International Human Rights Day in Sarajevo to be marked by remembering the missing in BiH

The Civil Society Forum on Memorialisation of Missing Persons, which brings together representatives of Family Associations and other activists from BiH, organises public activities on 10 December in Sarajevo as part of the marking of International Human Rights Day, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria (NAP).

Participants in these activities will gather at the Square of the Children of Sarajevo shortly before 12:00, walk to the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and then return to the Square of the Children of Sarajevo carrying "silhouettes of missing persons".

According to estimates by several domestic and international organisations, around 30,000 people went missing in BiH during the aggression from 1992 to 1995. The remains of approximately 23,000 have been found, while the search for the others continues.

The silhouettes, which participants will carry through the streets of Sarajevo on Wednesday, were designed by members of the Forum and represent a creative and striking act intended to show what it is like to live without one's loved ones. Before the start of the walk to the Parliament, participants will speak with media representatives and explain the key issues the Forum seeks to address.

Some of these issues include the importance of organising joint events dedicated to remembering the missing, as well as other activities that bring together people from different communities and parts of the country, and people of different age and gender groups. By being joint and creative, such memorialisations can help those who have suffered the pain of losing loved ones due to conflict, and create conditions in which it is possible to move forward in life, the Forum stated, as reported by NAP.