Community 50+ Group Enjoys Walk, Local History and Bosnian Hospitality at Gladstone Park
Community members came together for a day of exercise, friendship, local history, and cultural celebration.
London, UK | 21 September 2026
Members of BHCAC's Community 50+ Group enjoyed a memorable walk at Gladstone Park on 20 September, bringing together physical activity, social connection, local history, and plenty of good humour.
Led by Jaqueline Edwards, the group explored the park, enjoyed panoramic views across London, and learned about the fascinating history of Dollis Hill House. BHCAC extends its sincere thanks to Jaqueline for her excellent leadership and for delivering an engaging and informative talk that was greatly appreciated by all participants.
The walk provided an excellent opportunity for members to stay active, support one another, and enjoy the benefits of spending time outdoors. Special recognition goes to our community members in their 80s, whose determination and enthusiasm in reaching the top of the hill inspired everyone in attendance. Participants were also impressed by Meho Jakupovic's achievement of recording an impressive 9,600 steps during the outing.
The event also offered an opportunity to share Bosnian culture with the wider community. Participants brought homemade maslenica, a traditional Bosnian dish, to enjoy after the walk. Nisad Jakupovic explained that maslenica was traditionally prepared for farmers, providing the energy needed for long days of physical work. One participant jokingly responded, "I must be that farmer today. I skipped breakfast before joining this walk. Is there a shortcut back?", prompting laughter across the group.
BHCAC would like to express its sincere thanks to Hasnija Majdanac for supporting and looking after senior members throughout the walk and for preparing one of the delicious maslenicas, and to Sabiha Jakupovic for preparing another for everyone to enjoy.
Following the walk, participants returned to BHCAC for refreshments and an opportunity to continue socialising in a warm and welcoming environment.
The day perfectly reflected the aims of the Community 50+ Programme, promoting physical wellbeing, reducing social isolation, celebrating cultural heritage, and strengthening connections within the community.
For general enquiries: info@bhcac.org.uk
Connecting with Heritage and Community
BBYL participants explored London’s green spaces and began their journey through Bosnian history and culture.
London, UK | 21 September 2026
September has been a fantastic month for our British Bosnian Youth London (BBYL) programme, bringing young people together through outdoor activity, learning, and cultural discovery.
On 12 September, participants enjoyed a successful London Capital Ring Walk from Richmond to Osterley, providing an opportunity to stay active, connect with peers, and explore local heritage in a relaxed and welcoming environment. BHCAC extends its thanks to Ilyas Jalisi for planning the walk, and to Amar Duratovic and Naya Medjedovic for leading the group and helping to organise the activity.
On 19 September, young people attended the first session of our Bosnian History, Culture & Heritage series, exploring Bosnia’s origins, early civilisations, medieval history, and long tradition of multicultural coexistence. The session generated excellent discussion and engagement, with participants showing a strong interest in learning more about their heritage and identity.
BHCAC would like to express its sincere appreciation to Dzenan Medjedovic for delivering an outstanding first history session. His engaging and informative presentation was exceptionally well received and provided a strong foundation for the six-part series.
These activities reflect our commitment to supporting young people to strengthen their sense of identity, build meaningful connections, and celebrate the rich heritage of the British Bosnian community.
We look forward to welcoming participants to future sessions and activities as the BBYL programme continues throughout the year.
For general enquiries: info@bhcac.org.uk
THE MORAL JUDGMENT OF THOSE WHO SURVIVED
A Proclamation by the Bosnia and Herzegovina Community Advice Centre (BHCAC)
London, United Kingdom – 27 August 2026
Issued following the confirmed death of a person convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), under the residual authority of the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), of crimes including genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
“They tried to break us. They did not know we were the stone.”
Today, the world records the biological end of a shadow. A man has passed who once executed the failed vision of an architect. Together, they believed that through the silence of mass graves, the wire of concentration camps, the hunger of siege, and the darkness of genocide, they could erase our name from the book of life.
We refuse to speak their names. We will not offer convicted war criminals the refuge of our memory.
