Survivor Stories 42
The Courage to Remember: Safet Vukalić
Safet Vukalić was saved from a concentration camp by his mother, who said he was too young to go “with the men”. Safet came to the UK as a refugee and has courageously shared his story.
The Courage to Defend: Jovan Divjak
Jovan Divjak was a Commander of the Territorial Defence in Sarajevo when the war in Bosnia began. In April 1992, he stayed in Sarajevo to be part of the multi-ethnic ABiH, defending the city and its civilians.
The Courage to Testify: Nusreta Sivac
Nusreta Sivac was of 37 women taken to the infamous Omarska camp in Prijedor, and subjected to unimaginable sexual violence. Nusreta has bravely spoken out about her experience and encouraged others to do the same.
The Courage to Dream: Predrag Pašić
Predrag Pašić was an international footballer before the war. When Bosnian Serb forces surrounded Sarajevo, he had the choice to leave the besieged city. Instead, he chose to stay and to set up a football school for children of all faiths and ethnicities.
The Courage to Build Bridges: Zoran Mandlbaum
Zoran Mandlbaum was one of the last people to cross the Mostar bridge before it was destroyed, whilst bringing aid to the Muslims trapped on the East bank of the city.
The Courage of a Child: Elvisa Avdić
Elvisa Avdić was ten years old when the war broke out. Having fled to Srebrenica, she was one of the last to leave Potočari when Bosnian Serb forces took the town. Elvisa returned to Srebrenica after the war and courageously spoke out about being a child survivor of genocide.
The Courage to Risk Your Life for Neighbours: Fadila Kapic-Mehmedbašić
Raised with stories of the heroism of her father, a human rights activist murdered in World War II, when war came again to Stolac, Fadila followed in his footsteps, courageously saving her Serb neighbours from the Croat soldiers.
The Courage to Speak Out: Hasan Nuhanović
Hasan Nuhanović was a translator for the UN when Serb forces took Srebrenica in July 1995. Forced to translate the order to send his family away, he never saw them again. He has dedicated his life to seeking truth and justice.
The Courage to Help: Dr Ilijaz Pilav
It probably wouldn’t be stretching the truth to state that Dr Ilijaz Pilav was the last man to leave Srebrenica. Forcing his injured patients into the care of unwilling UN staff, the doctor ran back to the post office to make a last ditch attempt to radio Sarajevo for help. As he raced across the […]
The Courage of a Mother: Kadefa Rizvanović
Kadefa shares her story of surviving the genocide with two young children while her husband and 20 close relatives were murdered.
The Courage to Survive: ‘Mirsada’
At the age of 15, 'Mirsada' was imprisoned in a rape camp as part of the campaign of 'ethnic cleansing' taking place across Bosnia. She has shown incredible courage to survive, raise a family and now tells us her story.
The Courage to Break the Silence: Lejla Damon
Lejla Damon was born on Christmas day in war-torn Bosnia in 1992. Like thousands of other women, Lejla’s birth mother had been repeatedly raped as part of an ethnic cleansing regime orchestrated by the Bosnian Serb army. Many children born of rape during the Balkan conflict have grown up isolated and rejected from society. But […]
Concerning that after a white supremacist killed worshippers at two New Zealand mosques, the number of anti-Muslim hate crimes reported in the UK has increased by 593%. We must reaffirm our commitment to stand up to hatred & not allow such prejudice to flourish in our communities