The International Forum for Women, Peace, and Security opened with a powerful personal testimony from Venesa Sylejmani, daughter of Shyrete Tahiri-Sylejmani, a survivor of wartime sexual violence in Kosovo. Her address shed light on the invisible wounds of war and the intergenerational trauma that continues to affect survivors’ families decades after the conflict.
“At just four years old, I witnessed a war crime,” Venesa told the audience. “It took my mother 20 years to find her voice. And even though I’m still finding mine, I will use it with pride—for those who cannot speak.”
Breaking the Silence on Generational Pain
Venesa recounted how the trauma of war deeply affected her mental and physical health for over a decade, leading her to become an activist for mental health awareness, intergenerational trauma, and ending stigma for war-affected children.
“War leaves behind many victims long after the fighting ends,” she said. “Often, those victims are the children—too small to heal, defend, or understand what should never have happened.”
She pledged to speak up for others and emphasized that trauma does not define or limit her.
Solidarity from a Survivor of Srebrenica
Also speaking at the forum was a survivor of the Srebrenica genocide, who shared her own experience and called for lasting peace. “I was just 24 when the genocide happened. I now live in Srebrenica, and I want a future without war—for all our children.”
She highlighted the importance of memory institutions like the Memorial Center in Potočari, encouraging youth and future generations to learn from the past to prevent future atrocities.
