Subject: A Plea for Bosnia—From a Survivor, a Director of the Institute for Research of Genocide Canada and a Grateful Canadian

March 18, 2025

The Right Honourable Mark Carney
Prime Minister of Canada

80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A2

 

Subject: A Plea for Bosnia—From a Survivor, a Director of the Institute for Research of Genocide Canada and a Grateful Canadian

 

Dear Prime Minister Carney:

 

I never imagined I would be writing this letter—not as a survivor, not as a man who buried many relatives, not as someone who saw the worst of humanity inside Bosnia and Herzegovina. And yet, here I am, writing to you because I cannot stay silent while Bosnia and Herzegovina, my homeland, stands once again at the edge of destruction.

 

Mr. Prime Minister, I lost many members of my family to a war that the world watched unfold, yet did not stop until it was too late. I was imprisoned, humiliated, stripped of my dignity, and left with nothing. I carried the weight of that horror across an ocean to Canada, where this great nation gave me something I had thought impossible—a second life.

 

Canada gave me a chance. A chance to heal, to work, to build, to dream. I became a Director of the Institute for Research of Genocide Canada and contributed to this country that welcomed me with open arms. I have lived the Canadian Dream in a way that only someone who has lost everything can truly appreciate. I am living proof that when given opportunity, refugees don’t just survive—they thrive.

 

But today, my heart is heavy because I see the same patterns that led to the war I barely survived. Bosnia and Herzegovina is being pulled apart once more by dangerous leaders who threaten its sovereignty, its peace, and its people. The Dayton Peace Agreement stopped the war, but it never truly ended the divisions. Now, those divisions are being exploited again, and the world risks turning its back—just like it did before.

 

Mr. Prime Minister, 

Canada has always been a beacon of hope for those who suffer injustice. Bosnia and Herzegovina needs that hope now more than ever.

 

I urge you to:

1. Take a strong stand against separatist threats that could ignite another war.

2. Strengthen Canada and NATO presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina to send a clear message that peace cannot be undone.

3. Support young, democratic leaders who can help build a future free from the corruption and nationalist divisions that have held Bosnia and Herzegovina back.

 

Mr. Prime Minister, I know what happens when the world does nothing. I have lived it. I have lost my family to it. I have carried that pain with me every day of my life. But I also carry gratitude—for Canada, for the chance to rebuild, for the opportunity to turn my suffering into something meaningful.

 

I do not ask this for myself, but for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina who are still there. The families who just want peace. The children who deserve a future. The mothers who have buried too many sons.

 

I believe in Canada’s strength. I believe in its leadership. And I believe that under your leadership, Canada can once again be a force for peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Please, do not let the world repeat its mistakes. Please, do not let another family endure the loss that mine has suffered.

 

I am willing to share my story, my experiences, and my insights in any way that could help shape Canada policy toward Bosnia and Herzegovina. I am ready to do my part.

 

Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, for your time, your leadership, and for the country that gave me a second chance at life.

 

Sincerely,

Emir Ramic