CANADA'S SREBRENICA REMEMBRANCE DAY CAMPAIGN KICK-OFF
JOIN US IN WINDSOR, ONTARIO
PHOTO: Campaign Poster (download in full-size)
Congress of North American Bosniaks - Canada Branch
Institute for the Research of Genocide Canada
Institute for the Research of Genocide Canada
Bosnian and Herzegovinian Community of Windsor
Public Event and News Conference:
Declaring Canada’s SREBRENICA REMEMBRANCE DAY - Campaign Kick-off
WINDSOR, ONTARIO
Event: News conference and media availability:
Public Event and News Conference:
Declaring Canada’s SREBRENICA REMEMBRANCE DAY - Campaign Kick-off
WINDSOR, ONTARIO
Event: News conference and media availability:
Brian Masse, MP (Windsor West), to announce his SREBRENICA REMEMBRANCE DAY Motion submitted to the House of Commons
When: Saturday, August 29, 2009.
Time: 12:00 NOON
Where: Charles Clark Square, City of Windsor 215 Chatam St. E. (Located between Chatham St. and University E; midway between Goyeau and McDougall streets)
In case of rain:
Union Hall, 1855 Turner Rd., Windsor, ON
When: Saturday, August 29, 2009.
Time: 12:00 NOON
Where: Charles Clark Square, City of Windsor 215 Chatam St. E. (Located between Chatham St. and University E; midway between Goyeau and McDougall streets)
In case of rain:
Union Hall, 1855 Turner Rd., Windsor, ON
Congress of North American Bosniaks (CNAB) - Canada Branch, Institute for the Research of Genocide Canada, and Bosnian and Herzegovinian Community of Windsor are pleased to inform the public that they have, together with the Bosnia and Herzegovina Diaspora in Canada, intensified activities for the adoption in the Canadian Parliament of the “July 11 - Srebrenica Remembrance Day” commemorating genocide in Srebrenica (which 15th anniversary is next year) and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Honourable Brian Masse, Member of Parliament for Windsor West, responding to Bosnian and Herzegovinian Community of Windsor, has gratefully accepted to submit his SREBRENICA REMEMBRANCE DAY Motion into the House of Commons procedure and will publicly announce it at a news conference in Windsor on Saturday, August 29, 2009.
Given:
- the early support we received from the individual MPs,
- the assurance received on July 23, 2009 from The Honourable Lawrence Cannon,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the Government, of this being considered when Parliament resumes in the fall,
- that then Liberal MP The Honourable Jean Augustine was one who in June 2005 first raised on the floor of the House this initiative for the “Srebrenica Remembrance Day”,
The Honourable Brian Masse, Member of Parliament for Windsor West, responding to Bosnian and Herzegovinian Community of Windsor, has gratefully accepted to submit his SREBRENICA REMEMBRANCE DAY Motion into the House of Commons procedure and will publicly announce it at a news conference in Windsor on Saturday, August 29, 2009.
Given:
- the early support we received from the individual MPs,
- the assurance received on July 23, 2009 from The Honourable Lawrence Cannon,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the Government, of this being considered when Parliament resumes in the fall,
- that then Liberal MP The Honourable Jean Augustine was one who in June 2005 first raised on the floor of the House this initiative for the “Srebrenica Remembrance Day”,
we call upon all Parties and all Members of Parliament to extend their support for this Motion and work together toward its adoption.
We invite all Canadians of Bosnian and Herzegovinian origin, and all people of good faith who support the truth, justice, and a sovereign, democratic, prosperous Bosnia and Herzegovina to be actively involved in this process and to focus their efforts in campaigning for passing of this resolution in the Canadian Parliament.
BACKGROUNDER
The Srebrenica Massacre of July of 1995 is also a symbol of many horrible atrocities committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina from April 1992 to November 1995 under the policies and acts of aggression and genocide as implemented by Serbian forces and among which the Srebrenica Massacre was the worst. More than 8,000 innocent Bosniak civilian men and boys from the United Nations-designated `safe area’ of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina, i.e. under the protection of the international community, were summarily executed and 30,000 others were expelled from their homes by Serbian forces in the worst act of genocide in Europe since the Second World War and recognized as such by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and UN permanent International Court of Justice, while The European Court of Human Rights upheld (74613/01) genocide judgement for 1992 atrocities elsewhere.
