The English-language translation and publication of the book, “The Broken Childhood of Srebrenica” was launched in Srebrenica on July 8th. The book consists of the written recollections of nine persons, who were all children at the time of the Srebrenica genocide in July 1995: Nermina Dautbašić, Alma Gabeljić, Mediha Mustafić, Elvisa Haskić, Dželaludina Pašić, Mermina Sejdinović, Azir Osmanović, Sadmir Nukić, and Admir Sejdinović.
These recollections are testimonies to the anguish, fear and suffering of children caught up in a conflict beyond their comprehension. They are powerful accounts. No reader can be untouched by their simplicity and eloquence.
In his epilogue, former Srebrenica mayor, Abdurahman Malkic writes,
“Not a single of their confessions is pointed to blame or calls of hatred of one nation whose members committed the most monstrous crimes against others…”
While not condemning others than the perpetrators of crimes, they want their experiences, their truth, to be known and to be remembered, so that the same misdeeds cannot be repeated in the future.
The nine chapters tell the personal stories of suffering, but also of resilience and will. All nine have either completed university educations, or are in the process of graduating. All nine have decided to return to Srebrenica and to work for the town’s revival and for normalisation of life. In so doing, while never able to escape from their “broken childhoods,” they nonetheless struggle to build a new and better future for themselves and others in their community of Srebrenica.
The book has been published through the efforts of the Bosnian Culture Community, “Preporod” Srebrenica, with financial support for translation and publication from the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Sarajevo. Ambassador Braathu participated in the book launch in Srebrenica with a speech.
Please contact “Preporod” Srebrenica - Fije Avdic - 00387 (0)61 406 530 for questions regarding the book, “ The Broken Childhood of Srebrenica”.