Vedran Eminović
B i o g r a p h y
Vedran Eminovic was born on December 28, 1984, in the city of Banja Luka, Republic of Bosnia Herzegovina, at the time a constituent state within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
At the age of 7, the Bosnian War engulfed his native republic, as Europe and the world witnessed a decade of wars within Yugoslavia that left close to half a million dead, as well as millions displaced and dispersed throughout the world.
For 3 years, Vedran watched and observed the collapse of the multi-cultural, tolerant society he was born into, witnessing the effects of the rise of violent fascism, sectarian politics, and religious fundamentalism, which tore apart a democratic society and replaced it with one without economic or social justice.
Eventually escaping the inferno of the Bosnian War in October 1994, Vedran and his family came to Canada as refugees. The experiences left a profound mark on Vedran, who felt that it was his duty to preserve the truth, not just about the Bosnian War and the wider Yugoslav Wars in general, but to advocate for peace, reconciliation, co-existence, secularism, participative democracy, environmentalism, equality of human rights, and active opposition to extremist ideas and forces.
Recognizing within him the unique ability to tell stories, write poetry and stories, Vedran's teachers encouraged him to write.
His poetry and short stories cover a wide range of issues, including political / historical events, human experiences, illuminating the injustices suffered by those who do not have a voice in the world.
Preferring action and activism over directionless emotionality, Vedran encourages his listeners and readers to cast away the tears and to engage in activism, due to the fact that empathy without action is akin to complacency and bowing in the face of injustice.
"We do not need more sheep while the helpless are surrounded by wolves; instead we need lions, tigers, bears, or at the very least, more wolves to fight off the wolves at the gates." - Vedran
