Date: February 25, 1993
Author: Valentina Krčmar, Mothers for Peace – Bedem Ljubavi (Toronto Chapter)
Addressed to: Ms. Carole Berry, Malton Neighbourhood Services
View the Original Letter: krcmar book 2_Part72.pdf
About This Letter
On February 25, 1993, Valentina Krčmar, Director of Mothers for Peace (Bedem Ljubavi), wrote to Ms. Carole Berry of Malton Neighbourhood Services to condemn the organization’s handling of translation services for Bosnian refugees arriving in Canada. These refugees — survivors of Serbian-run concentration camps — had fled atrocities in Bosnia and Croatia, only to face renewed trauma upon arrival.
Krčmar’s outrage is palpable. She describes the “fiasco” that occurred when Bosnian refugees were assigned translators of Serbian or Yugoslav origin, the very nationality associated with their tormentors. Her words are both sharp and deeply moral, exposing how bureaucratic insensitivity can compound human suffering.
“The fiasco about the translation for these unfortunate people from Serbian concentration camps should not have happened, and the blame for such an unforgivable error should be put directly on your shoulders.”
Krčmar accuses Berry of failing to respond to complaints and of asking the Bosnian translators — those most able to help with empathy — to resign instead. She insists that this decision betrayed both compassion and reason.
“Whoever picked translators of Serbian / Yugoslav origin to translate for such an occasion showed insensitivity beyond belief.”
“We are sure that you would not bring translators of German origin for the survivors of the Holocaust.”
Her moral comparison is searing, equating the emotional impact of such a choice to forcing Holocaust survivors to relive their trauma at the hands of those who once represented their oppressors. Krčmar calls for Berry’s immediate resignation, demanding that those responsible take accountability for their actions.
In closing, she pledges to pursue the matter further, ensuring that “not one more tortured soul has to go through the same thing.” The letter embodies Krčmar’s lifelong commitment to justice, human dignity, and the moral responsibility to protect those who have already suffered beyond measure.
