Bosniak American Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina Commemorates the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Bosniak American Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina
815 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 200, Washington DC 20006
(202) 291-7080; board@baacbh.org; www.baacbh.org
For Immediate Release Contact: Elmina Kulasic
December 9, 2008 Executive Director
Washington, D.C. Direct: 202-291-7080
BAACBH Commemorates the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Bosniak-American Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BAACBH) would like to
commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as the 60th
anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
BAACBH holds true the principles outlined in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of
the Crime of Genocide and condemns any act committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a
national, ethnical, racial or religious group. The disregard for human rights led to genocide and
ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) that eliminated the historical pattern of tolerance
and shared experiences from a plurality of religious and cultural groups from which BiH profited
and flourished as a multi-ethnic nation in Europe. Although the Dayton Peace Agreement ended the
aggression on BiH, it lacks the core principles of democratic governance needed for a stable BiH. In
fact, the Agreement has institutionalized ethno-territorial divisions overshadowing human rights and
enabling nationalistic sentiments to prevail.
In order to embrace the Declaration’s mission, BAACBH strongly believes that justice is the closure
for victims and the only foundation for peace in BiH. Therefore, advocating on behalf of Bosnian-
Americans, people who have survived the Bosnian genocide and escaped human rights abuses by
immigrating to the United States in search of a better and peaceful future, BAACBH strongly
believes a constitutional reform is needed that will accentuate equal rights and democratic
governance for all of its citizens.
Therefore, we can not forget about the victims of the Bosnian genocide and ethnic cleansing as well
as the Holocaust, Rwanda, Darfur, and other betrayed countries and regions who saw “never again”
happen after World War II, for their memories are our voices for the future.
Guided by the principles for justice, freedom, democracy, and equality for all, BAACBH is
committed and dedicated to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedoms.