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Hillary Clinton Campaign Press Release - What a Critical Agreement From 20 Years Ago Can Teach Us About Our World Today

December 14, 2015

The refugees we've welcomed have helped make America a better place.

In a political season where some are trying to reject another set of refugees fleeing an unimaginable civil war, the Dayton Accords hold powerful lessons for Americans.

Twenty years ago today, Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian leaders ended a three-and-a-half year war that claimed more than a hundred thousand lives by signing the Dayton Accords. Thousands of Bosnian refugees flocked to America in the 1990s, fleeing genocidal violence against Muslims in the Balkans.

One of the cities that Bosnian citizens immigrated to is my hometown of St. Louis. Last Friday, I had the chance to travel with Hillary back to the city, where she and I met with community leaders. As this anniversary drew close, our conversations with local Bosnian leaders have held special meaning.

In July, Bosnian Americans commemorated the 20-year anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, when more than 8,000 men and boys were brutally murdered in Europe's worst atrocity since World War II. This incident sparked global outrage.

For Bosnian Americans in places like St. Louis, Jacksonville, Des Moines, Chicago, and Waterloo, this has been a year of quiet remembrance, mourning, and sometimes celebration.

Last month, President Clinton returned to Dayton, Ohio, where members of his administration worked night and day in 1995 to push Balkan leaders—sequestered away from the world media at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base—to broker a peace agreement that would end the slaughter of thousands of innocent people.

The Bosnian Americans, who came to this country 20 years ago seeking solace and have made amazing contributions to our community, serve as a powerful reminder of the strength we draw from openness and diversity. For example, my former neighbors in St. Louis have helped revitalize the Bevo Mill neighborhood south of downtown, starting thriving businesses, and enriching the life of my city in countless ways.

Because the civil war in Syria and subsequent refugee crisis has painful echos for many Bosnian Americans, many in the community have become strong advocates for the next generation of refugees, who are just as eager to come to America as this community was two decades ago. We should all follow their example.?

I am proud to work for Secretary Clinton, who agrees we should greet some of the most vulnerable men, women and children in the world with open arms and open hearts.

Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton Campaign Press Release - What a Critical Agreement From 20 Years Ago Can Teach Us About Our World Today Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/317111

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