This post is also available in: Bosnian
Husaric Omerovic and Memcic Heric received the award for their photographic report, “How Mothers Have Rebuilt Village Burned to the Ground”.
At the award ceremony in Zenica, the jury stated that this was a powerful and emotional report that documented the resistance, dignity, and perseverance of elderly women in the process of returning to and rebuilding a ruined village.
Memcic Heric said this recognition was significant for them both professionally and personally, explaining that she and Husaric Omerovic made the story as part of Detektor’s reporting on the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide and that, while doing that, they came to a village where they met two women who were among the few still living there.
“We wanted to write this story so as not to present the two elderly women as victims, but as women who had rebuilt that village by their will, strength and financial investments, portraying them as they deserved,” Memcic Heric said.
Azra Husarić Omerović and Lejla Memčić Herić at the award ceremony for professional reporting on the elderly. Photo: Detektor
Husaric Omerovic added that Detektor reports on elderly people on a daily basis, because they are part of society and drivers of certain changes through transitional justice and culture of remembrance.
“These are mostly returnee villages, where elderly people have returned, trying to sustain life, just like the two women in our story who wanted to bring life back to the burned village in which all the men were killed in the genocide, and the women and children were expelled. They returned with a desire to bring back life and memory of what it looked like while their loved ones were still alive,” she said.
Husaric Omerovic added that they had tried to bring back and preserve this memory for the sake of future generations, and also to leave a permanent monument in some way.
“We wanted to show the true strength of an elderly person to preserve what they know was valuable while alive,” Husaric Omerovic pointed out.
Zdena Saric, president of the Nas Most Association, which seeks to socially engage the elderly through culture and art, presented plaques to the winners on behalf of the Association. They were also given paintings created by members of the Association.
In addition to this award, recognition was given to Mirjana Pavlovic, a journalist from Nova TV, for continuous reporting on the elderly through a series of television coverages.
