Hamilton City Council Honors Victims of Srebrenica Genocide

(Patria) - Councillors of the Hamilton City Council marked the 30th anniversary of the genocide committed by Bosnian Serb forces in July 1995 within the "United Nations protected zone" of Srebrenica.

Hamilton has continuously honored the victims of the Srebrenica genocide for over a decade, raising awareness about the genocide to prevent its denial, the denial of judicial and historical facts, and the glorification of convicted war criminals.

The City Council members recalled that the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice ruled that the crimes committed in Srebrenica constitute an act of genocide.

They once again welcomed the unanimous adoption of the Canadian Parliament's Resolution in 2010, which recognized the Srebrenica genocide and declared July 11th as the Srebrenica Genocide Remembrance Day in Canada.

Through a Canadian Parliament Resolution in 2015, April was declared Genocide Remembrance, Condemnation, and Prevention Month, recognizing several genocides, including the Srebrenica genocide.

The importance of including the Srebrenica genocide in the curricula of educational institutions in Hamilton was highlighted.

The councillors particularly emphasized the significance of establishing the International Day of Remembrance and Commemoration of the 1995 Srebrenica Genocide, following the resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on May 23, 2024, with Canada being one of the key sponsors of the Resolution.

"We know and teach, especially the youth, that truth has no expiration date and that justice will never die as long as there are those who carry it around the world. The pain expressed through the culture of remembrance is also our pain. To forget these sufferings or to allow them to be forgotten means to abdicate human responsibility. A forgotten genocide repeats itself. We do not forget!

In a time when truth is relativized and victims are challenged, the Canadian culture of remembrance stands tall, calling on the Canadian public to never accept oblivion. To never forget the suffering of others. And, wherever injustice occurs, we know how to recognize the truth in the name of justice," stated the IGK (Institute for the Research of Genocide of Canada).