A MOVING exhibition is being held at The Hive to tell the story of a horrific genocide, which happened just 20 years ago.
In 1995 in the small town of Srebrenica, more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were systematically murdered by Bosnian Serb forces.
The Balkans War also saw over 20,000 women raped in Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of ‘ethnic cleansing’.
‘Genocide: Remembering Srebrenica’ is an exhibition which will describe events leading up to the genocide and display related paintings by the artist, Robert McNeil MBE, who worked as a forensic technician helping to identify the bodies from the mass graves.
The exhibition began and Monday (May 18) and runs until Sunday (May 24).
Dr Val Chapman, from the University of Worcester, who has organised the event together with the Remembering Srebrenica charity, said: “Srebrenica has become the best-documented war crime in history and the forensic evidence of the burial and reburial of evidence is irrefutable.
“Remembering Srebrenica is dedicated to working with victims and survivors of the genocide.
“It is the only organisation outside of Bosnia-Herzegovina dedicated to commemorating and raising awareness about the Srebrenica genocide and its legacy by marking the European Union mandated Srebrenica Memorial Day on July 11.
“The aim of this exhibition is to promote tolerance and help to create a safer, better and stronger society for all and to work against discrimination, promotion of hatred, extremism, and exclusion,” she added.
Remembering Srebrenica organises commemoration events in the UK Srebrenica Memorial Week leading up to July 11.
It also runs the ‘Lessons from Srebrenica’ educational visit programme to learn from the genocide and people’s lives. Delegates pledge to organise projects in their UK communities to create a better society.
Remembering Srebrenica Chairman, Dr Waqar Azmi OBE, is former Chief Executive of Worcestershire Racial Equality Council and holds an Honorary Degree from the University of Worcester.
“This year is the 20th anniversary of the genocide – the single greatest atrocity committed on European soil since the Second World War.
“Thanks to Robert’s generosity and Val’s hard work, this exhibition will help to raise awareness of Srebrenica, whilst inspiring Worcester people to build stronger, more cohesive communities,” he added.
