Prijedor hosts exhibition of portraits of war victims - heroes of peace by Velija Hasanbegović

PRIJEDOR, (Patria) - An exhibition of portraits of war victims - heroes of peace "PERSONAL" will be opened at the Kozara Museum in Prijedor on Tuesday.

The author of the exhibition is the renowned BiH photographer Velija Hasanbegović, and the exhibition was created as part of the PRO-Future project.

At the opening of the exhibition, Mirsad Duratović from Prijedor, Mara Milanković-Daradan from Derventa, and Krešimir Primorac from Mostar will present their stories and messages.

The exhibition will be open at 2 PM, and all visitors will have the opportunity to see it in the following days.

The exhibition displays 20 portraits of war victims, and heroes of peace!

These 20 were victims of criminals, and after all the suffering they endured during the war, they are now advocates for reconciliation and building lasting and stable peace in BiH.

Texts are placed alongside the photographs. Their faces and gazes are there instead of their biographies. Next to their names and birth years, only the messages these people send us are written, in the hope that we will understand them.

Their engagement is based on their personal testimonies, which have so far been organized in more than 40 municipalities and cities in BiH within the framework of USAID's PRO-Future project.

Those who survived the war on their own skin are here to tell you that in war you lose family members, parents, brothers, sisters, neighbors, friends, schoolmates… There are no winners in war” – Mirsad Duratovic (1974).

“I don’t hate anyone – I just love some less and some more” – Anđelko Kvesić.

“We don’t have time to hate. Our lives won’t pass in hatred. The only way to reconciliation is meeting and talking, and that’s exactly what I do. Don’t let prejudice divide you. The only acceptable division is into good and bad people” – Krešimir Primorac (1958).

”I realized that freedom and peace are necessary in life. Do not violate anyone’s freedom and peace” – Krsto Rakic (1973).

“Do not hate, hatred breeds hatred” – Tarik Rizvanović (1969).

“I cannot forget my ordeal, I talk about it, not to spread hatred, but to encourage you to participate in the mission of building peace, tolerance, and coexistence” – Vinko Lale (1962).

“War has destroyed us all and made us unhappy. I have decided, after everything, to fight and contribute to ensuring that there is never war again. Living in hatred with others is deadly. Living in peace and love with others and the different is the greatest wealth in the world” – Hikmeta Rizvanović (1946).

“It is senseless to wage war, to disagree with friends, people, children… Let’s think about the victims of war, about the children who lost their loved ones, about those who had to leave their homes, childhoods, and loves… Let’s think about them and do everything for peace in our only homeland, Bosnia and Herzegovina” – Mara Milanković Daradan (1966).