica, and about the Bosnian war in general….

…that it would be essential for me to get to know members of the Bosniak community.

After all, I was well aware that these people - the Bosniak population of Bosnia, were the greatest victims of the war….

…. And had faced the threat of complete and total annihilation as a group.

I got in touch with members of Toronto’s Bosniak community.

I established contact with, and eventually met Professor Emir Ramic….

….president of the Institute for Research of Genocide Canada (IGC) and a survivor of the Bosnian war.

I also met Aldina Muslija, a young activist from Toronto‘s Bosniak community….

…who was born in Bosnia and lived out the entire war there as a very young child.

During that period, I learned how the Bosniak community of Canada….

….with a population of over 50,000 at that point in time….

…had been lobbying to have July 11th declared as the Srebrenica Remembrance Day in Canada.

On June 9, 2010, this campaign, known as Bill M-416, was introduced in Parliament.

Prime Minister Harper and the Conservative Party vetoed the bill.

Harper would not allow this resolution to pass with the word "genocide" in it.

I was upset to hear about this….

….and so I decided to write a column on this subject, titled “Recognize genocide for what it is”.

In this piece, I took the opportunity to explain to my reader what the issue was….

…and how hurtful Harper’s decision was for Canada’s Bosniak community….

….which included many individuals who survived some of the worst horrors of the Bosnian war - including the Srebrenica Genocide.

But in writing about the Bosnian war, and the Srebrenica Genocide in particular….

…I realized that my readers would not really understand what the issues were all about….

….especially those who have no connection to Bosnia or the Balkans….

So, I tried to give them a picture of what the war had been like for Bosniaks. I’ll read out passages from this particular piece:

“The average Canadian would have a difficult time understanding what happened in the early 1990's with the breakup of the former Yugoslavia and the wars that followed. Unless you're from the region or have connections to it, it's something you'd be unable to relate to.”

“Imagine living in the heart of civilized Europe, in a town as pleasant as, say, Hudson. You live side by side with neighbours that have been your friends for as long as you can remember. These people might be of a background that is different from your own, but you're oblivious to these differences. These things simply don't matter to you. That's not what you're all about.”

“Then one day, for reasons beyond your control, all of this changes. The neighbourly friendship comes to a stop. You either find yourself in a position where you're ready to pack up and leave town with your family as quickly as you can, or you're compelled to stay, and it's your neighbours who are making a hasty exit with their families and whatever earthly possessions they can possibly bring along. The battle lines are drawn. Yesterday's world is gone forever.”

“What follows is a life of unimaginable horror. Leaving your house and attempting to get to [Hudson’s] Main Road to try to get food and supplies for your family becomes an impossible feat. Mortar shells and sniper fire rain down from the top of [nearby] Oka mountain. Your town is slowly being destroyed and people are being killed. You live in constant fear of being killed or having your family members get killed or go missing. Your greatest fear is of facing the day when the enemy will overtake your town.”

“Srebrenica was overtaken. And [over] 8000 of its citizens, including people who went there seeking a safe haven, were killed on the basis of gender and ethnic origin.”

I was invited by Professor Ramic to join Toronto’s Bosniak community….

…for their Srebrenica Genocide Commemorative Silent March and Ceremony, in Toronto on the weekend of July 10-11, 2010.

This march was meant to commemorate the victims of the Srebrenica Genocide.

It was also a means of protesting Harper’s veto on the Srebrenica Resolution.

After the march, I attended the photo exhibit "Srebrenica: The Absence"….

…at The Gladstone Hotel, featuring photographs of award-winning photojournalist Roger LeMoyne.

And on Sunday, I attended the Srebrenica Genocide commemorative ceremony at the Bosnian Islamic Centre in Etobicoke.

During that period of time, before, during and after my weekend in Toronto….

….I had the opportunity to meet, and to get to know people from the Bosniak community who survived the war.

I heard many different stories:

- that of a young woman whose earliest childhood memories include being targeted by a Bosnian Serb sniper….

…while playing in her family’s garden….

…as well as the day that her school was bombed by Bosnian Serbs, while she and all of the other children from the town were in it;

- I heard the story of a man from Prijedor who, at the beginning of the war….

…was informed that he was on a list of several hundred intellectuals from the region destined for execution….

….and how he and his family barely managed to escape to safe territory;

I heard of a variety of different stories:

- that of a young woman who, as a young child, lived out almost the entire war in Sarajevo, while it was under siege;

- during those days, I also had the opportunity to meet and interview Fadil Kulasic, a concentration camp survivor….

…who survived three different Serb-run concentration camps, including the infamous Omarska and Manjaca death camps.

- I was told how non-Serbs (mostly Bosniak, but also some Croats and gypsies), were hunted down….

….and then brought into these concentration camps.

- I was told how 200 people were forced into a room that was so crowded that people were forced to sleep standing up;

- these people were given 1 bottle of water - to share;

- they were not allowed to use a bathroom - instead, they were given a bucket, also to be shared.

- they were beaten daily, and slowly starved by their captors;

- they were given one meal a day - consisting of a “soup” that resembled water, and a small piece of bread;

- every day and every night, soldiers came and called out the names of certain people; those who were called out never came back;

- these individuals were taken to a room on the 2nd floor; those who remained below could hear these people getting beaten and tortured to death;

- thousands people were killed in these camps; those who survived bear lifelong scars of the brutality that they endured and witnessed.

Many of these stories, of loss and survival, that I heard in those days, and ever since, have had a profound effect on me.

I knew that my journey had begun, and would not end any time soon.

Soon after my trip to Toronto, I was made an honourary member….

…of the international team of experts of the Institute for Research of Genocide Canada (IGC). This was a great honour.

In the fall of 2010, I learned about Bakira Hasecic, President of the Sarajevo-based association Women Victims of War.

Bakira, along with members of her family, was one of many women who endured and survived mass and systematic wartime rape.

The first time that I took notice of Bakira and her organization was during the period of the Angelina Jolie film controversy.

In researching and writing about this story, I came to learn a great deal about Bakira Hasecic and Women Victims of War.

Bakira comes from the eastern Bosnian town of Visegrad.

When the war broke out in April, 1992, Bakira lived there with her husband and two daughters.

They, along with the town’s entire Bosniak population, were ethnically-cleansed from Visegrad.

Bakira’s experience motivated her to start the group Women Victims of War, along with other survivors.

This group provides support to women and men who were raped or sexually violated during the war…

…collects their testimonies, and actively pursues war criminals.

The group Women Victims of War provides their services to victims of wartime rape of all different ethnic groups, and pursues war criminals from all ethnic backgrounds.

Most of the members of Women Victims of War are Bosniak women.

Rape became a tool of ethnic-cleansing during the Bosnian war….

…in a campaign of genocide on the part of the Yugoslav-backed Bosnian Serb army to rid Bosnia of non-Serbs.

Soldiers were ordered to rape, to traumatize and shame victims to the point where they'd never want to return home.

There were mass rapes of non-Serb women, mainly Bosniak women, in concentration camps and rape houses.

Men and small children were also raped or sexually violated in some manner.

Victims were systemically raped, often by numerous soldiers, over prolonged periods.

They were also beaten, physically tortured and brutalized in unspeakable ways.

They were subjected to psychological terror, and often threatened with violence and death.

Women were often raped in front of others, including their own children or family members.

Soldiers impregnated their victims and released them once abortion was no longer an option.

In concentration camps, inmates were forced to rape and violate each other for the amusement of soldiers.

I spoke to you about Omarska before:

There is one well-documented story of sexual violence that occurred in this place….

…that of one male prisoner being ordered by a camp guard to bite off the testicles of another prisoner.

Many survivors of wartime rape have never returned to their homes.

Bakira lives in Sarajevo, but often returns to her hometown, Visegrad….

… which is in the Republika Srpska (Serb Republic) entity of Bosnia.

These are places where war criminals roam freely, knowing that they're in a place where they're regarded as heroes.

The Dayton Accord has done little to ensure that victims of the war can safely return to their homes.

Those who return often find themselves living in an atmosphere of intimidation and hostility.

There were a few other interesting events that occurred in the fall of 2010:

In October of that year, the Canadian Parliament passed the Srebrenica Resolution, Bill M-416.

With this, I learned an important lesson.

If you care enough about any political issue to fight for it, you have a pretty strong chance of achieving your goal.

In light of this, none of us can afford to be politically complacent.

In November of 2010, I was invited by Emir Ramic to attend the Bosniak community’s Bosnia and Herzegovina Statehood Day celebrations in Toronto….

…as well as to participate in genocide training and research that would be taking place there that weekend.

I went to Toronto that weekend and became reacquainted with the reality of that city’s Bosniak community.

This population was small before the war; its numbers swelled during and after the war.

It’s a diaspora community, made up of individuals who fled from their homes in horrific circumstances during the war.

During this weekend, I became aware - on an intuitive level - of some really important facts:

- any larger Bosniak community gathering will include at least one or two, if not several, concentration camp survivors;

- there will be individuals present who have been tortured, beaten, raped, or harmed in some manner;

- some have family members and close friends who were killed or who disappeared.

- younger adults remember a childhood or adolescence marked with memories of coming under direct sniper or artillery fire,…

…and of watching the bombardment and destruction of their homes and communities.

Considering the horrors that they’ve lived through, all of these people are lucky to be alive.

They’re also grateful to be living in a safe, democratic country like Canada.

But they’ve never stopped grieving their losses or the homeland they left behind.

The Bosniaks I’ve met are hard-working, contributing members of Canadian society.

They’re excellent examples of the Canadian-immigrant success story.

Dr. Smail Cekic, Director of the Institute for Research of Crimes against Humanity and International Law University of Sarajevo (affiliated with the IGC), was an honoured guest speaker and lecturer at this event.

Dr. Cekic gave us a questionnaire tool produced by the University of Sarajevo, one that we would use for the purposes of an exercise that day.

- the questionnaire was created for the purpose of interviewing and collecting data….

….and official accounts from victims of wartime atrocities (or their next of kin, in cases of murdered victims).

- I noted that there were two different questions that pertained to the type of atrocities committed against people;

- each of these questions contained exhaustive lists of the variety of different means by which victims were harmed and mistreated;

- besides being killed and injured, other atrocities include:

- captivity; rape; forced pregnancy;

- forced displacement of children from one group into another;

- being maimed; forced deportation; being starved;

- being burned alive; being used as a human shield;

- being beaten; being tortured;

- being forcibly tattooed; plunder;

- and the destruction or seizure of property (not justified by military needs).

And so, we practiced filling out the questionnaire to learn how it should be done.

We were asked to use an example of a victim who’s story we were most familiar with.

I had trouble figuring out who to use.

Being an outsider (a Canadian-born Croat with no direct ties to Bosnia), I had no such experience.

And so for practice, I used the example of a victim I’d interviewed recently.

