Bosfam
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
NGO
- Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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| Founded | May 1995 by women participants in the EU funded Oxfam GB women's workshops programme - the development of 'Bosfam' (a name chosen by the women founders of the NGO) was supported by Oxfam through the deployment of national staff member Munira Beba Hadzic |
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| Type | Non-profit NGO |
| Location(s) |
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| Fields | psychosocial counseling, income generation through handcrafts, human rights advocacy |
| Website | www.bosfam.ba |
Bosfam (The Association Bosnian Family; Bosnian: Udruženje Bosanska Familija) is a non-governmental organization that provides psychosocial and economic assistance to women affected by the Bosnian war of 1992-1995. It was founded in May 1995 by women participating in an Oxfam GB psycho-social 'radionice' project to support internally displaced Bosnian women. In May 1995 Oxfam deployed one of its national staff members, Munira Beba Hadzic, to coordinate and support the establishment of a local NGO out of the successful EU funded women's support project. Oxfam also supported Ms Hadzic to travel to the UN Beijing women's conference in 1995.
Bosfam was established in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina as a project to support displaced Bosnian women regardless of their age, religion, ethnic background, or education. Bosfam’s mission is to help war-affected Bosnian women and their families gain psychosocial and economic stability as they struggle against trauma, poverty, and misery. Bosfam operates on the principles of humaneness, impartiality, independence, and voluntarism.[1]
History
The Bosnian war of 1992-1995 was characterized by ethnic cleansing and forced displacement. Thousands of Bosniak-Muslims expelled from their homes in Srebrenica and the surrounding areas arrived at crowded collective centers in the town of Tuzla.
In 1993-4 the international relief and development agency Oxfam GB had, among other projects (including support to disabled people and their organisations, psycho social interventions and relief distributions), started a knitting corners project in collective centres to provide displaced women with occupation and an opportunity to gather together in solidarity and support of each other. This was developed into a 'radionice' or 'workshops' project with activities such as weaving and knitting offered in an alternative space, along with the opportunity to meet and chat and share experiences, and to participate in facilitated group counselling sessions. The project recognised that at the same time as assimilating the trauma of their recent experiences displaced women needed opportunities for economic activity to support their families.
Oxfam remained in Bosnia and Herzegovina as the war escalated, throughout the entire remaining period of the conflict, and well beyond and continued to support the development of Bosfam throughout this period. In 1995 Oxfam allocated one of its national staff, Project Coordinator Munira Hadzić, who was herself an internally displaced woman (from Srebrenica), to support the development of the workshops project into a local NGO.
The women participating in the workshops project came together and established a local organisation and chose the name 'Bosfam', whose name derives from Bosnian family. The purpose was to support all women displaced within Bosnia who needed help.
Munira Hadzic remained in post as Coordinator of Bosfam once Oxfam GB left Bosnia a number of years after the conclusion of the conflict. Today, the majority of the members of Bosfam are women who lost their male relatives in the Srebrenica massacre of July 1995, in which more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed by the Bosnian Serb soldiers commanded by General Ratko Mladić.
The goals and activities of Bosfam continue to include providing psychosocial support for Bosnian women traumatized by the war and loss of loved ones and helping them with opportunities for income generation. They have been expanded to include assisting displaced women to return to their homes in Srebrenica, and supporting efforts to bring justice to the victims of the Srebrenica massacre.
