Sarajevo children show solidarity with Palestinian peers through virtual meeting

The visit was also attended by Belma Mujezinovic, director of the Second Foundation, which has been closely cooperating with the Home for several years through numerous projects dedicated to children without parental care.

The guests were welcomed by First Secretary of the Embassy of Palestine Mohammed Albarrawi and his colleagues, while the central part of the visit was a more than one-hour video conversation with children from a Palestinian association operating in a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

During the conversation, children from Sarajevo and Palestine introduced themselves to each other and spoke about their schools, hobbies, daily lives, and dreams. It was a sincere meeting between children growing up in completely different circumstances, but sharing the same wish, to live in peace, feel safe, and have the opportunity to learn, develop their talents, and build a better future.

The association they spoke with brings together around 3,000 children who, through educational, sports, cultural, and creative activities, seek to find a sense of security and a normal childhood despite the difficult circumstances in which they are growing up.

Speaking about their work, First Secretary of the Embassy of Palestine Albarrawi said that education is the greatest strength of the Palestinian people.

“The greatest value we can provide to our children is education. Education is our strongest form of resistance. Despite all the challenges, our children are among the most educated children in the Middle East. In our small classrooms, as many as 60 children often study together, but their desire for knowledge does not fade,” Albarrawi said.

His words carried additional weight when he shared part of his own life story with those present. He was orphaned at the age of four and lost around 30 members of his immediate and extended family during the occupation. Despite his personal tragedy, he devoted his life’s mission to working with children and the belief that knowledge, dignity, and education are the strongest responses to violence and injustice.

He explained that the camp from which the children joined the conversation, as well as many other Palestinian camps, is exposed to military raids almost daily. Most residents are descendants of families who were expelled more than seven decades ago from their homes in the cities of Lydda and Jaffa. Many of them still keep the keys to their houses as a symbol of hope that they will one day return.

Albarrawi also recalled that near the refugee camp is the Ibrahim Mosque (Al-Haram Al-Ibrahimi) in Hebron, one of the holiest sites in Islam, where the tombs of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), his wife Sarah, and other prophets and members of their families are located. For children growing up in that area, it represents much more than a historical and religious monument – it is a symbol of their identity, perseverance, and hope.

Speaking about the consequences of war, he shared one of the most painful facts of today, that around 45,000 orphans who have lost both parents currently live in Palestine, while the number of children who have lost one parent is many times higher. For that reason, he emphasized, every encounter between children, every word of support, and every opportunity for education have immeasurable value and represent an investment in the future of a generation that has suffered unimaginable losses.

He addressed the children from the Bjelave Home, telling them that they are the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He encouraged them to value education, nurture kindness and mutual respect, and believe that their generation can build a fairer and more peaceful society.

During the video conversation, children from Sarajevo had the opportunity to virtually walk through the narrow streets of the refugee camp and learn about the daily lives of their peers. The conversation was not focused on politics, but on children’s questions, smiles, curiosity, and a sincere desire to get to know one another.

Children from the Bjelave Home have followed events in Palestine for years and have expressed solidarity with their peers in their own way. Last year, one boy, during a visit to the Diplomatic Winter Bazaar together with the director of the Second Foundation, insisted on making his purchase specifically at the Palestine booth, wishing to show support for Palestinian children.

Yesterday’s meeting was especially emotional because it was led by people who know what it means to live through war. Director of the Sarajevo Home for Children Without Parental Care Muhamed Musić and Director of the Second Foundation Belma Mujezinović are both survivors of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Sarajevo was under the longest siege of any capital city in modern history. For nearly four years, its residents lived under daily shelling and sniper fire, without basic living conditions. Children grew up in basements, attended school in improvised classrooms, and faced fears that no child should ever experience.

Bosnia and Herzegovina later experienced the genocide against Bosniaks in Srebrenica, where more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed in July 1995. That experience remains a lasting reminder of how important peace, human dignity, and the protection of children are – values that must be preserved and passed on to future generations.

Because of their own wartime experiences, Music and Mujezinovic particularly understand the deep consequences war leaves on children. Therefore, yesterday’s meeting was much more than a diplomatic visit – it was a meeting of people who believe that empathy, solidarity, and mutual understanding are learned from the earliest childhood.

Music recalled that the Bjelave Home is the oldest institution of its kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a 126-year tradition, and that the institution itself went through an extremely difficult period during the war.

“For 126 years, our Home has provided shelter and security to children who have lost parental care. During the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina, our institution was also not spared the consequences of war. In the most difficult days of the war, two groups of children had to be relocated to Italy and Germany for their safety. Because of that experience, we deeply understand how much war affects children and how important it is for children, wherever they live, to feel that they are not alone. That is why I believe such encounters have immeasurable value. They teach our children empathy, solidarity, and gratitude for the peace they live in today, while sending a message to their peers that they have friends in Bosnia and Herzegovina who think of them and support them,” Music said.

Mujezinovic stressed that raising children in the spirit of empathy and solidarity is one of the most important tasks of everyone working with young people.

“Your faith, dignity, and resilience are a great inspiration and motivation for us. The way you raise children to remain strong, educated, and full of hope despite all hardships serves as an example. When we compare the conditions in which our children live with the daily lives of their peers in Palestine, we become even more aware of how priceless peace and security are. That is why we want our children to understand how valuable these things are and how important it is to support those who do not have them today,” Mujezinovic said.

The First Secretary of the Embassy of Palestine recalled that the Palestinian people do not forget those who stand with them during the most difficult times. He also shared an emotional video of children from Gaza cheering for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team during the World Cup, showing how sincere and deep the ties between the two peoples are.

Music thanked the Embassy of Palestine for its hospitality and the opportunity for children from Sarajevo to meet their peers, expressing hope that such encounters would become a tradition and that one day they would have the opportunity to meet in person.

At the end of the meeting, the hosts presented the children with gifts featuring the Palestinian flag and “Save Palestine” badges, and the gathering continued at the embassy.