Tree of Solidarity: A Tribute to Humanitarian Workers
Humanity grows when we come together. One handprint joined another, and then another. Across Bosnia and Herzegovina, people left their mark on the Tree of Solidarity, creating a collective tribute to the humanitarians who selflessly help others and to those who never made it back home.
To mark World Humanitarian Day, the ICRC Delegation in Sarajevo, in partnership with the Red Cross Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina, launched this symbolic initiative as a reminder that those who help others must also be protected.
What began as an empty canvas gradually became a shared expression of gratitude, empathy and solidarity. One participant drew a shield, explaining: “I have drawn a shield to represent our wish to protect humanitarian workers and show appreciation for their dedication and efforts.”
Another message described humanitarian workers simply as “kind people because they have good hearts, the most beautiful people in the world.”
The Tree also honors those who have lost their lives while helping others.
Young Red Cross volunteers: Creating the Tree of Solidarity through creativity and teamwork
“Humanity has names – the names of those who went to help and never returned. We owe it to them to carry on and to keep acting in the name of humanity.” - says Jamila Milović-Halilović, Head of the ICRC Delegation in Sarajevo. For her, the initiative shows how humanitarian values can bring people together despite their differences.
What brings us together in all our diversity through this mural and this Tree of Solidarity is our belief in humanity, in empathy, and in the desire to help everyone, no matter where they are. Also, our wish to say thank you to all humanitarian workers around the world who may be risking their lives today to protect human dignity and provide assistance where it is needed most.
The initiative also reflects the ICRC’s long-standing presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since 1992, the organization has worked alongside the Red Cross Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina to address the humanitarian consequences of conflict. More than thirty years later, its work continues.
We remember and pay tribute to the humanitarian workers who lost their lives while carrying out their work in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as to all the colleagues across the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement who have been killed in violence-related incidents. So far this year, the Movement has mourned 12 colleagues killed in violence-related incidents while carrying out their work. Last year, that number stood at 24.
The Tree of Solidarity carries a simple message: solidarity is important, but it is not enough. Humanitarian workers must be protected. Always. Everywhere.
