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In 1993, a Serbian soldier by the name of Srdjan Aleksić intervened when he saw other Serbian soldiers beating his Bosniak Muslims neighbour, Alen Glavović. Sadly, because he intervened the soldiers then turned on him, leaving him so badly beaten that he fell into a coma.
Our theme for this year is #EveryActionMatters and Srdjan Aleksić exemplified that when he intervened to save the life of his Bosniak Muslim neighbour. Due to the injuries, Srdjan died but his neighbour Alen was able to survive and flee to safety.
In the obituary for Srdjan, his father wrote that “Srdjan died carrying out his human duty". His action to intervene saved a life. Each year, Alen, whose life he saved, visits his grave and pay his respects.
The Bosnian genocide is full of harrowing and tragic stories. It’s filled with death, tragedy, and grief. But the story of Srdjan and Alen is also one of hope. For as much focus has been on “ancient ethnic hatreds”, many Bosnian Serbs stood up for their Bosniak Muslim neighbours.
As we prepare to commemorate the 25th anniv. of the genocide in Srebrenica, we should reflect on the lessons we have learned. The importance of acting on behalf of each other, the importance of speaking out against hatred, and the importance of standing together in solidarity.
