THURROCK hosted a special event today (Friday, 9 July) and raised the Remembering Srebrenica flag at the civic offices in Grays to observe Srebrenica Memorial Week.

Cllr James Halden, The Deputy Mayor of Thurrock and Cllr Deborah Huelin, Cabinet Member for Adults and Communities, joined Bosnian residents and representatives of local Muslim faith groups and South Essex Rape and Incest Crises Centre (SERICC) to commemorate the week.

Cllr Halden said: "Srebrenica Memorial Week sees communities across the country observe the anniversary of the 1995 genocide which tragically saw more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys lose their lives.

"We come together to pay our respects to those who lost their lives, and those who have sadly died in other genocides throughout history. It is crucial that we unite to remember them and ensure that we continue to strive towards a better, more peaceful, harmonious community for everyone."

Cllr Huelin added: "As part of International Women's Day this year we made an official commitment to Remember Srebrenica to recognise violence against women and the Mothers of Srebrenica, who pursued justice for victims and their families following the horrific genocide. Through this commitment we will remember and honour both the victims and survivors of Srebrenica, whilst reflecting on this year's theme of 'rebuilding lives'.

"Genocides such as Srebrenica impact many people beyond those who have sadly lost their lives; their friends, families and communities have also lived through tremendous pain and healing to recover from such tragedies. By coming together, and through mutual respect and understanding, we can help to ensure we build a better community, country and world for generations to come."