My position was unique.

I came to realize that every single other person in that room with me would have been able to use the example of someone they knew well….

…such as a family member, friend or neighbor….or even their own selves.

The questionnaire is designed to make it impossible for respondents to successfully give false or embellished accounts of wartime atrocities.

All data is ultimately verifiable.

On a personal level, I found this to be quite gratifying.

When confronted with the wretched, ugly reality of wartime suffering….

… there’s still joy to be felt knowing that the light and beauty of truth can come shining through out of a very dark and desolate place.

During the course of the weekend, there were roundtable discussions focusing on the political situation in Bosnia.

A common view was that Bosniaks are in a vulnerable position given the status quo.

Often times, it appears that they’re the only ones within Bosnia-Herzegovina who wish to hold the country together.

It appears that Bosnian Serbs - especially those in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia-Herzegovina - would prefer to break away and join Serbia….

…and also that Bosnian Croats - especially those in Herzegovina, where they’re a majority - would prefer to join Croatia.

Responsibility for the war and the attempted partition of Bosnia-Herzegovina was discussed.

The Republics of Serbia and Montenegro, as well as the Republic of Croatia….

…were cited as carrying principle blame for the wartime destruction of Bosnia and the near annihilation of Bosniaks.

I knew this was a historic truth….

…but had trouble with Croatia being assigned the same level of blame as Serbia.

While I thought about this, an out-of-town guest, Semir….

…was asked if he could speak briefly about his experience as prisoner in the Dretelj concentration camp in Herzegovina.

His description was bloodcurdling.

Although not mentioned outright, one fact about Semir’s captivity pervaded my being: Dretelj was a Croat-run concentration camp.

I always sidestepped this reality, holding Serbs principally responsible for the aggressions in the Croatian, Bosnian and Kosovo wars.

I clung to CIA figures citing Serbs with 90% responsibility for Bosnian war atrocities.

But the presence and voice of a single victim demolished all of my constructs.

To be at peace with myself, I sought an opportunity to approach Semir and apologize for what my people had done to him.

I explained how I found it hard to stomach the thought of a Croatian man doing harm to innocent Muslims or Serbs.

Semir told me that although Croats alone were responsible for all of his wartime suffering….

…he’s always believed in the importance of Muslims and Croats working together.

All of these insurmountable difficulties must be dealt with if Bosnia is to move towards a better future.

It’s horrifying to know there are people eager to see Bosnia being split apart again.

This would be a disaster - not only for Bosniaks, but also for Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Croats in all corners of this nation.

It’s scary to know there are individuals eagerly awaiting another chance at warfare and a redrawing of the map….

…for the purpose of revenge and the “righting” of historic and recent wrongs.

Considering that weekend’s topic - genocide….

…and the fact that Bosnians have yet to come to terms with the horrors that took place in this country just over two decades ago….

…this scenario must never be allowed to occur again.

It’s difficult to envision a solution for Bosnia‘s troubles.

Ideally, discussions on Bosnia’s future should include all of its people….

Bosniaks, as well as ethnic Serbs and Croats from the region.

This isn’t easy; nevertheless it is something that must happen.

In order for inclusive discussion to work, all people involved must be decent, respectful individuals….

…with a firm commitment to human rights, and capable of maintaining civility once discussions become heated or impassioned.

In the months that followed this genocide education weekend, I made an interesting discovery.

In February of 2011, Bosnian Serb genocide denier, Srdja Trifkovic, was supposed to come to Canada from his home in the United States….

…to give a lecture at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver.

The Institute for Reasearch of Genocide Canada sought to have Trifkovic barred from giving the lecture….

…on the grounds that hate speech and genocide denial is illegal in Canada.

In the end, Trifkovic never had the opportunity to give his lecture at UBC.

After his plane landed in Vancouver and he arrived at customs, Trifkovic was barred from entering Canada by Canadian authorities.

This was done on the basis of Trifkovic’s wartime involvement and support of Bosnian Serb authorities during the war….

… and his suspected connection to war crimes.

There is a great deal to learn from this story. From the time that I first began to write about the Bosnian war…

…I discovered the existence, on the internet, of a great amount of material that denies or minimizes the Bosnian genocide….

…material written by these so-called “academics” - like Trifkovic, and others of his ilk.

There is a huge proliferation of hate and denial propaganda, mainly on the internet….

…designed to deny, minimize or discredit the atrocities done to the victims of the Bosnian war.

At times, this so-called “literature” also attempts to somehow justify the harm that was done to innocent victims.

And at times, it also seems to be connected with hate material that can be found on the internet….

…such as, for example, the infamous “Noz, Zica, Srebrenica” video - still, I believe, visible to this day on You Tube.

The words “Noz, Zica, Srebrenica” mean - knife, wire, and Srebrenica.

It is a video that glorifies the genocide of innocent Bosniak men in Srebrenica on the part of Bosnian Serb soldiers.

This video, and others like it, are used by extremists to harm survivors, to taunt them….

…and also to ensure that ethnic hatred remains alive and well in Bosnia, as well as in the diaspora communities.

And while I do firmly believe that inter-ethnic dialogue is an important step and process in ensuring a peaceful future in Bosnia….

…I’ve also come to realize, firsthand, how hard these particular individuals work to keep hatred and distrust alive for everyone connected to Bosnia.

During the days of IGC’s campaign to bar Trifkovic’s lecture at UBC….

….they set up a Facebook page titled “Prevent Srebrenica Genocide Denier Srdja Trifkovic from Lecturing at UBC”.

