Dizzy

  • What Happened
    • Survivor Stories
    • History & Analysis
    • External Resources
    • Our Impact: Stories behind the Statistics
  • Our Work
    • About Us
      • The Charity
      • Staff
      • Regional & Country Boards
      • Academic Advisory Board
      • President and Patrons
      • APPG on Srebrenica
      • Contact Us
    • Memorial Events
      • Resources and Registration for Event Organisers
      • Past Memorial Events
        • National
        • Local
    • Education
    • Lessons from Srebrenica
    • Supporting Community Action
    • Latest News
    • Videos
    • Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ
  • What You Can Do
    • Resources for Event Organisers
    • Educate
    • We Are One Tournament
    • Build Better Communities
    • Share your Stories
    • Visit Srebrenica
      • Our Visits Programme
      • Bearing Witness
    • Donate
      • Support our work Scotland
      • International Srebrenica Memorial Learning Centre
    • Jobs
  • Our Impact
    • Messages of Support
    • Download Annual Report
    • People Taking Action
    • In The Media
    • Inspiration – Music, Poems and Prayers
    • Memorial Day Reflections
Home Primary News Manchester leaders and teachers learn Srebrenica lessons

Manchester leaders and teachers learn Srebrenica lessons

Community leaders and teachers from across Manchester have vowed to take action in their communities to tackle hatred and intolerance after returning from a powerful and moving visit to Srebrenica.

Elinor Chohan and the delegation from Manchester

Moved by the experience of meeting survivors of the 1995 genocide – as well as listening to the stories of women whose husbands, brothers, fathers and sons were killed – they have pledged to keep alive the story of the atrocity.

They travelled to Bosnia-Herzegovina this week as part of the educational visits programme organised by Remembering Srebrenica. The UK charitable initiative is dedicated to raising awareness of the genocide, which saw 8,372 men and boys systematically murdered.

As well as meeting survivors and the Mothers of Srebrenica, during the four-day visit, the 18-strong group visited the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Complex where some 6,200 genocide victims are buried.

They also visited the International Commission for Missing Persons (ICMP), in Sarajevo and Tuzla, which has played a key role in uniting families with their loved ones’ remains.

Delegation leader Elinor Chohan is from Hale Baines and an active member of the Muslim community in Altrincham.

She said that the group is now planning a civic memorial service in Manchester during Srebrenica Memorial Week, in July, along with commemorations in religious institutions across Greater Manchester. Teachers are looking at using educational materials relating to Srebrenica in Manchester schools.

“We simply could not believe that such a terrible thing could happen 50 years after the Holocaust in such a well-integrated, multi-cultural European community,” she said. “If it happened in Bosnia, it can happen anywhere. The visit renewed our determination that we must learn from this.”

We need to be active in educating our communities about the dangers. It’s hard to comprehend how neighbours could fight neighbours. Meeting the Mothers of Srebrenica and feeling their pain and loss was a stark reminder of the atrocity. We cannot let this happen again.”

Carol Powell, Principal of Gorton Mount Primary Academy, in Gorton, said that her experience in Srebrenica would inspire her to work with colleagues at her school and the seven others in the Bright Futures Education Trust to introduce Srebrenica themes into lessons.

“After visiting Srebrenica, I have a much better understanding of what happened,” she said. “I didn’t realise just how dreadful what happened was.  It was an eye-opening experience visiting Srebrenica, and listening to the distressing stories of both families and survivors.

“Now that I am returning to Manchester, I would like to use Srebrenica-based resources as part of the social, moral and cultural curriculum at Gorton Mount and in sister schools across our Academy.”

Greater Manchester’s Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd was also part of the delegation. He was visiting Srebrenica again – almost a decade after he accompanied the first group of refugees who returned to their homeland following the genocide.

“This is a very powerful experience,” he said. “We met family members whose sons, brothers, husbands and fathers were murdered in the prime of life. How could this have happened in an integrated society? The lesson for us is that the cost of not learning to live together is enormous.

“I want to convey to the people of Manchester the horror of the human tragedy, but also share the humanity of those trying to rebuild Bosnian society. We want to use the experience of a significant Manchester delegation to share the lessons from Srebrenica with our communities.

“In this 20th anniversary year of the genocide, we’re looking to host a showpiece event in Manchester, as well as using all our backgrounds to lend support to ongoing action across all our communities. This must never happen again.”

Remembering Srebrenica organises the UK Srebrenica Memorial Week, which leads up to the EU-wide day of remembrance for victims of the genocide, Srebrenica Memorial Day, on 11 July. Its educational visit programme sees delegates pledge to organise projects in their communities to strengthen community cohesion and create a better society.

