Chicago March for a United & Multi-ethnic Bosnia and Herzegovina

50 W. Washington St.,Chicago IL 60602

26 February, 2022

Description

Join Bosnians and allies in solidarity bringing attention to the escalating situation in BiH in an organized and peaceful way. Background: Following the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992, war and genocide erupted that resulted in the deaths of an estimated 100,000 people and an expulsion of 2 million people. The primary aggressors of this violence were nationalist Serb forces who operated under the infrastructure of the Yugoslav National Army, the Army of Republika Srpska along with other organized paramilitary groups. These nationalist Serb forces had a primary goal of carrying out aggression against the non-Serb population of Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to destroy the sovereignty of the state itself and to terrorize Bosnian Muslims through forced imprisonment, torture, rape, forced birth, expulsion and property theft. An estimated 100,000 people were killed, 80% of whom were Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims). After 3 years of genocide and war, the Dayton Peace Accords were signed granting the creation of two entities, Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina within the sovereign state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This entity system not only rewarded the aggressor for the genocide that was carried out but also introduced restrictive election procedures in every level of government, which only further led to more corruptive practices and legally allowed for genocide denial to woven into the government structures that were responsible for Bosnian and Herzegovinian society.Although the Dayton Accords stipulate that every refugee and displaced person has a right to return freely to their pre-war homes, after 27 years, returnees still face intimidation, discrimination and in some cases violence. Genocide denial is a growing systematic effort to minimize the crimes committed against Bosniaks in the 1990s. In January 2022, Bosnian Serb leader, Milorad Dodik, indicated his intent to pull the entity of Republika Srpska of BiH out of the sovereign state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, directly violating the peace agreement. This was not the first time he has threatened to do this, however it is becoming more and more a terrifying possibility that is not only going to destabilize Bosnia and Herzegovina but will destabilize the entire region. The pain of the genocide and ongoing triumphalism still haunts survivors and has uprooted generations of people from their homeland, therefore we find it imperative to mobilize the diaspora to help combat hateful rhetoric to uphold a united and multi-ethnic Bosnia and Herzegovina. About this event:12 pm: Rally at Daley Plaza 1 pm: March starts Goal: To bring attention to the escalating situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina in an organized and peaceful way and to mobilize the diaspora into advocacy, lobbying efforts and registering to vote and in celebration of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Independence Day happening March 1. We are marching to raise awareness for the following: Elections that are free of ethnic restrictions, where ethnicity doesn’t prevent a Bosnian citizen from running for office.Protections for returnees, no one should fear violence when returning to their hometown.Consequences for corruption, no one should fear losing their job because their employer is registered with a particular party.Maintaining territorial integrity, anything less violates the peace agreement.The organizers of this March only wish to see a united people for a united Bosnia and Herzegovina. We do not support any political party or particular agendas, rather a multi-ethnic and prosperous BiH. Organizatori ovog marša samo žele vidjeti ujedinjen narod za jedinstvenu ujedinjenu BiH. Ne podržavamo nijednu političku stranku ili program osim multietničke, prosperitetne BiH. Ovo je marš za promjenu zakona o glasanju za pravedne izbore gdje etnička pripadnost ne sprječava bosanskog državljanina da se kandiduje za funkciju. Marširati za sprovođenje zaštite povratnika, niko ne treba da se plaši nasilja pri povratku u rodni grad. Marširati za posljedice i odgovornosti za korupciju i prijetnje secesijom. Follow us on Instagram for updates: @za_mir_ali_ne_damo_svoje Donate to help offset the costs of the march: https://bit.ly/donate4BiH Click here to sign up for SMS messages to keep up with information about the march: https://bit.ly/feb26sms Click here to sign up as a volunteer for the march: https://linktr.ee/MarchForBiH Click here for information on the march in Atlanta: https://bit.ly/march4BiHATL Click here for information on the march in DC: https://bit.ly/march4BiHinDC **Face masks encouraged