It was created as a forum for supporters of this initiative.

It quickly turned into a forum for supporters of Trifkovic.

They were essentially hateful genocide deniers who did their utmost to spread hatred.

They bullied and insulted people.

Essentially, they did everything possible to poison the environment for everyone else on that page.

This is a real challenge that is faced today - both in Bosnia, as well as among members of the diaspora community:

…finding a way to open up dialogue among Bosnia’s three main ethnic groups….

…while at the same time finding a way to deal with the genocide deniers and haters….

….who don’t want to know anything about peaceful dialogue and coexistence.

Early in 2011, I wrote and submitted a short essay for a publication of Vanier College, in Montreal.

I chose to write again about Bakira Hasecic from Women Victims of War.

In May, 2011, I had the opportunity to meet Bakira in person.

Bakira was invited to come to Canada for an international three-day conference hosted by the Nobel Women’s Initiative….

…titled “Women Forging a New Security: Ending Sexual Violence in Conflict.”

It was held in Montebello, Quebec, from May 23-25, 2011.

Let me tell you a bit about the organization Nobel Women’s Initiative, abbreviated as NWI:

Six Nobel peace laureates joined forces in 2006 to create the Nobel Women’s Initiative, which is based in Ottawa.

These incredible women have sought to use the strength and power of the Nobel Peace Prize….

…to promote women’s groups and causes on a global scale, working towards peace, justice and equality.

A good deal of NWI’s work has focused on combating sexual violence and gender-based violence in situations of armed conflict or civil unrest.

The NWI conference at Montebello focused on this issue.

It was noted that sexual violence was being used increasingly as an effective war strategy in places like Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Over 120 women from all over the world were present at this conference.

Some, like Bakira, have survived unspeakable forms of rape and shared their stories.

Other women from various government and non-governmental organizations, including media, were there to offer their input on strategy.

I was really excited when I found out that Bakira would be coming to Canada for this conference….

… and made plans to go down to Montebello and meet this incredible woman in person.

I couldn’t attend the conference, which was already booked beyond capacity.

However, due to circumstances, I assisted Bakira, replacing her interpreter for part of the conference.

I also accompanied Bakira to Ottawa on the morning of Thursday, May 26th….

…to a breakfast meeting and panel discussion following the three-day conference.

In Ottawa that morning, I had a chance to see for myself how incredibly strong and resilient Bakira is.

It’s what made her become a Bosnian army fighter the minute she and her family could escape their tormentors.

But regardless of how tough she is, it’s still very difficult for Bakira to tell her story.

Yet that’s what she did that morning. This is what she said:

"My next door neighbour - a police officer at the time - Veljko Planincic, forced his way into our home, accompanied by about 20-30 individuals - members of the JNA (Yugoslav National Army)…..one of these men…raped my older daughter (18) in a bedroom in front of my husband, myself, and my younger daughter (15). After this, they busted her head with the butt of a rifle….”, recounted Bakira with great difficulty.

“…I was taken (and raped) from May 21st, 1992 onwards - the first time at the local police station, the second time at a local high school, and the third time at an institute for women and children with intellectual deficiencies. I survived Golgotha. I witnessed slaughter, killings. I was raped and sexually violated numerous times….”

By way of coincidence, the previous day at the conference, Bakira had made a speech highlighting Bosnian Serb war criminal, Ratko Mladic.

She asked for everyone’s help in bringing this man to justice.

In a twist of fate, we got some really exciting news on our way to Ottawa on the morning of Thursday, May 26, 2011:

We got a cell phone call from Esad Krcic in New York, informing us that Ratko Mladic had been arrested early that morning in Serbia.

It was thrilling news for both of us.

So of course, after telling everyone gathered at the breakfast conference in Ottawa about what had happened to her and her family…

Bakira announced the news of Ratko Mladic`s arrest.

This news was greeted with a solid round of applause.

Bakira ended her brief speech by asking for everyone’s help in bringing Bosnian Serb war criminal Lazar Mutlak to justice.

This man resides in Canada.

Bakira also reminded everyone that retired Canadian Army General Lewis Mackenzie….

…has been indicted by the Bosnian Court of Justice for war crimes - the rape of two women….

… which allegedly occurred during the time he led a peace-keeping mission in war-torn Bosnia.

Mackenzie has never had to face these charges because of his diplomatic immunity.

Before Bakira left Canada to return to Bosnia….

… I discussed with her the possibility of my writing a book about her and her organization.

Bakira agreed that this would be a good idea.

In the summer of 2011, I had the opportunity to connect with Senahid Halilovic from New York, originally from Srebrenica.

Senahid Halilovic survived Srebrebrenica. Yet his triumph is overshadowed by loss:

Senahid’s father and three brothers were killed in this genocide.

Senahid planned on participating in the Peace March for the first time ever in the summer of 2011.

The Srebrenica Peace March commemorates the route that Bosniak men from Srebrenica took in July, 1995 in an attempt to escape certain death….

…at the hands of Bosnian Serb forces.

I had a chance to interview Senahid and write about his experience both before and after his trip.

This march - which was known as the death march in July of 1995...

…was a harrowing venture through difficult terrain and circumstances.

In seeking survival, people went through forests, mountains, and ruined and abandoned Bosniak villages….

They often came under attack by Serb forces during their trek; they were shot at or had bombs and grenades thrown in their direction.

Senahid made it to safe, Bosnian-held territory on the night of July 16, 1995.

