Date: February 21, 1993
Author: Valentina Krčmar, Mothers for Peace – Bedem Ljubavi (Toronto Chapter)
Addressed to: Ms. Grace Hartman, “Voice of Women” (Canada)
View the Original Letter: krcmar book 2_Part65.pdf
About This Letter
In this February 1993 letter, Valentina Krčmar, writing on behalf of Mothers for Peace (Bedem Ljubavi), addresses Ms. Grace Hartman, a representative of the Canadian peace organization “Voice of Women.” Her message is one of both respect and sorrow — respect for the organization’s long-standing reputation for moral leadership, and sorrow for its silence during one of the most horrific crises of the war.
Krčmar opens by acknowledging that “Voice of Women” had long been admired for its activism, but she cannot comprehend its “puzzling silence on the rapes of Muslim and Croatian women in Bosnia and Croatia.” The letter reflects the anguish of women who have lost patience with political neutrality in the face of systematic brutality.
“Is the subject not important to you, or the problem of dealing with it quite difficult?”
She recalls a meeting with members of the organization, including Dorothy Goldin-Rosenberg, and expresses disappointment that no follow-up or initiative emerged. Krčmar pleads with Hartman to recognize that refusing to name the aggressor is itself a political act — one that perpetuates suffering.
“Unless you and your organization publicly condemn the torturers, you certainly avoid politics, but in a way you allow the killings, murders, and rapes to go on.”
The letter continues with a harrowing account of mass rapes committed under orders of the Serbian government — a weapon of ethnic cleansing designed to destroy communities. She distinguishes between isolated tragedies and state-sanctioned atrocity, insisting that naming the truth is not hatred but humanity.
“It is not enough to say that women of Bosnia are raped. The truth — that Muslim and Croatian babies, children, young and old women are raped on the order of the Serbian government — must be told.”
Krčmar’s tone remains urgent yet dignified. She appeals to the conscience of “Voice of Women,” warning that silence threatens not only its credibility but its moral core.
“If it stays silent about such a subject, the credibility of the organization might even be at stake.”
The letter concludes with a plea for action — not for political gain, but for the survival of women enduring unthinkable suffering. Through her words, Krčmar reminds us that solidarity means courage, and that the truest voice for peace is one that refuses to remain silent in the face of injustice.
