Let Your Life Speak – Wednesday 18 November, 6.30pm
A series of early evening open seminars hosted by The Centre for Peace and Global Studies at Sidcot School intended to open debate and discussion on contemporary global issues. More than just a collection of ideas, these talks are examples of ideas and values in action, the term let your life speak is usually taken to mean “Let the highest truths and values guide everything you do.”
This informal evening is designed as an opportunity to engage with the speaker, their work and the values that shape their life.
Date: Wednesday 18 November
Time: 6.30pm
Venue: Sidcot Arts Centre
Bookings: reception@sidcot.org.uk or 01934 843102
Love thy neighbour?
The horrors of the Bosnian genocide, one woman’s story
Jennifer Stone-Wigg MBE, takes us through the history of atrocities in Bosnia and the fallout from over two decades of poverty and unrest. She recounts the lead up to conflict and war in Bosnia and the plight of thousands of refugees who fled the situation.
Maybe one of the worst situations during the 1990s war was in the city of Sarajevo, which was under siege for four years, the only escape being through a tunnel which was excavated to help bring in arms and food and to take out the injured civilians. In July 1995, a bomb was thrown on the crowded market place in Sarajevo, killing many. Jennifer states that “the very worst thing that happened was the killing of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the area of Srebrenica in July 1995. This was atrocious and also due to the negligence of the UN. A base had been formed by the UN under the protection of Dutch soldiers to help and save many of the people in that area. Hundreds of people walked for days to arrive at this haven, thinking that they were safe. They left their homes which were under threat of attack. When the Serbs arrived in Srebrenica, the Dutch just handed over the people, mainly due to the fact of their lack of contact with the heads of the UN in other parts of Europe. This mistake resulted in the murder of many hundreds of people.
Since the Dayton Agreement in 1995, Bosnia and Herzegovina has followed a path of state-building, while remaining under the international supervision of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a confederation of two entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Serb Republic.
Jennifer Stone-Wigg is the founder and president of non-profit organization Swiss Help for Peace in Bosnia. She frequently travels to and from Switzerland and the UK and throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina and finds ways to help people in difficulty: children, the sick, the elderly, war veterans and anyone else who has been hit by hardship. In 2008, Jennifer was awarded the MBE by the Queen for the work that she has been doing among the destitute in Bosnia and Herzegovina.