But many were captured and killed before they could reach freedom.

Senahid expected that, in many ways, this journey would be a difficult one for him, on an emotional level.

In the end, he was right.

It was also difficult for Senahid to return to Bosnia and witness certain injustices….

… the principal one being the existence of Republika Srpska - the Serb Republic entity of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The Dayton Peace Accords that ended the war in 1995 divided the country into two entities:

The Bosnian Serb Republic, and the Muslim-Croat Federation.

Senahid sees the Dayton Accord as a failure.

It was supposed to guarantee the safe, unhindered return of refugees to their former homes.

But this simply hasn’t happened.

He points out that the majority of non-Serb refugees - Bosniaks, Croats…

…would never return to live in Republika Srpska, where they would feel like outsiders….

…. likewise, Serbs do not want to live in the Federation.

Senahid’s solution to this dilemma is simple:

- the existence of a single, unified Bosnia and Herzegovina minus the two entities….

…a nation where equal rights would be guaranteed to all citizens in all regions regardless of ethnic origin.

It sounds simple, but he acknowledges that with time, this seems less and less likely to happen.

He points out that international leaders were the ones who pushed for the Dayton Accord.

And now, it feels as though a major world player would prefer…

….to continue having Bosnia remain a nation where growth and prosperity will forever be hindered.

It seems to me that we need to listen to the voices of Bosnia ’s survivors when they tell us that change is necessary in this country.

While the west may be to blame for Bosnia’s current predicament….

… it also has the power to create the change so desperately needed in that country.

I kept Senahid’s words in mind as I planned to make the trip to Bosnia in the summer of 2012.

In the early part of 2012, I learned that I would finally have a chance to go to Bosnia.

And I was thrilled to have a chance to see my dream realized.

I’m grateful for the moral and financial support of a number of different groups and individuals….

…but especially to the Bosniak community of North America, namely those of Toronto and New York.

Almost right after I arrived in Bosnia, I headed towards Tuzla, to a town called Mosorovac….

….to prepare for the start of the Srebrenica Peace March.

I stayed overnight with relatives of Senahid Halilovic - a sister-in-law, sister, brother-in-law, nephews.

It was clear to me that the absence of family members….

…a husband, father, brothers, uncles, grandfathers…could be felt.

On the morning of July 8, 2012, my hosts took me to a village near Tuzla called Nezuk - the starting point of the Peace March.

This was a gruelling journey, spanning roughly 100 km through heavily forested and mountainous terrain.

Roughly 5,500 of us set off on the morning of July 8 from Nezuk and ended our journey in Srebrenica-Potocari on the evening of the 10th….

….stopping each evening in camps set up along the way.

It was a difficult journey for everyone - physically as well as emotionally.

I knew what to expect in advance, so I was able to handle the emotional part of it quite well.

But in terms of physical preparedness, that was another story.

Within an hour of walking, it became clear to me that I was not physically prepared for this journey.

As most of you who are familiar with Bosnia already know….

….there is very little “flat” terrain in the Bosnian countryside.

Instead, most of the time, we were walking up, and then down, over and over again, from start to finish.

I prayed for the strength and assistance necessary to continue the march right until the very end….

…because not completing this journey would have been too great a disappointment.

My prayers were answered.

I was fortunate to have the help of many good people along the way….

….the team of people that I started off with, as well as others that I befriended along the way.

This assistance that I had - a friend’s helping hand….

… and light-hearted conversation…helped make the time go by faster….

….and made the arduous journey more bearable.

We were all in good spirits and made an effort to encourage and support each other.

I contemplated how difficult it must have been for the men who took this route 17 years ago, in horrific circumstances.

As I observed the painfully beautiful scenery – steep mountains and deep valleys carpeted in lush greenery in the sweltering summer heat….

…. I realized that for the men who didn’t make it to safe territory….

…these images were probably the last ones that many of them saw in their final moments of life….before they were killed.

The evenings at camp were surreal: rows upon rows of army trucks and tents….

….people lined up like sardines inside these military tents….

… others scrambling to buy or obtain food and settle in before nightfall….

… teenage boys playing ball just across from where grown men were preparing to kneel in prayer.

By the second night, I realized that this must resemble life in a refugee camp. This fascinated me.

We were all there of our own free will and would be returning to our ordinary lives within a matter of days.

I remembered my parents’ stories about growing up during WWII and what it was like to live during wartime….

… especially for them, coming from a partisan village:

…. the constant persecution, fear of death and harm….

… living in refuge, experiencing hunger, and the painfully long separations from loved ones.

I also recalled that this was reality for the people of this region, in and around Srebrenica….

… and all of Bosnia, two decades ago.

‍We ended the Srebrenica Peace March on July 10 by arriving at the entrance of the Srebrenica-Potocari Memorial Complex and Cemetery.

This is now the resting place for 5,657 of the Bosniak men killed by Bosnian Serb forces over 17 years ago.

Nothing could prepare me for the stark reality of the evil that prevailed in this region less than two decades ago….

… the sight of all the slender, tall white tombstones, and the knowledge of what this represented:

8,372 men and boys killed within the space of a few days in July of 1995, simply because of the their Bosniak ethnicity.

In passing the far end of the complex by car, I observed the long, endless row of coffins covered in dark green cloth….

…. with a protective tarp of the same colour covering the entire length and width of that space taken up by the coffins.

This visual image gave me a true sense of the horror of having 520 coffins in one place, in one day.

The following day – on July 11, at the memorial complex – family and relatives of the deceased were there to prepare for their burial.

