Several hundreds of students from primary and secondary schools from Sarajevo paid the tribute to children killed in the besieged Sarajevo. Numerous delegations attended the event, as well as the family members of our youngest citizens whose childhood was suddenly and brutally interrupted.
Students paid tribute to 1,601 murdered children of Sarajevo, whose names are written in the memorial, by singing songs about childhood, pain, war and peace.
Chairwoman of the Assembly of Canton Sarajevo Ana Babic said that the citizens defended the fight against fascism and aggression on May 2, with their patriotism, love for their city and country.
“While thinking how to address you today, I’ve decided to read my last year’s speech, not because I was lazy to write a new one, but because it was important to me to remind how fast the time goes by. However, the pain and suffering are becoming larger because the crime of killing innocents and brutal ways in which it was done are becoming more obvious. Moreover, we are aware that the violence of the powerful and the suffering of children are not stopping, but just changing its shape and continents. Examples and messages, cries and appeals play a very modest role in this cruel world,” said Fikret Grabovica, the President of the Association of the Parents of the Murdered Children in the Besieged Sarajevo 1992–1995.
“The memory culture is still not at the level that it should be because this day shows how many of us are aware of this and what is the relationship with something that is a tradition. However, I believe that what education has to offer to young people will bring better times,” noted Babic.
The event was also attended by actors who performed poetic and heartbreaking performance, which made many people cry. The manifestation took place under the title “And they were just children” within the marking of the Day of a Memory on the killed Children of Sarajevo and the Day of Victory over Fascism.
(Source: M. N./klix.ba)