A Voice For the Voiceless

The Advocacy Project helps marginalized communities to tell their story, claim their rights and produce social change. We recruit graduate students to volunteer as Peace Fellows with partners.

The Impact of Service



"Speaking with locals and living in a country is the best way to learn about the real lives of citizens, not just the stories in the mainstream media. I will be more critical of what I read as a result of this experience. I also feel even more grateful for my education, and I feel a stronger responsibility to assist others who do not have resources or access to opportunities in their communities."

Maria Skouras (New York University) volunteered in 2011 as a Peace Fellow for eHomemakers in Malaysia.

For more 2011 feedback click here.

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Partners > Europe > Bosnian Family > BOSFAM and Srebre...

BOSFAM and Srebrenica's Future

When people hear the word Srebrenica, they think of the massacre. Few know that for its pre-war residents, Srebrenica was a tranquil place, almost idyllic. Although it was an out-of-the-way municipality, Srebrenica was exposed to a rich culture that attracted visitors from the rest of Yugoslavia and beyond. 



Once idyllic: Srebrenica today

Srebrenica means “place of silver” in the Bosnian language. Its hills have been mined for silver, lead, and zinc mines dating back to the time of the Romans, who named it “Argentario.” In modern times, these mines helped make Srebrenica one of the richest municipalities in Bosnia.

After World War II, Srebrenica’s factories supplied Yugoslavia and parts of Europe with lumber, paper, and furniture, minerals, and industrial products. Situated in two industrial zones, these factories provided secure employment for townspeople and the inhabitants of surrounding villages alike. Several villages had well-equipped schools and clinics of their own.

Today Srebrenica is a shell of the town that it once was. Only 3,500 Muslims, from the pre-war population of 30,000 have returned. The industry and much of the infrastructure has been destroyed, and jobs are scarce. Although houses are slowly being rebuilt, hundreds are still, in need of repair. Few of the widows have that kind of money. This, as much as anything, has discouraged the survivors from returning home.

BOSFAM weaving center, Tuzla, Bosnia.

But there are tiny glimmers of hope. Eastern Bosnia is slowly beginning to rebuild its communities, its government, and its industry. New, more moderate governments Serbia and the Bosnian Serb Republic have raised hopes for a more stable political environment.

BOSFAM, in its own way, is helping with the revitalization of Srebrenica. In February 2004, it opened a second weaving center in the town with funds from the Dutch Refugee Foundation, and carpets produced at the center are being sold through the BOSFAM website.

Although BOSFAM’s weaving center in Srebrenica is still only producing small returns, it creates an incentive for other weavers to return and provides important support for those BOSFAM members in Srebrenica – who are among the few Muslims to have returned.

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