Date: March 17, 1993
Author: Ilona Rehberg, Correspondence Coordinator, Office of the Minister of Employment and Immigration (Canada)
Addressed to: Ms. Valentina Krčmar, Director, Mothers for Peace – Bedem Ljubavi (Toronto Chapter)
View the Original Letter: krcmar book 2_Part86_Part2.pdf
About This Letter
This formal letter, dated March 17, 1993, was issued by the Office of the Minister of Employment and Immigration Canada in response to correspondence sent by Mothers for Peace (Bedem Ljubavi). The original submission from Valentina Krčmar, dated February 25, 1993, concerned the mistreatment of Bosnian refugees and the insensitivity of local agencies assisting them upon arrival in Canada.
While the letter itself is brief, its tone is one of acknowledgment and bureaucratic restraint. The ministry confirms receipt of Krčmar’s letter and promises that the issue “will be given proper consideration.”
“Please be assured that the Minister will be made aware of the matter you have raised and that it will be given proper consideration.”
This polite but noncommittal response highlights the institutional distance often encountered by humanitarian advocates like Krčmar — a stark contrast to the urgency and moral weight of her appeals. The letter serves as a record of the Canadian government’s awareness of the refugee situation and of Mothers for Peace’s persistent advocacy for justice and compassion within the immigration system.
Even though it lacks substantive action, the acknowledgment itself is significant — it confirms that the organization’s voice had reached federal attention, continuing Krčmar’s unwavering mission to ensure the suffering of Bosnian and Croatian refugees did not go unnoticed.
