International Campaign Telling the Pains of the Serbian People Started in New York

The international awareness campaign titled "Learn About the Pains of the Serbian People," undertaken by the Memorial Center of the Serbian Republic (Republika Srpska), was officially launched in downtown New York. The organization's primary goal is to showcase, for the first time in such a comprehensive manner in the United States, the pains and tragedies experienced by the Serbian people throughout their history. As part of the campaign, a traveling multimedia exhibition is being organized, stationed at some of the city's most iconic and diplomatically significant locations, including in front of the United Nations headquarters. Displayed on the busy streets of Manhattan, whose population reaches millions with tourists and locals, this mobile structure brings historical documents from the past to the present to visitors in various parts of the city. This event goes down in records as the largest and most comprehensive international promotional project undertaken by the Memorial Center of the Serbian Republic since its establishment.

Among the exhibited materials are archival documents and photographs of the massacres committed during World War II under the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) regime, which resulted in the loss of more than one million Serbian lives. The exhibition, which conveys historical facts through digital screens, highlights that the NDH was the only state in occupied Europe to establish concentration camps exclusively dedicated to children. In addition, the pains of more than 30,000 Serbs who lost their lives in the Central Podrinje and Biraç regions during the Bosnian War, and the drama of more than 250,000 people deported from Croatia, are explained to visitors in detail. Issues such as the events in Kosovo and Metohija, the established concentration camps, mass graves, the fate of missing persons, and the role of foreign mujahideen involved in the war are also exhibited alongside historical archives. The bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia by NATO in 1999 is also among the significant topics in the exhibition's category of committed international crimes and historical events.

The visual and documentary content displayed on digital screens is also supported by special Quick Response (QR) code systems to guide visitors toward in-depth knowledge. Through these codes, direct access can be provided to the official website specially prepared by the Memorial Center of the Serbian Republic to attract the attention of the international community. The most emotional section of the campaign, highlighting the human drama, is dedicated to the tragedies and losses experienced by Serbian children. Revealing the human dimension of war through the fates of the youngest victims significantly increases the psychological impact of the exhibition on viewers from different countries around the world. Thus, visitors have the opportunity to closely learn not only historical figures and political events but also the stories of innocent civilians at the center of those events.

Denis Bojiç, Director of the Memorial Center of the Serbian Republic, stated that this large-scale promotional activity is the institution's most strategic step at the global level. In his statement, Bojiç emphasized that while the great contributions of the Serbian people to fields such as science, culture, and sports worldwide are well-known, the historical tragedies the people have suffered are not sufficiently understood internationally. He noted that the fundamental mission of the Memorial Center is to create a universal dialogue environment on the protection of civilian suffering, human rights, and historical memory, transcending local boundaries. Acting on the principle that victims of every nation and origin have the right to truth, dignity, and not being forgotten, Bojiç expressed their aim to give a voice to Serbian victims through historical documents and testimonies. Furthermore, he added that with the help of the Serbian Republic government, relevant ministries, representations in the USA, the Serbian diaspora, and supportive individuals, they plan to continue this initiative in other major metropolises around the world.

The campaign in New York also serves as a historic platform where the Memorial Center of the Serbian Republic's digital testimony database and archival materials are shared with the international public for the first time. Completed in May and transferred to a digital environment, this massive archive is being promoted worldwide as a unique resource containing documented facts and authentic testimonies regarding the suffering of the Serbian people. Launching the campaign specifically in July stands out as a highly symbolic and meaningful decision. This is because the month of July is a period of remembrance dedicated to the memory of thousands of Serbs who lost their lives in the Serbian Republic and Bosnia and Herzegovina wars, and particularly to the tragedies in the Central Podrinje and Biraç regions. All these efforts aim to prevent the wounds of the past from being forgotten among the pages of history and to ensure that the suffering experienced by the Serbian people takes its rightful place in global historical consciousness.