Holocaust Memorial Day speech on Bosnian genocide to students

Smajo Bëso shared his experiences with students at Les Quennevais School

A survivor of the Bosnian genocide in the 1990s has told students in Jersey "we can't take peace for granted".

Smajo Bëso was seven years old when he and his family fled the country in 1992.

To mark Holocaust Memorial Day, he shared his experiences with pupils from Les Quennevais School on Friday.

After the talk, one of the students said it was "surreal to hear how that happened not too long ago".

After members of Mr Bëso's family were murdered in 1992, he and his family fled Bosnia.

'Can't take peace for granted'

He said: "Having escaped and survived the Bosnian genocide, I come and tell the kids about my pre-war life, which was wonderful in Bosnia, and how that quickly changed overnight.

"We cannot be complacent," he told the students, "we can't take peace for granted, peace is far more than just the absence of war."

Mr Bëso founded the Bosnian Genocide Educational Trust in 2020 and has been awarded an OBE for his services to genocide education and commemorations.

"It is vital for the next generation to learn the stories and to make sure they are not forgotten," he said.

Smajo Bëso was seven years old when he and his family had to flee Bosnia

The students said they found the presentation moving.

Year 10 student Fabby said: "It resonates in your head when you hear how much he loved his aunt who was murdered when he was so young."

Fellow student Josh agreed, saying: "It was very emotional and it is surreal to hear how that happened not too long ago.

"It was very moving and it showed my generation can take nothing for granted."

Head of Humanities John Brennan helped organise Mr Bëso's visit to the school.

He said: "We can never fully imagine what a genocide would be like but have someone kind of within our own generation talking about it is incredibly valuable."