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18:35 GMT
LONDON, July 8 (KUNA) -- British Prime Minister David Cameron has announced on Wednesday an extra GBP 1.2 million for the charity Remembering Srebrenica to help raise awareness of the Srebrenica genocide.
Established in 2013 with part funding from the Department for Communities and Local Government, and support from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the initiative raises public awareness of the genocide that took place in 1995 in Srebrenica, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in which over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were massacred.
The GBP 1.2 million in funding will be provided over 3 years and will be used to; raise awareness of Srebrenica Memorial Day - taking place on 11 July in the UK; run educational 'Lessons from Srebrenica' visits to the town so that individuals can learn about the genocide and the victims' lives; and increase public awareness to promote tolerance and build strong community relations in the UK.
Addressing the weakly parliamentary session on the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, to be marked next week, the Prime Minister said: "The genocide that took place in Srebrenica 20 years ago is a stark reminder of the intolerance that exists in the world and why we must do all we can to confront it."
"The UK has made considerable progress to tackle discrimination, the promotion of hatred and fight extremism and we will continue to challenge the views that threaten our way of life," Cameron pointed out.
"This funding will help to raise awareness of the victims and their families and ensure the events of that day are not forgotten. It also sends an important message to our communities, who have a part to play in ensuring we build a lasting legacy of inclusiveness.
"The announcement comes as the UK is set to host memorial services across the country next week to mark the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, including a memorial service in Westminster Abbey on 6 July," he added.
As part of this, the Prime Minister will host a reception in Downing Street attended by Bosnian President Bakir Izetbegovic, a number of the Mothers of Srebrenica, the organisers and volunteers behind Remembering Srebrenica and a number of prominent British supporters of the initiative.
Since its launch in 2013, Remembering Srebrenica has created 600 Community Champions against hatred and intolerance across the UK through its 'Lessons from Srebrenica' education programme. It has organised over 250 local memorial events, created 7 regional and country boards and visited many schools, educating children through assemblies and survivor tours.
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond expressed disappointment at the veto of the Resolution to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Srebrenica.
"We are disappointed that our Resolution to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Srebrenica was vetoed today," Hammond said.
"We had three goals: to commemorate the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica and victims on all sides during the conflict in Bosnia Herzegovina; to appeal for justice for all and reconciliation; and to note the lessons for the UN, of these tragic events," he said.
"The Resolution did not point fingers of blame nor seek to reopen painful divisions.
"The failure to adopt this Resolution is a snub to the families of the victims and the survivors of Srebrenica. True reconciliation requires facing up to the realities of the past by all sides and determination to learn the lessons for the future.
"We owe it to all those who lost their lives in the war to work together to help build a safe and prosperous Bosnia Herzegovina," Hammond went on. (end)
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