We do not look back with the eyes of victims; we look back with the authority of the Witness. Ours is a lived truth—a truth lived in the flesh, carried in the bone, and proven by the very fact of our breath. We know the weight of the night because we outlasted it. We know the cost of our values because we held them tight when the world turned away.
Our presence is the ultimate judgment of history.
Every British Bosnian born into the diversity of this great city stands as testimony. Every life built in the heart of London, and every hand we extend in peace, is a final and crushing defeat for the ideology of hate. We have not merely survived; we have thrived. We have taken the shards of a broken past and forged them into a vision for a new world.
The future we are building together is not a shelter for the bitter, but a sanctuary for the hopeful. It is a future that is stronger, fairer, and more inclusive for all. We carry the memory of the silenced not as a burden, but as a sacred trust. We stand as a shield for the persecuted of every faith, every race, and every nation—ensuring that the shadow of the camp never falls upon a human soul again.
Let history record this truth: the destroyers are a footnote. The People are the story.
The darkness has spent itself.
The light is ours to lead.
We are here.
We remember.
We prevail.
In the name of justice, remembrance, and resilience,
Bosnia and Herzegovina Community Advice Centre (BHCAC)
London, United Kingdom
MORALNI SUD ONIH KOJI SU PREŽIVJELI
Proglas Bosnia and Herzegovina Community Advice Centre (BHCAC)
London, Ujedinjeno Kraljevstvo – 27. august 2026. godine
Izdato povodom potvrđene smrti osobe osuđene pred Međunarodnim krivičnim tribunalom za bivšu Jugoslaviju (MKTJ), pod rezidualnom nadležnošću Međunarodnog rezidualnog mehanizma Ujedinjenih nacija za krivične tribunale (IRMCT), za zločine uključujući genocid, zločine protiv čovječnosti i ratne zločine.
„Pokušali su nas slomiti. Nisu znali da smo mi kamen.“
Danas svijet bilježi biološki kraj jedne sjenke. Preminuo je čovjek koji je nekada provodio neuspjelu viziju jednog arhitekte. Zajedno su vjerovali da će, kroz tišinu masovnih grobnica, žicu koncentracionih logora, glad opsade i tamu genocida, moći izbrisati naše ime iz knjige života.
Odbijamo izgovarati njihova imena. Nećemo osuđenim ratnim zločincima ponuditi utočište u našem sjećanju.
Na prošlost se ne osvrćemo očima žrtava; osvrćemo se autoritetom Svjedoka. Naša istina je proživljena istina — istina proživljena u mesu, nošena u kostima i potvrđena samom činjenicom našeg daha. Znamo težinu noći jer smo je nadživjeli. Znamo cijenu naših vrijednosti jer smo ih čvrsto čuvali onda kada se svijet okrenuo od nas.
Naše prisustvo predstavlja konačni sud historije.
Svaki Britanski Bosanac rođen u raznolikosti ovog veličanstvenog grada stoji kao svjedočanstvo. Svaki život izgrađen u srcu Londona i svaka ruka koju pružamo u miru, predstavlja konačan i težak poraz ideologije mržnje. Nismo samo preživjeli; uspijevali smo i napredovali. Od krhotina slomljene prošlosti iskovali smo viziju novog svijeta.
Budućnost koju zajedno gradimo nije sklonište za ogorčene, već utočište za one koji se nadaju. To je budućnost koja je snažnija, pravednija i inkluzivnija za sve. Sjećanje na one čiji su glasovi utišani ne nosimo kao teret, već kao sveti amanet. Stojimo kao štit za progonjene svih vjera, rasa i naroda — osiguravajući da sjenka logora nikada više ne padne ni na jednu ljudsku dušu.
Neka historija zabilježi ovu istinu: razarači su fusnota. Narod je priča.
Tama se istrošila.
Svjetlost je na nama da je vodimo.
Mi smo ovdje.
Mi pamtimo.
Mi pobjeđujemo.
U ime pravde, sjećanja i otpornosti,
Bosnia and Herzegovina Community Advice Centre (BHCAC)
London, Ujedinjeno Kraljevstvo