Survivor hails ‘milestone’ for play about the Bosnian genocide

A “milestone” for a play which tells the story of the genocide in Bosnia has been welcomed by a woman who survived the conflict.

The play Inseparable: Lessons From A Nation Divided uses drama and survivor testimony and has been performed in schools across the country

This week the 10,000th pupil will experience the play, alongside special workshops used to educate youngsters on the consequences of hate, division and extremism.

The production was commissioned by the Scottish charity Beyond Srebrenica, and features the story of the charity’s chairwoman, Bosnian-Scot Sabina Kadic-Mackenzie.

She said: “Thirty years ago, my home was torn apart by unimaginable violence, including the genocide in Srebrenica.

“It was something my family, like so many others, never believed could happen to us. But it did.

“We lived through the very worst of humanity and that pain, that history, must never be forgotten.”

The war that followed the break-up of the former Yugoslavia claimed more than 100,000 lives in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995, mostly Bosnian Muslims

In July 1995, the Bosnian Serb army overran Srebrenica – which had previously been declared a safe area under a UN Security Council resolution – with thousands of men and teenagers killed in what was the largest massacre in Europe since the Holocaust.

Ms Kadic-Mackenzie said: “It’s more vital than ever that young people understand not just what happened in Bosnia, but why it matters today.

“Because these horrors are not distant memories, they are urgent warnings for the world today.

“That’s why Inseparable matters. It helps young people in Scotland connect with the reality of what hate can lead to, and more importantly, what compassion, awareness and action can prevent.”

The production explores the Bosnian genocide through the eyes of three teenagers on opposing sides of the conflict, played by Scots actors Kelly Davie, Kieran Lee-Hamilton and Sam McMeikan.

Ms Kadic-Mackenzie said the play did “not hold back”, insisting they had to “honour the experiences of survivors”.

She added that it was “not easy to watch” but it was “so important that our young people have an honest account of what happens when hate takes hold”.

She continued: “We are honoured that so many young people and their schools have opened their doors to Inseparable.

“This milestone is not just about numbers though – it’s about lives touched, conversations started and young people who now understand the horrific consequences of hate.”