Exhibition on Srebrenica Genocide by Srebrenica Memorial Center and BIRN BiH opened at UN Headquarters

The exhibition “From Words to Violence: Lives Behind the Killing Fields,” jointly prepared by the Srebrenica Memorial Center and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIRN BiH), opened at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on the occasion of the International Day of Commemoration of the Victims of Genocide in Srebrenica.

The exhibition, opened to mark the 30th anniversary of the genocide in which more than 7,000 men were killed, features 12 exhibits from content that was previously recorded, along with about 200 other testimonies, during the oral history project conducted by BIRN BiH and the Srebrenica Memorial Center. During the recording, surviving family members donated memories, objects, and artifacts of their loved ones killed in the genocide for permanent safekeeping and shared their experiences and stories to ensure they would be permanently recorded.

Denis Džidić, Director of BIRN BiH, said on the occasion of the exhibition opening that he is proud of the journalistic work on the “Lives Behind the Killing Fields” project, but most grateful to everyone who shared their stories and the stories of those killed in July 1995.

“There is nothing more fitting than, 30 years after the genocide, in this place – where the Srebrenica Resolution was adopted – to focus on the personal stories of those who are no longer with us, as well as those who have dedicated their lives to ensuring their loved ones are remembered and honored,” Džidić stated, adding that the importance of this project, a part of which is displayed in New York, lies precisely in preserving testimonies, given that many who shared their accounts are no longer alive today.

Emir Suljagić, Director of the Srebrenica Memorial Center, thanked Ambassador Zlatko Lagumdžija and BIRN BiH, and spoke about the decades of marginalization and positioning in footnotes of major reports and others' narratives, and the success in fighting for the right to one's own story and truth.

“We had the privilege, as a people, to experience justice, at least partially. We saw generals and presidents who were behind the genocide stand before the face of justice. And today, when July 11th is on the United Nations calendar, we know: we are not forgotten, neither we nor our truth. That is the message we are sending for the 30th anniversary of the genocide,” he stated.

For the Permanent Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the UN, Zlatko Lagumdžija, the adopted resolution of the UN General Assembly declaring July 11th the International Day of Commemoration of the Victims of Genocide in Srebrenica is a historic act and the voice of the conscience of the international community.

“This exhibition is more than an artistic and documentary display – it is a moral call to humanity not to forget. Srebrenica is not just a symbol of genocide, but also a symbol of the responsibility of all of us to prevent future crimes,” he said, adding that, in a time of organized denial, revisionism, and attempts to relativize the truth, this exhibition stands as proof.

Virginia Gamba, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, said in her address that genocide does not begin with killings, but with words, propaganda, dehumanization, and silence.

“This exhibition reminds us that no hatred is harmless and that no truth should be marginalized. These are the lessons of the Holocaust. These are the lessons of Rwanda. These are the lessons of Bosnia. And they are not just the stories of victims, their relatives, peoples, and communities – they are lessons for the entire world. That hatred kills, and that denial lasts longer than the crime,” she said.

The “Lives Behind the Killing Fields” project began in October 2020, when 100 testimonies of genocide survivors were recorded, which are now part of the permanent exhibition, along with objects donated by survivors for permanent safekeeping in the memorial room opened at the Memorial Center in February 2022. Following a series of positive reactions, the project continued with the recording of another 100 oral histories.

The exhibition “From Words to Violence: Lives Behind the Killing Fields” is open at UN Headquarters from June 17 and will be available to all visitors. The exhibition is part of the global commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide and was organized by the Permanent Mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United Nations, with the support of the Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and the UN Department of Global Communications.