Remembering Srebrenica Chairman Dr Waqar Azmi OBE said:

“Srebrenica demonstrates what happens when an integrated society disintegrates. The visit of our Manchester delegates to Srebrenica will, undoubtedly, inspire them to apply the lessons of history in strengthening and protecting the diverse communities of Greater Manchester.”

May 6, 2015Amil Khan
MAKE A DONATION
Remembering Srebrenica remains committed to honouring the victims and survivors of the genocide.

SUPPORT US
SUPPORT US & PLEDGE
Make a difference, support our charity and all those affected by the tragic Genocide of Srebrenica. Pledge for our cause now.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT
SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER
Remembering Srebrenica newsletter allows you to keep up to date with latest news, events and how you can support us.

SIGN UP
May 6, 2015 NewsBalkans, Bosnia-Herzegovina, genocide, Greater Manchester, Lessons from Srebrenica, Manchester, Remembering Srebrenica, Srebrenica, Waqar Azmi
Former student inspires next generationRemembering Bosnia – Mustafaen Kamal
  You Might Also Like  
 
Bosnian woman joins volunteers to organise second Stoke memorial
 
Remembering Srebrenica Fundraising Dinner
 
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ
 Search 

Remembering SrebrenicaFollow

Remembering Srebrenica
Remembering Srebrenica Retweeted
RemSrebNIRem Srebrenica NI 🇧🇦@RemSrebNI·
16h

We are delighted to play our part in this week of remembrance for holocaust and genocide. Many thanks @ANDborough for organising the week. Still time to register to hear from survivors and remember the victims:

618Twitter
SrebrenicaUKRemembering Srebrenica@SrebrenicaUK·
16h

I will light a candle and put it in my window at 8pm on 27 January for #HolocaustMemorialDay. #LightTheDarkness with me. https://t.co/i6NbC41jPO

711Twitter
SrebrenicaUKRemembering Srebrenica@SrebrenicaUK·
23 Jan

All six episodes of the “Untold Killing” podcast which provides in depth analysis of the genocide in Srebrenica are available now. https://t.co/ueJmqZyJEs

Honour the victims by listening to the survivors.

#BosnianGenocide

1639Twitter
SrebrenicaUKRemembering Srebrenica@SrebrenicaUK·
22 Jan

This Friday's #RSUKBookClub recommendation is "The Bosnia List" where a young survivor confronts the people who betrayed his family during the Bosnian Genocide. A heartbreaking read that is all the more important for it.

1227Twitter
Remembering Srebrenica Retweeted
conflictreportrConflict Reportage Archive@conflictreportr·
22 Jan

Interview with @robtmcneil sharing insights into his artwork and conversations in educational settings with @DocMediaCentre & @ksadique1 @EastSrebrenica part of the ‘Conflict, Memory & Education’ #10Day programme @conflictreportr

514Twitter
Load More...
 The charity 
A Project of Ummah Help. Registered charity no. 1142686. Registered company no. 7369796. Click here to find out more.
 Latest news 
Hatidža Mehmedović – A mother’s legacy
November 26, 2020

Hatidža Mehmedović was born in the area surrounding Srebrenica in 1952. Before the genocide, she lived her entire life in Srebrenica, where she had married her childhood friend, Abdullah, and had two sons, Azmir and Almir. Hatidža and Abdullah built their home in Srebrenica and lived a simple life as a family before the war […]

“Untold Killing”: first serialised podcast about the genocide in Bosnia launched
October 22, 2020

London, United Kingdom — This past July marked 25 years since the genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina, often referred to as the worst atrocity on Europe’s soil since the Holocaust. The story of Srebrenica, a small town in Bosnia, remains a dark stain on Europe’s history and yet the full details remain unknown to many.  […]

The Importance of Speaking out- Reflections on Hate Crime Awareness Week
October 18, 2020

This past week marked Hate Crime Awareness Week, in which organisations throughout the United Kingdom came together to speak about hate crime and offer ways of how to help the public get assistance should they be victims of it. Hate crime incidents are on the rise in the United Kingdom and have been for several […]

 Remembering Srebrenica 

What happened
Survivor Stories
Memorial Day
Vistiting Srebrenica

 Site Links 

Homepage
Get Involved
Resources
News
Messages of support
About us
Get in contact
Sitemap

GET IN CONTACT

If you want to get involved with Remembering Srebrenica, or find out how you can help then please get in contact

SEND US AN EMAIL


2019 © Remembering Srebrenica. Privacy Policy
Website developed by Spyre Media