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RETURN TO THE LIBRARY IN SARAJEVO
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14 July 2025
There was great emotion for Secretary-General Michele Capasso, accompanied by Pia Molinari, as he returned to the National Library and University of Bosnia and Herzegovina (NUBBiH: in Bosnian Nacionalna i univerzitetska biblioteka Bosne i Hercegovine): the national library of Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in the city of Sarajevo.
'I first came here on 12 September 1992: everything was destroyed,' Michele Capasso said movingly, 'and the rubble was still smouldering, caused during the night between 25 and 26 August when, during the siege of Sarajevo, the army of the Serbian Republic attacked the Vijećnica building that housed the National Library with firebombs and cannon fire. The attack lasted for three whole days, while dozens of firefighters, librarians and volunteers tried to rescue the two million books from the flames, despite the fact that snipers and anti-aircraft guns continued to target the building.
On that occasion, a young librarian, Aida Buturović, lost her life at the age of 32 after being hit by shrapnel while trying to save some of the books stored within the walls of the Vijećnica. In the end, only a tenth of the books stored in the National Library managed to escape the flames. From that moment on, my life changed and I decided to lavish all my efforts, all my resources for the destroyed Library and for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I called that act a "Genocide of Culture".
Accompanying Michele Capasso and Pia Molinari on their visit to the Museum and the section dedicated to the Hague Tribunal were Amela Elezovic' and Ismena Causevic', who witnessed the war and the destruction of the Library.
On this occasion, it was decided to dedicate a space in the Museum to the actions of the Fondazione Mediterraneo and the United States of the World in favour of the Library of Sarajevo, starting with the initiative ‘A book for a library’ and the ‘Appeal for the Library of Sarajevo’ launched worldwide in 1993.
A PLACE BETWEEN MEMORY AND FUTURE
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12 July 2025
The town of Srebrenica is not only the memory of Europe's greatest genocide of the 20th century. It is also nature, tourism, hope and the future.
Michele Cpasso and Pia Molinari were accompanied by Hamdija Fejzić and Sadeta Suljić on a tour of Srebrenica, with particular reference to the extraordinary, world-famous curative water springs.
Then a visit to Sadeta Suljić's house where there are still signs of the 1995 bombing.
SREBRENICA 30 YEARS LATER
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11 July 2025
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Secretary-General of the United States of the World Michele Capasso and Pia Molinari - a board member - participated in the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide: one of the darkest chapters in human history.
During the solemn commemoration ceremony held at the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Centre, Michele Capasso and Pia Molinari joined representatives from all the countries of the world in honouring the memory of the 8372 victims - mostly young Bosnians - brutally murdered on 11 July 1995.
"There are more than 1,600 victims yet to be identified, which makes these commemorations an “ETERNAL FUNERAL” - said Michele Capasso - for which Europe and the West are responsible. We are here today to honour the Mothers of Srebrenica and to propose concrete actions to always remember the victims of genocide, but also to spread the pain and the testimony of all the Mothers of innocent victims: hence our proposal, accepted with gratitude, to dedicate the TOTEM OF PEACE to the victims of genocide and a Museum to the “Mothers of Srebrenica” to be replicated in other places around the world theatres of wars and massacres, from Ukraine to Gaza, from Syria to Sudan".
The ceremony was the occasion for informal meetings with Miguel Àngel Moratinos, UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilisations, with Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, with Sayyid Nazar Al Julanda Majid Alsaid, Ambassador of Oman to Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and others.
After the ceremony there was a meeting coordinated by Hamdija Fejzić - President of the celebrations committee and present in Naples on 7 June 2025 to inaugurate the memorial dedicated to Pope Francis - attended by Munira Subašić and other mothers of Srebrenica, the director of the memorial and other personalities from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On this occasion - after having recalled with emotion the commitment of Michele Capasso and the Fondazione Mediterraneo since 1994 for Srebrenica, Sarajevo and Bosnia Herzegovina - it was agreed to create the Totem for Peace by sculptor Mario Molinari - identical to the one dedicated to Pope Francis in Naples - in memory of the victims of Srebrenica.
There was great emotion in Munira Subašić's embrace of Michele and Pia during the ceremony in which she and the Mothers of Srebrenica were awarded the prestigious title of ‘ALPHYERS OF PEACE’ by the United States of the World.
VISIT TO THE GENOCIDE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL
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11 July 2025
After laying a flower - together with representatives of various countries on the plaque at the Potocari cemetery commemorating the genocide of 11 July 1995 - Secretary-General Michele Capasso and Pia Molinari, together with Miguel Ángel Moratinos and others present, visited the Srebrenica Memorial and Museum (located in front of the former UNPROFOR compound) in memory of the victims of the massacre.
Under the invaluable guidance of Munira Subašić and the other mothers, Nura Begović, Fadila Efendić, Šuhra Sinanović, Kadefa Muhić, Sadeta Suljić and Hamdija Feizić, the key stages commemorating the massacre thirty years ago were retraced.
