Canadian city of Calgary declares July 11 as Srebrenica Genocide Remembrance Day

(Patria) - The Canadian Olympic city of Calgary has declared July 11, 2026, as Srebrenica Genocide Remembrance Day. This one of the most beautiful Canadian cities has continuously stood with the victims of the Srebrenica genocide, the Institute for Genocide Research Canada announced.

In the proclamation signed by Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas, it is stated that July 11, 2026, marks the 31st anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. Through this proclamation, Calgary raises awareness of the tragic suffering of the genocide victims and pays tribute to more than 8,000 innocent civilians killed in the genocide.

The proclamation recalls that the Parliament of Canada adopted two resolutions on the Srebrenica genocide in 2010 and 2015, declaring July 11 as Srebrenica Genocide Remembrance Day in Canada, and including the said genocide in the Month of Remembrance, Condemnation and Prevention of Genocide in Canada every April. The proclamation particularly emphasizes that Srebrenica serves as a reminder to reflect on historical injustice and that we owe it to the victims and future generations to remember Srebrenica and ensure it never happens again. Survivors and descendants of the genocide remind us how important it is to show solidarity and unity, to help fight hatred, injustice and discrimination, and to work towards a stronger, more diverse community that can guarantee it will never happen again. Calgary calls for reflection on historical injustices, while simultaneously raising awareness of the many forms of discrimination and inequality disproportionately suffered by many national groups in the world. Calgary advocates for peaceful coexistence among the nations of the world.

"The Srebrenica genocide, in a Europe that considers itself civilized, and in the 20th century no less, was a fatal and global defeat of humanity and civility because Europe and the entire world silently watched that European genocide. To complete the absurdity, one must bear in mind that the Bosniak enclave of Srebrenica was at that time supposedly a 'safe area' of the United Nations. The perfection of this absurdity, in fact this collapse of international law and humanity, was concluded by assigning the Srebrenica enclave to the administration and institutions of the RS entity, created on mass graves, by a decision of powerful political factors who thereby buried humanity, international law and the credibility of the United Nations, certifying the practice in the world of the indisputable right of the stronger. After that, as after other genocides, verbalization followed: Never again to anyone," the IGK statement reads.

The IGK expresses deep appreciation and gratitude for the decision made by Calgary. By declaring July 11, 2026, as Srebrenica Genocide Remembrance Day, Calgary sent a message of solidarity with the victims and their families who still mourn the loss of their loved ones. The Srebrenica genocide, like any other, should cultivate humanity within us, encourage universal empathy, humanity and virtue. Srebrenica is a permanent wound, but also a vow that the territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina are defended not only by weapons, but by the power of memory and truth so that the victims would never be forgotten.

The IGK strongly condemns all attempts to revise and relativize the genocide against Bosniaks in and around Srebrenica, emphasizing that the pain of the mothers of Srebrenica and the suffering of the survivors must be understood as a moral issue of the highest rank for the entire Bosnian, Canadian and world public.