The Srebrenica-Potocari Memorial Center for the Victims of the 1995 Genocide was established in 2000 by the decision of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina. A place of remembrance for the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica, the Memorial Center is dedicated to preserving history and combatting the forces of ignorance and hatred which make genocide possible.
Central to the mission of the Memorial Center is the organization of the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Srebrenica genocide which takes place annually on July 11th. This commemoration includes a week-long program of activities and events which are designed to engage the local, national, and global communities in honoring the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica.
However, the work of the Memorial Center continues year-round, through research, projects, exhibitions, events, and publications intended to increase public awareness of the genocide as well as to commemorate its victims. Ongoing activities at the Memorial Center which exemplify this mission include: collecting personal artefacts of genocide; recording oral testimonies of genocide survivors; analyzing court verdicts and judicial proceedings relevant to establishing responsibility for the crimes committed during the genocide; combatting genocide denial; and raising global awareness about genocide and crimes against humanity with the goal of preventing their reoccurance in the future.
In fulfilling our mission, we are in constant cooperation with partner organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the wider region, and around the world. We remain extremely grateful to the institutions and individuals whose support for the activities of the Memorial Center demonstrate a shared commitment to our mission and values. These partnerships span the fields of art, journalism, academia, and media, allowing the message of Srebrenica to reach an ever-expanding audience through a diverse array of platforms and mediums.
Likewise, we encourage all of those interesting in helping to preserve the truth of the Srebrenica genocide to visit the Memorial Center. In our exhibitions, library, archive, and documentation center, researchers and practitioners alike will find an abundance of resources to assist them in their endeavors.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the persistance of genocide denial as well as religious and ethnic intolerance remain enormous obstacles to peace and reconciliation. At the Srebrenica Memorial Center, we recognize the immediate threat which these practices pose to the processes of transitional justice and peace-building. These same dynamics can be witnessed across the globe, where historical revisionism and ideologies of hatred continue to endanger marginalized communities and to corrode the very fabric of society. In all that we do, we are committed to a fact-based approach which promotes tolerance, dialogue, and collective healing. It is our sincere hope that as we work to confront the destructive forces which seek to negate the Bosnian historical experience, our efforts will prove an inspiration to all those facing similar threats to peace and stability worldwide.