Survivor Profiles: Senada Cvrk-Pargan
I place my grief into verses, so that evil is never forgotten, so that it is never repeated, ever again, to anyone.
Senada Cvrk-Pargan
HER STORY:
Senada was born in Žutica, near Srebrenica in 1975. She completed her elementary and secondary education in Srebrenica and studied at the Faculty of Economics in Sarajevo. She was in Srebrenica between 1992-1995 during the height of the Bosnian War. On July 11, 1995, General Ratko Mladic and the Bosnian Serb Army invaded Srebrenica, separated the men and boys from the women, and murdered approximately 8,000 men and boys. Senada lost nearly 90 family members during the genocide in Srebrenica.
Senada is a well-known Bosnian poet and activist in the Bosnian diaspora who is working to combat genocide denial. Her experience in Srebrenica made an impact on her as a writer of poetry. She is the author of two books, The Darkness of Silver Lights and A Sorrow for Silence. She currently lives in Michigan and is married with two children. Her story is represented in the Spagat Family Voices of Genocide Exhibition at Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center.
Photo credits: Kathleen Hinkel