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What a lesson. What a journey.
by Anna Rimhagen
This summer Etsko and I visited Bosnia. What a memorable experience. We were hosted in Sarajevo by a true Sarajevian woman, born and bred. She knew her town. Its culture and history. And she shared it with us, all very generously. Thank you, Jasmina!
The Bosnian War clearly plays an important part in the recent history of the region (1992–1995), and it is still quite raw – many people living in Sarajevo today grew up under siege, like our host. It is a long way back for Bosnia and its people – politically, financially and individually. One day we went to Srebrenica, where a huge massacre took place between 11 and 16 July 1995, killing more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys. I want to tell you about our day in Srebrenica, since it was quite a journey. It had three distinct stages to it:
First, we went to the Srebrenica Memorial Center, which is located on the site of the former battery factory that served as the headquarters of Dutchbat in 1995. The atmosphere and vibe of the memorial center were so heavy. You could feel that terrible things had happened within these walls, and personally I got so tired, tired to the bone, that I took any chance to sit down during our visit. Too tired to even stand up. There was a documentary film and an exhibition showing the plans and documentation of the whole event. There were also pictures and sound recordings, as well as shoes and other personal items belonging to the men and boys who were killed. It was all very professionally done and, man, it was hard to witness, even over 30 years later.
After that, we went to the cemetery at the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Center and Cemetery, where thousands of the massacre victims have been buried. There we saw the endless rows of white headstones, all looking the same, all in straight lines. Amazingly enough, the atmosphere there was very peaceful and light. We stayed for quite a while, again with a sense of witnessing, but this time with feelings that I would describe as respect, honour and peace.
Thirdly, we went to the village of Olovske Luke, where the young imam (the Muslim equivalent of a priest) showed us the future, and it was such an amazing way to finish off our excursion! Him and his team worked with small funds and big hearts. Step by step, they were truly building something beautiful for the future. Jasmina, our host, had been there earlier, in 2021, and she could tell us about the progress she saw this time. I have no doubt that in another few years, the communal building they are now working on next to their mosque will be open for activities as planned! I wanted to share these three steps with you, because all of them were important in their own way:
The first step was about witnessing, about having the courage and the strength to actually see and acknowledge the horrors that happened, without looking away.
The second step was about coming to peace with it, laying it to rest. Giving it the honour and respect it deserves, and then leaving it there, to open up and make space for the future.
The third step was about the future. The present and the future, allowing them to be beautiful and carry joy and hope, even though horrible things have happened before.
What a lesson.
What a journey.