As part of the official Program for the commemoration of the siege of Sarajevo 1992–1995, the exhibition “Against forgetting – For Peace and Solidarity in Europe” was officially opened in the Sarajevo City Hall on March 31, 2026. This event represents the crown of a major international project in which 178 young people from 14 countries participated, taking on the roles of curators and content creators.

The exhibition is the result of research into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the 20th century, from the Second World War to the Srebrenica Genocide. Instead of being mere observers, through archival research and the personal stories of victims, the youth sought to understand the mechanisms of violence and the importance of protecting human rights.

The Mayor of Sarajevo, Samir Avdić, emphasized the importance of this initiative at the opening ceremony: “This exhibition is the culmination of a brave journey by young people who, by researching the dark moments of history, decided to be the guardians of truth. You are a network of ambassadors ensuring that the lessons learned in Sarajevo become a signpost for a better Europe.”

Sanjin Hamidičević, Deputy Executive Director of the Association “Education Builds Bosnia and Herzegovina – Jovan Divjak,” stressed that the goal of the project is to raise awareness about the consequences of hatred and intolerance. He recalled the spirit of Sarajevo’s resistance and the role of women during the siege, quoting the founder of the Association, the late General Jovan Divjak: “The army defended Sarajevo, but the women saved it.”

The program was enriched by a video clip about the exchange in Bosnia and Herzegovina accompanied by the Accordion Quintet of the Secondary Music School Sarajevo, a performance by the Female Vocal Ensemble Corona, and poetry recitations by young Sarajevo high school students.

In the week leading up to the opening, literary workshops were held on the theme of the siege of Sarajevo. The workshops brought together students from the First Gymnasium, the First Bosniak Gymnasium, Dobrinja Gymnasium, and Obala Gymnasium.

Under the mentorship of the British organization Never Such Innocence, students explored themes of war and peace through poetry in the English language, and four selected works were presented live before the audience in City Hall. For decades, Never Such Innocence has provided a platform for children around the world to become equal participants in the global peace dialogue through art.

In addition to Sarajevo, the exhibition will be shown at several locations throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in the Netherlands, France, Germany, Slovenia, Hungary, and Poland. The goal is clear: to create a network of “ambassadors of memory” who will fight against hate speech and radicalization in modern Europe.

The exhibition was organized by the Association ‘Education Builds Bosnia and Herzegovina – Jovan Divjak’ and the City of Sarajevo, and the co-organizer is the Public Company Sarajevo d.o.o. with the support of the European Union through the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) program and the Municipality of Novo Sarajevo.