It’s hard to imagine what they’ve gone through over the years, to know that their husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, uncles and grandfathers….

…. were most likely killed, but having to live with the uncertainty.

Until the day when they received news of their loved ones being found and unearthed….

…and their identities confirmed by DNA analysis.

This news puts an end to any hope forever. But it also brings closure.

When the time came for the burial, it was difficult not to get emotional upon hearing the screams and cries….

…of countless mothers, wives, sisters and daughters saying their final goodbyes. After 17 years.

The entire place was packed with thousands of people, including dignitaries from all over the world who were there to pay their respects.

Where were they all 17 years ago, I wonder?

But then I remember: the world was there, in Srebrenica….

…. represented by the Dutch Battalion troops serving the United Nations.

This made no difference: these men were taken away right in front of UN troops, and then killed.

Two days later, on July 13, I took a different journey with a smaller number of people.

I accompanied the Mothers of Srebrenica to the region surrounding Srebrenica.

I had a chance to meet Munira Subasic, President of the Mothers of the Enclave of Srebrenica and Zepa.

We went to various sites close to Srebrenica where Serb forces held their Bosniak victims captive….

…. as well as sites where these victims were murdered en masse.

These places include:

- a hangar in the town of Kravice (Hangar Kravice);

- a school in the town of Orahovac ;

- a school in Brane Petkovic;

- a field at Branjevo;

- in Pilice (at the Cultural Centre - Dom Kulture….nicknamed by some the “Dom Nekulture“);

- and in Nova Kasaba - at a sports field;

Family members of the victims laid wreaths and said prayers at the sites where atrocities had occurred against their loved ones.

One woman, Refija Smajlovic explained how the bodies of her father and paternal uncle were found in one bag.

Her brother’s body was found in another.

An elderly woman, whose husband and little boy were killed, took a bag out of her purse….

…. and showed me all of the medication that she must take in order to be able to carry on.

An important insight for me came in an interview I had with Zijad Smajlovic, whose father was killed in Branjevo.

I’ll never forget Zijad’s response to me when I referred to his father’s death as a loss:

“It’s insulting for us when someone uses the word ‘loss’ to describe the death of our family members. We didn’t ‘lose’ anyone. Our loved ones were taken away from us and killed.”

Four days later, on July 17th, I accompanied the Mothers of Srebrenica to a town called Trnovo, an hour from Sarajevo….

…also a place where Serb paramilitary units known as the Scorpions killed Bosniak men from Srebrenica.

Another important part of my trip was my chance to get reacquainted with Bakira Hasecic, President of Women Victims of War….

…. and the women and men from her organization.

Bakira was present for me from the beginning of my trip, right up until the end….

….and accompanied me on several outings….

…. including the Srebrenica Genocide Commemoration ceremony and burial on July 11th.

During the times when I was in Sarajevo….

…I was at the offices of Women Victims of War on a daily basis.

I had a chance to see just how much the members of their organization….

….women and men who survived mass and systematic wartime rape, some as young children….

…. rely upon this organization for assistance and for support….

And also, to what extent the organization Women Victims of War is prepared to go….

….in order to help victims of wartime rape….

….and in order to pursue justice - namely, going after war criminals.

Women Victims of War handles all cases from all sides.

They assist victims from all three main ethnic groups - Bosniak, Croat and Serb, as well as others - for example, Roma….

….and they also pursue war criminals from all three ethnic groups, without differentiating one from another.

As Bakira has said numerous times:

….a rape victim is a victim regardless of which ethnic group she happens to fall into….

…and a war criminal is a war criminal regardless of his ethnic origins….

In the recent past, they assisted a Croatian woman who was raped by a Bosniak man, in a very high-profile case.

Bakira regularly faces pressure and threats of all sorts in her work with Women Victims of War.

Yet she remains immune to this and defiantly pursues justice for victims.

Most of the women that I met through Bakira are Bosniak.

I also had the chance to go to Mostar, in Herzegovina, and meet two Croatian women who were raped by Serb forces during the war….

….one of these women was 13 at the time that this happened to her.

During my trip, I also had the opportunity to become acquainted with a Serbian woman…

….who lived with her family in Visegrad when the war started….

….and who was held captive, in her own house, by Bosnian Serb forces for six months, raped, and viciously assaulted….

….impregnated, and them released.

Why was she targeted by her own people? Because her husband was Muslim.

And I also had an opportunity to become acquainted with a different category of victim….

…a young woman who has learned, in the recent past, that she is a product of wartime rape.

Her mother, a Bosniak woman, was with a Croatian friend….someone who, up until that point in time….

….had been her best friend in the whole world….

….this friend practically hand-delivered her to five Bosnian Croat soldiers, who held her captive and raped her.

As you can see, there were many victims and perpetrators in this war, from all sides.

Nevertheless, analysis and statistical findings prove that the principal victims of this war were Bosniaks….

….and that the Bosnian Serb forces, together with the Yugoslav National Army….

…were intent on creating an ethnically pure Serb state through a variety of different means - mass and systematic rape being one of them.

An important part of the process of seeking justice is for victims to testify against their perpetrators….

…. and to tell the world what happened to them. This a difficult process.

One morning, I accompanied Bakira to Visegrad - her hometown.

Also along on this trip were two women who were victims of wartime rape….

…. one from Visegrad, and the other from Foca.

There was also a film crew from the United Kingdom, led by Assed Baig, that accompanied us.

We went to the Vuk Karadzic elementary school and stood in the school yard, while the film crew set up.

