top of page

Media

Press

Smajo Bešo: The Story of a Bosnian Genocide Survivor | A SRtRC Original
(15mins)

Smajo Bešo, founder of the Bosnian Genocide Educational Trust, recounts his memories of growing up during the Bosnian Genocide and the emotional trauma that resulted from his experiences, and that still follow him to this day.

Channel 4: Britain's Forgotten Wars with Tony Robinson - Bloodshed in Bosnia
(45mins)

The civil war that raged after the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1992, as UN forces struggled to maintain order in the newly created nation of Bosnia under impossible circumstances. Testimony from peacekeeping soldiers, survivors and forensic scientists reveal the true horror of a war that has faded from public consciousness, and the helplessness they felt lacking the authority to act.

Holocaust Memorial Day Trust: Eden Girls School, Waltham Forest
(3mins)

Smajo Bešo speaks to students at Eden Girls' School, Walthamstow, for the UK Holocaust Memorial Day 2022 Ceremony. Watch the full Ceremony: HMDT Memorial Day Ceremony 2022

HMDT Podcast

Learning from Genocide
Episode 5 - Genocide in Bosnia
(45mins)

In a powerful testimony, Una tells us how events before her birth changed her life forever.
Smajo Beso, on the other hand, was six years old when his normal, happy life was suddenly turned upside down.

Life as a Child Refugee from Germany & Bosnia: Hanna Zack Miley and Smajo Bešo in Conversation
(90mins)

Part of the Parkes Seminar Series 2020/21. This event explored the personal memories of refugee children from Germany and Bosnia, Hanna Zack Miley and Smajo Bešo, with reflections from Professor Bill Niven. The video addresses both the Holocaust and the Bosnian Genocide and features themes of Jewish history, Bosnian history, and refugee experience and testimony. The event was chaired by Dr Chad McDonald and Dr Amy Williams.

Stories of Survivors of the Bosnia War / Smajo Beso
(9mins)

Survivors of the Srebrenica Genocide, tells their story on the 25th Anniversary of that tragic event… Smajo Beso: "If I could describe the impact of the Bosnian War on my life with one Word it would probably be lost…"

Bosnian Genocide Educational Trust: Hate Crime Awareness Week 2020
(30mins)

Smajo Beso, Chair of the Bosnian Genocide Educational Trust, researcher and teacher at Newcastle university, shares his experience of growing up in Bosnia during the war.

Skimstone Arts: (Beyond) Storytelling
(60mins)

Storytelling is a powerful tool for helping us understand and empathise across difference, but asking people to ‘share their story’ also comes with risks. Held on 23 February 2021 as part of the Refugee Week Slow Conference, this workshop explored how storytelling can be done in an ethical and empowering way, as well as asking what alternatives there are to first person testimony.

Scotland at 7 (28/01/2022)
(60mins)

Tonight's Scotland at 7 is a special report to mark Holocaust Memorial Day with Hugh Stewart, Ika Ferrer Gotić, Smajo Beso and Kirsten Oswald, MP for East Renfrewshire discussing the Holocaust and Genocide.

Bosnian Genocide Educational Trust: Road to genocide: Comparison between Bosnia and South Africa
(14mins)

A comparison between growing up in South Africa and in Bosnia in the 1990s by Emlyn Pearce and Smajo Beso.

TRT World Now: A Srebrenica massacre survivor tells his story
(6mins)

Genocide survivor Smajo Beso talks to TRT World about how he feels as Bosnia marks the 25th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, the only crime in Europe since the Second World War that has been declared a genocide.

British Muslim TV
(80mins)

Host Mohammed Shafiq is joined by Islamic Scholar Dr Tamara Gray, talking about Women Scholars in Islam, followed by Lecturer Smajo Beso to discuss the Bosnian Genocide and finally, Professional Boxer Muhammad Ali, who will be discussing his success as a Boxer.

Sunderland City Council: Smajo Bešo Bosnian Genocide Survivor
(2mins)

Today marks 25 years since the genocide in Srebrenica where over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim people were murdered because of hate. We remember the innocent lives taken and join Remembering Srebrenica in commemorating these atrocities so that Never Again becomes Never again. We must unite against hatred and learn the lessons of the Bosnian genocide.

Remembering Srebrenica: Smajo Beso
(2mins)

Smajo Beso talks to Remembering Srebrenica about the link between Sunderland and the North East with the Bosnian community.

Bosnian genocide survivor recalls birdsong after fleeing for UK
(2mins)

An architect has recalled spending his first days in Newcastle after fleeing his war-torn Bosnian town as a child to escape the genocide. Smajo Beso, 36, said he heard birdsong for the first time in years after arriving in the north-east of England in 1994, after Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic ordered troops to execute mostly Muslim men and boys.

bottom of page