A Voice For the Voiceless

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The Advocacy Project seeks to help community-based advocates produce, disseminate and use information, and so become more effective advocates for human rights and social justice

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.

• AP Director Iain Guest traveled to Srebrenica in July 2004. Read his blogs.