Date: February 18, 1993
Author: Valentina Krčmar, Mothers for Peace – Bedem Ljubavi (Toronto Chapter)
Addressed to: The Honourable Flora MacDonald, Minister for External Affairs, Ottawa, Ontario
View the Original Letter: krcmar book 2_Part60.pdf
About This Letter
This urgent letter to The Honourable Flora MacDonald, Canada’s Minister for External Affairs, was written by Valentina Krčmar during the darkest months of the Bosnian War. It pleads for decisive humanitarian intervention as reports emerged from Foča and other occupied regions detailing the systematic rape, torture, and murder of women and civilians.
Valentina writes with moral urgency, reminding MacDonald that the world once again stood silent in the face of genocide:
“The world was not willing to think that Auschwitz was real — and only later faced the horrible truth. Have we not learned?”
Krčmar appeals to MacDonald’s compassion and political influence, asking her to condemn Serbian forces and act to protect innocent lives. She warns that the atrocities mirror the horrors of the Holocaust, calling on Canada to use its voice within the United Nations to stop the killing and deliver aid where it was most needed.
“They need the help of every human being, every country, every conscience. With your influence and your voice, help us save our friends, relatives, old and young. Don’t they have a right to the future?”
Valentina’s tone is both respectful and desperate — a testament to her relentless advocacy for human dignity. Through her letter, Mothers for Peace sought to awaken moral courage in governments that had grown numb to the mounting horrors of war.