Although the school year was over, there were a few kids out playing ball.

It seemed like a typical summer day in an average town.

But there’s nothing ordinary about Visegrad or this school.

In 1992, at the start of the Bosnian War, Bosniaks were ethnically cleansed out of Visegrad…

…. by Bosnian Serb forces, acting in conjunction with the Yugoslav National Army - abbreviated as the JNA.

Before the war, this school was called Hasan Veletovac.

During the war, it served as a concentration camp….

….one of many in Visegrad where Bosniaks were imprisoned, raped, tortured and killed by Serb forces.

One of the two women who accompanied us on this trip told us how during the war…

….she was imprisoned in this school, along with members of her family.

She spoke of being raped there by Bosnian Serb soldiers every single day and night….

…and of being abused and mistreated in the worst possible ways.

At times she was raped in front of her mother or her father, who were beaten while she was raped.

She described how one day, soldiers cut off the head of her mother’s maternal uncle and played ball with it in the school yard.

Today, this building continues to be used as a school. Serbian schoolchildren who attend classes here….

… are told by their elders that the accounts of wartime atrocities against the town’s Bosniak population are lies.

Nearby, at the town’s Muslim cemetery, we saw a monument that had been unveiled there in May as a tribute to the town’s Bosniak victims of genocide.

Those who worked to establish this monument have faced harassment and intimidation by local authorities….

…. who want it either removed altogether from the cemetery grounds altogether, or have the word “genocide” removed from the monument.

Later that day, I had a chance to see the famous Mehmed Pasa Sokolovic bridge in the centre of Visegrad.

It’s a magnificent, Ottoman era structure - and a UNESCO World Heritage site….

….where Bosnian Serb forces slaughtered Bosniaks, before throwing them over the bridge, into the Drina river, in 1992.

As I walked across the bridge, I noticed that on the plaque in the centre of the bridge….

….there was a bit of graffiti, very fine and dainty looking.

It was the Serbian slogan of the four “s”’s within a cross - standing for the motto “Only unity will save the Serbs” (samo sloga Srbe spasava)….

….along with the words “sa verom u Boga” - with faith in God.

That’s the extent to which local Serbs deny the genocide committed against Bosniaks: they even think that God is on their side.

Not far from the bridge, I came face-to-face with the statue of Draza Mihajlovic…

… a World War II Serb chetnik responsible for war crimes and atrocities….

And a figure revered by many local Serbs as a hero.

This culture of genocide denial is widespread throughout Bosnia….

…especially in the Serb Republic entity of Bosnia, which has been cleansed of its non-Serb population.

While in Bosnia, I met Satko Mujagic, a survivor of the Omarska and Manjaca death camps…

…. and members of the group he founded, the Guardians of Omarska.

The group’s main purpose is to provide support for survivors of the concentration camps and their families….

…. as well as to memorialize the atrocities committed against these innocent victims. This isn’t easy.

Survivors who return to live in the towns and cities from which they were driven away often live in a climate of hostility and fear.

It’s common for local authorities to ban any memorials at sites like the Omarska concentration camp….

…as well as other concentration camps in Republika Srpska.

Survivors are often barred from visiting sites where atrocities were committed against them and their loved ones.

They’re also forbidden to use the word “genocide” by officials in Republika Srpska.

Nearly 18 years since the end of the Bosnian war, the citizens of this country are battling a different sort of demon…

…. a pervasive culture of genocide denial - one that steadfastly refuses to acknowledge the extent of the horrors committed during the war….

… yet at the same time glorifies war criminals and their supporters.

During my trip, I visited and interviewed Dr. Smail Cekic…

….Director of the Institute for the Research of Crimes Against Humanity and International Law at the University of Sarajevo, and his colleagues.

Dr. Cekic showed me a copy of a book written by Serbian “academics”, in Cyrillic….

….titled Srebrenica: A Falsified History.

As the title suggests, it’s a body of work that denies and minimizes the genocide that occurred in Srebrenica in July, 1995.

So-called “academic” works such as these are an obscenity and an insult to those killed during the war, as well as to survivors.

I had an opportunity to visit the concentration camp called “Kod Sonje” (Sonja’s place) in the Sarajevo neighbourhood called Vogosca.

Dr. Cekic, along with his colleagues Dr. Faruk Dalagija and Almir Grabavica, brought me there for a visit.

I had a chance to meet the owner of this establishment, Sofia (nicknamed Sonja) Beganovic, who was away during the war.

I also had the opportunity to meet Eset Muracevic, a journalist who was held in this concentration camp during the war.

Before the war, this place was known as the Kontiki restaurant and guesthouse.

During the war, it was held by Bosnian Serb forces, who used it as a concentration camp and rape house.

People were held in a WWII bunker that is located on the premises.

Women and girls were brought into the guesthouse and raped.

Mr. Muracevic told us how one evening, while he was about to be led away from the premises by a soldier (presumably towards his death)….

…he witnessed the arrival of General Lewis Mackenzie - at the infamous Kod Sonje concentration camp.

You have here an example of one concentration camp out of many others in a nation….

…and stories of people whose lives have been ruined or blighted.

But what’s unique here is the story of what was supposed to be a respectable, Canadian army general - Lewis MacKenzie….

….who, instead of protecting the people he was meant to serve, is accused of harming them….

…of raping women who were powerless in these situations….

…and who continues to hide behind his diplomatic immunity.

And so, in wrapping up, I’d like to talk a bit about what I’d like to see happen in Bosnia in the future….

