“The basic idea of the SSB is that Bosniaks are the most displaced people in Europe and taking into account the total number of people with Bosniaks origin, they are certainly the most numerous people of the Balkans. That is reason to initiate connecting as many our people as possible and to provide them a solid foundation on which they will be able to build their own sense of belonging to the Bosniaks, as a noble people of Europe. We believe that the SSB will fulfil its purpose if it releases full intellectual potential of our people and help achieving progressive ideas for the benefit of our people and other people. The SSB represents an idea out and above politics,” Freiberg said.
The SSB will develop a concept of national unification of all Bosniaks in the world regardless of any political or other views and commitments of its members.
“The SSB takes into account all the previous efforts made by various organisations or individuals related to self-defining and establishing Bosniaks as a factor of in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the world. We particularly appreciate the efforts of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as all other political, national and cultural organisations of Bosniaks. Centennial efforts of individuals and organisations produced the conditions for holding such a gathering in Dortmund in 2015,” the first Vice President of the SSB, Mevlida Rovcanin, said in her speech.
She reminded that the new organisation of Bosniaks should be based on the idea of preserving the unity of the people, acting in accordance with the motto “Where there is one Bosniak, there are also fourteen million of Bosniaks”.
Bejto Sahmanovic has been elected the President of SSB in Montenegro. He said that the bodies of the Association would be formed in all the countries where Bosniaks live. The bodies will, in cooperation with other organisations, local and national governments, use all the capacity to contribute to greater quality of life for Bosniaks and all other nations.
By forming organisations of the World Association of Bosniaks in 28 countries, delegates agreed that the establishment of an umbrella organisation of Bosniaks was an idea developed through generations in the hearts and minds of Bosniaks in both the diaspora and in the homeland of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Instead of conclusions, the delegates adopted the view which, among other things, says: “It is the thought carried in hearts of our grandparents when they were forced to leave their homes. The SSB represents the idea of returning to the countries of Bosnia, Montenegro, Serbia, returning to the roots, the idea that a person can be a factor beyond politics and alienated political structures. Each idea begins in the mind, and we turned our idea into action – the idea that one does not have to be humiliated to reach the place where his/her voice will be heard.”
