Monday, July 12, 2010

WEEK SIX: Reconciliation? A Day of Remembrance for Srebrenica

Is there such a thing as “reconciliation”?

Today, July 11th, 2010, marks the 15th anniversary of the massacre of 8,000 Bosniaks in Srebrenica. The genocidal act was led by Radovan Karadzic, who is now on trial through the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia.

He isn’t the only person standing trial for war crimes…so is Charles Taylor.

Charles Taylor, Liberia’s former President, was indicted for war crimes in 2003. He is associated with widespread atrocities, ranging from the use of conflict diamonds to recruitment of child soldiers, in conjunction with the country’s 14 year civil war.

Today, both Karadzic and Taylor currently enjoy the amenities of special facilities housing the trials that are underway by the International Criminal Court. In fact, Taylor recently celebrated the birth of another child since his wife is permitted to visit him regularly. The UN pays for her travel to and from The Hague.

These leaders are not alone in their freedom. Ratko Mladic, widely considered to be Karadzic’s right-hand man, lives in Serbia and has yet to be arrested. Nevertheless, on the 11th of each and every month for the last decade, the “Women in Black” of Bosnia-Herzegovina have marched to protest such impunity while paying tribute to the victims of Srebrenica.

When I went to Srebrenica around this time last year, I felt like I lost a bit of my soul. I couldn’t believe that fellow human beings committed the horrific acts that happened there. When you stand at the entrance to the mass graves, you see endless rows of crosses in every direction. Then, you walk along the road and see the old UN bunkers with some of the most shocking graffiti and messaging that only distorted, disturbed minds could produce.

I am not the one who can do justice to the stories of these victims by re-telling their personal accounts. But, as a human being alive on the anniversary of Srebrenica and learning about events like Taylor’s trial and the status of justice and reconciliation in Liberia, it seems to me that I have a responsibility to search for a solution to end such unsettling injustices.

I highly doubt “reconciliation” is possible, but that doesn’t make the fight for it any less important. At least there are organizations like the Carter Center who are strengthening justice systems in post-conflict countries and doing their part to build hope.

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