….as well as some fears and concerns that I have.

One of the most troubling issues currently being dealt with by Bosnians of all ethnic backgrounds….

….is the dire economic situation of this country.

Everyone talks about a lack of jobs, and therefore, a lack of money.

There is chronic unemployment.

At any given point in time, up to half of the population may face unemployment.

And I became familiar with another phenomenon that exists in Bosnia:

- that of regular workers who go without a paycheque for months, or even longer.

…in a system where corruption seems to be the order of the day…

….and where there exists a lack of the most basic human right:

….the right for a worker to be fairly remunerated for work being done at the agreed-upon wage.

It’s a vicious circle; people live in poverty because they can’t find work.

They can’t work, because there are no jobs. And you can’t create jobs in a system that’s dysfunctional.

I’d like to refer back to the words I mentioned earlier….

….of Srebrenica survivor Senahid Halilovic….

….when he describes the current situation in Bosnia as dysfunctional….

…because of the existence of two entities that divide Bosnia:

I believe, as well, that it would be best if all of Bosnia were united as a single nation…

….where all people of all backgrounds….Bosniak, Serb, Croat….

Roma, Jew, and others….could live together without fear of persecution or prejudice.

Because the political stalemate that exists presently in Bosnia…

….does not allow for people to really live, to work, to grow, and to prosper.

Bosnia is a country that is full of wealth and resources….

…none of which can be properly utilized or tapped into considering the current political situation.

During my trip to Bosnia this past summer, I took some time, over the course of a three-day weekend….

…. to go to Croatia….and to spend some brief and precious time in Kali, the small island village that my parents come from…

…as well as nearby Zadar, on the Adriatic coast.

In Zadar, I visited my paternal uncle, Berislav Vukic.

He was 90 at that time, and still sharp as a tack.

Uncle Bere passed away this past December, at the age of 91.

This uncle, as well as my belated father’s oldest brother, Vinko….

…fought with the partisans during WWII.

And Uncle Bere fought not only in Kali and the region around Zadar…

…but all over the territory of the former Yugoslavia….

…in places like Bosnia, Herzegovina, Sandzak, Srijem, among others.

I saw on his kitchen wall a display of all of the medals that he received, for bravery during the war….

…along with a very special framed certificate.

It was a signed acknowledgement from Tito himself…

…praising Uncle Bere for his extraordinary bravery….

…at the Battle of Sutjeska, in eastern Bosnia, during WWII, where they fought a decisive battle against fascism and Nazism.

And of course, my uncle remained a Yugoslav army officer after the war.

I listened intently to his stories of wartime battle and danger.

As I walked through my parents’ charming and quaint little village, Kali….

…I also came across places that marked a difficult past, filled with suffering, during WWII.

It’s such a charming, beautiful little place, that it’s hard to imagine that terrible things happened there less than a century ago.

I remember stories that my mom often told me about WWII, and what it was like to be targeted as a partisan village….

…and the reprisals that they faced, from Italian forces….

Their village was often bombed. They were forced to seek refuge elsewhere.

My mom described to me the day that her father, along with all of the other village men….

…were taken by Italian forces, and hauled off to a detention camp, on the nearby island of Molat.

One thing that strikes me is the fact that, after all of this suffering….

…and what appeared to be a steadfast commitment of a region and a people dedicated to the fight against fascism and Nazism…

…regardless, it became clear to my parents after the war, and during the period when the nation was being rebuilt….

…that there was no place for them in this Yugoslavia….this place of brotherly unity and love.

My parents, and many other people from this former partisan village, left the country, most of them escaping actually, in droves….

It seemed that there was no place for them in their own country….

…and no future that promised anything other than poverty and oppression.

So I’m often surprised when I see groups, on Facebook and elsewhere…

…devoted to the concept of “Yugo-nostalgia”….

…people who share a nostalgic yearning for the days of Communist Yugoslavia.

I can fully understand when a Serb from Serbia expresses these feelings of “Yugo-nostalgia”.

Indeed, these were the people who benefited the most from the Yugoslav federation…

…because it was, in fact, nothing more than a Serbian hegemony….

….where Serb dominance was clearly established over all others.

So, yes, it’s understandable that Serbs, with the sense of arrogance and entitlement that they had grown accustomed to during the Yugoslav period….

…would be angry and resentful that the system that once benefited them so greatly - albeit unjustly - and for so long, no longer exists.

But what I have a hard time understanding is why a Bosniak in Bosnia, or a Croat in Croatia, would….

… today in 2013, long for the “good old days” of Yugoslavia.

Why would anyone knowingly want to return to a period in time…

….when they were essentially enslaved and plundered, down to the very core of their being?

And then I realize that when people talk about this sense of longing for Yugoslavia….

….it’s because, more often than not, their present situation - economic and otherwise - is quite difficult.

What I would like to see for Bosnia in the future is a period of economic growth and prosperity.

I’d like to see it become a place where young people could actually look forward to staying….

…finding a job, and raising a family….

…rather than a place that people are eager to leave….in the hopes of a better future in North America, or western Europe.

I’d also like to see Bosnia become a place where people of all backgrounds can live side by side in harmony, without fear of renewed warfare in the future.

That’s my dream for Bosnia.

Now, I’m not sure how we can get to that idealized place, from where we are right now.

One thing is for certain: change is necessary, political change specifically.

But my hope is that those who want the same thing for Bosnia can learn to look past the hatred and distrust that often seems to surround them….

….and find a way to build towards this future.