2011 Year in Review

Dear Friends of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

On behalf of the Board of Directors, our partners, donors, volunteers, and staff, I would like to thank you for supporting BAACBH in 2011, and we wish you and your loved ones a joyous and prosperous 2012.

BAACBH reflects on 2011 as another successful year of advocacy, steady and informed leadership, outreach, and diplomacy on behalf of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

We are deeply appreciative of your support and interest in our work, particularly as BAACBH celebrated its 6th anniversary in 2011. Some of the highlights of our activities in 2011:

  • BAACBH continues to work closely with the Congressional Caucus on Bosnia co-chaired by Congressman Russ Carnahan (D-MO) and Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ). Today, the Bosnian Caucus consists of 26 members from both political parties and is actively engaged in U.S. policy in BiH. The Bosnian Caucus continues to remain a vital part of our work in Washington, D.C., and we will continue our activities on expanding its membership in 2012.
  • In 2011, BAACBH with the help of the office of Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) hosted the “Third Annual Bosnian Women’s Day on Capitol Hill” where Bosnian-American award-winning filmmaker Sabina Vajraca spoke about her documentary “Back to Bosnia.” This event highlighted the present day issue of citizens being denied the ownership of their homes in the Republika Srpska entity of BiH.
  • On July 11, 2011, BAACBH together with the office of Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, H.E. Sven Alkalaj, Ambassador Douglas Davidson, Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues at the U.S. Department of State, and Ms. Dijana Muminovic, Bosnian American documentary photographer, commemorated the 16th Anniversary of Srebrenica Genocide on Capitol Hill. In honor of the fallen victims, BAACBH distributed handmade crochet flower petals made by the Mothers of Srebrenica that signify purity, peace and hope; and together with the speakers and guests expressed our deepest condolences and commitment to remember the Srebrenica genocide and to advocate for a stable and prosperous BiH.
  • Lastly, BAACBH strongly condemned and was actively engaged in the response to the events surrounding Columbia University’s actions that occurred on October 25, 2011. The University’s Harriman Institute of Russian, Eurasian, and Eastern European Studies hosted Milorad Dodik, the President of Republika Srpska (RS), where he gave a lecture titled “An American Foreign Policy Success Story: The Dayton Accords, Republika Srpska, and Bosnia’s European Integration.” The Columbia Daily Spectator student publication and other newspapers had reported that individuals with non-Serb sounding names were taken off of the admissions list, and were not allowed to attend the lecture. The activities that occurred on that day elicited a strong and concerted response by many concerned Bosnian-American organizations and individuals urging Columbia University to take forceful action and adequately respond to individuals that could not enter the lecture hall. BAACBH, in concert with our partners and supporters was actively involved in that effort. According to various sources, Gordon Bardos, the long time Assistant Director of the Harriman Institute resigned as a result of the incident. We firmly believe that the involvement of BAACBH and the Bosnian-American diaspora produced concrete results for the benefit of the Bosnian-American community and BiH.

We will continue to deepen our involvement and engagement with the Bosnian-American community, policymakers in the United States and BiH as we strive to make BiH a member of the Euro-Atlantic community. As part of our wider outreach initiative, we will be getting information to you faster by launching a new website in 2012. In addition, the organization will advance and enhance its efforts by using our DBA name “Advisory Council for BiH” making it easier for policymakers to refer to our organization for the vital resource that it has become today.

To help us continue our work please donate TODAY! Signing up for a monthly donation only takes 2 minutes, is tax deductible and will help BAACBH remain the premier voice for Bosnian-Americans in Washington, D.C. for years to come! Did you know that your donation to BAACBH could be matched dollar for dollar? Many companies offer matching gift programs that will double, even triple a donation’s value. Check with your company to find out if your company will match your charitable contribution to BAACBH.

With thanks and best wishes in 2012,

Admir Serifovic, Esq.
President