There are many most serious aspects directly implicating, involving, and connecting Canada to the events and issues leading to, and in the aftermath of, Srebrenica and many other atrocities in the war aggression and genocide on the sovereign state and UN Member the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (RBiH) and its People. In asking Canada to consider adopting a measure to recognize a Srebrenica Remembrance Day, let us stress one aspect which is less known to Canada’s public, and that is international responsibility and privilege from Canada being a member of the UN Security Council’s Chapter VII Executive Governing Body of Bosnia and Herzegovina - the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council (SB PIC), sitting together with its closest allies and international partners, US and European Union, which have already adopted similar resolutions (European Parliament resolution of 15 January 2009 on Srebrenica; US S. RES. 134 and H.Res. 199).
We request Parliament of Canada and Canadian government to recognize that genocide took place in Srebrenica and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Canadian recognition could have bestowed much deserved honour upon the victims and survivors of the genocide. It will assure the Canadian-Bosniak community (who still face overt and subtle threats and intimidation here in Canada without protection of the local authorities) and all communities that aggression, ethnic cleansing, genocide and all such evils will not be repeated and that Canada and Canadians stand ready to uphold democratic principles and the rule of law. It would significantly raise awareness of genocide and the understanding of what can happen when people are judged solely on their ethnicity, their religion, and their beliefs. Furthermore, it would stand as a reminder to re-uphold our commitment to “NEVER AGAIN” after it failed in the case of Srebrenica and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
We invite all Canadians of Bosnian and Herzegovinian origin, and all people of good faith who support the truth, justice, and a sovereign, democratic, prosperous Bosnia and Herzegovina to be actively involved in this process and to focus their efforts in campaigning for passing of this resolution in the Canadian Parliament.
BACKGROUNDER
The Srebrenica Massacre of July of 1995 is also a symbol of many horrible atrocities committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina from April 1992 to November 1995 under the policies and acts of aggression and genocide as implemented by Serbian forces and among which the Srebrenica Massacre was the worst. More than 8,000 innocent Bosniak civilian men and boys from the United Nations-designated `safe area’ of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina, i.e. under the protection of the international community, were summarily executed and 30,000 others were expelled from their homes by Serbian forces in the worst act of genocide in Europe since the Second World War and recognized as such by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and UN permanent International Court of Justice, while The European Court of Human Rights upheld (74613/01) genocide judgement for 1992 atrocities elsewhere.
There are many most serious aspects directly implicating, involving, and connecting Canada to the events and issues leading to, and in the aftermath of, Srebrenica and many other atrocities in the war aggression and genocide on the sovereign state and UN Member the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (RBiH) and its People. In asking Canada to consider adopting a measure to recognize a Srebrenica Remembrance Day, let us stress one aspect which is less known to Canada’s public, and that is international responsibility and privilege from Canada being a member of the UN Security Council’s Chapter VII Executive Governing Body of Bosnia and Herzegovina - the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council (SB PIC), sitting together with its closest allies and international partners, US and European Union, which have already adopted similar resolutions (European Parliament resolution of 15 January 2009 on Srebrenica; US S. RES. 134 and H.Res. 199).
We request Parliament of Canada and Canadian government to recognize that genocide took place in Srebrenica and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Canadian recognition could have bestowed much deserved honour upon the victims and survivors of the genocide. It will assure the Canadian-Bosniak community (who still face overt and subtle threats and intimidation here in Canada without protection of the local authorities) and all communities that aggression, ethnic cleansing, genocide and all such evils will not be repeated and that Canada and Canadians stand ready to uphold democratic principles and the rule of law. It would significantly raise awareness of genocide and the understanding of what can happen when people are judged solely on their ethnicity, their religion, and their beliefs. Furthermore, it would stand as a reminder to re-uphold our commitment to “NEVER AGAIN” after it failed in the case of Srebrenica and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
posted by Srebrenica Genocide at 1:48 PM
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