The museum presents a permanent exhibition of personal effects found in mass graves. The exhibition is enriched by informative films and documentaries on the events of the genocide. Since 2017, an exhibition concerning the role of the Dutch peacekeepers present during the massacre has also been opened. The museum is being expanded and an archive is being formed with free access to documents on the history of the genocide.
The cemetery, located across the road, has a wall of remembrance at the entrance, slabs placed in a semicircle where the names of the 8,732 victims of the Srebrenica massacre are engraved. It lists both the victims buried in the cemetery and those still missing.
At the entrance to the site there is also the Muṣallā, the place for communal prayer that precedes the burial of the victims. Arranged around the central area, in the shape of flower petals, are seven patches of earth covered almost entirely with thin white gravestones in memory of the victims of the genocide. The cemetery is constantly expanding, and every year the bodies of the victims found are buried. This year, seven newly identified victims were buried.
Great recognition was given to the Foundation for setting up the exhibition “Srebrenica-Sarajevo thirty years later: not to forget”.
MEETING WITH THE OMANI AMBASSADOR TO ITALY AND BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA SAYYID NAZAR AL JULANDA MAJID ALSAID
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11 July 2025
Secretary-General Michele Capasso and board member Pia Molinari had a cordial meeting with Oman's Ambassador to Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sayyid Nazar Al Julanda Majid Alsaid.
On this occasion, the ties of friendship with the Sultanate of Oman, the late Sultan Qaboos, and the official visits to the headquarters in Naples were recalled.
Immediately afterwards, there was a welcome by the chairman of the Srebrenica 30th anniversary committee Hamdija Fejzić and the signing of the register of honour.
THE BUS OF REMEMBRANCE
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11 July 2025
At 5 a.m., buses depart from the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina: heading for Srebrenica, for the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the genocide.
Michele Capasso and Pia Molinari are on the first bus that will take representatives from various countries to the place where the most ferocious genocide of the 20th century was perpetrated.
A journey in memory but also, and above all, in hope: for true and lasting peace.
THE TOTEM FOR PEACE IN MEMORY OF THE VICTIMS OF GENOCIDE
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08 July 2025
Secretary-General Michele Capasso and Pia Molinari - head of the "Totem for World Peace" project - carried out an inspection to verify the site for the monumental work by sculptor Mario Molinari to be dedicated to the victims of the 11 July 1995 genocide in Srebrenica.
Accompanied by the deputy mayor of Srebrenica and president of the Committee for the celebrations of the 30th anniversary Hamdija Fejzić, the guests were able to verify the various possibilities for the realisation of the work, as established by the Memorial Committee.
EGEMEN AND BEYHAN BAGIS VISIT THE SECTION OF THE MUSEUM OF PEACE DEDICATED TO THE SCULPTOR MARIO MOLINARI
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27 June 2025
Egemen Bagis, Turkiye's former Minister for Relations with the European Union and Ambassador to the Czech Republic (2019-2025), visited the section dedicated to the sculptor Mario Molinari at the Museum of Peace accompanied by his wife Beyhan.
Welcomed by the Secretary-General Prof. Michele Capasso, the guests retraced the human and artistic history of the great sculptor from Turin, expressing appreciation for the monumental works he created, for the "House-museum" in Turin and, in particular, for the creation of the "Totem for Peace" symbol of the United States of the World.
BEYHAN N. BAGIS SUBSCRIBES TO THE “KIMIYYA” MANIFESTO
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27 June 2025
Beyhan N. Bagis, businesswoman from Turkiye, signed the “KIMIYYA Manifesto” for Women's Rights.
Promoted by the United States of the World, the Fondazione Mediterraneo and the 43 national networks of the "Anna Lindh Foundation", "Kimiyya" brings together more than 3 million women around the world who are committed to gender equality and human rights.
EGEMEN BAGIS VISITING THE UNITED STATES OF THE WORLD AND THE MUSEUM OF PEACE
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27 June 2025
Egemen Bagis, former Minister for Relations with the European Union of Turkey and Ambassador to the Czech Republic (2019-2025), visited the headquarters of the United States of the World and the Museum of Peace accompanied by his wife Beyhan N. Bagis.
Welcomed by Secretary-General Prof. Michele Capasso, the guests reviewed 40 years of commitment to peace by the United States of the World and the Fondazione Mediterraneo.
On this occasion, the historic visit of the then Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on 2 September 2005 was recalled, during which the statesman was accompanied by Egemen Bagis, among others. There was great emotion in seeing the images of that day on the panels and in the ‘Istanbul Room’ inaugurated on that occasion.
During the meeting, joint actions were planned in agreement with the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC), with which the United States of the World recently signed a memorandum of understanding.
A number of books were donated to the guests, including the Yearbook of the United States of the World and the volume “Francis, the Pope of the United States of the World” with a foreword by Miguel Àngel Moratinos.
At the conclusion of the visit, SG Capasso presented a gift of the "Cry for Peace" t-shirt.