Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) 2022 takes place on the 27th of January and the theme for this year is, ‘One Day’.
Holocaust Memorial Day is One Day that we put aside to come together to remember, to learn about the Holocaust, Nazi Persecution and the genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur, in the hope that there may be One Day in the future with no genocide. We learn more about the past, we empathise with others today, and we take action for a better future.
HMD is a time when we seek to learn the lessons of the past and recognise that genocide does not just take place on its own – it’s a steady process which can begin if discrimination, racism and hatred are not checked and prevented.
The Holocaust threatened the fabric of civilisation, and genocide must still be resisted every day. Our world often feels fragile and vulnerable and we cannot be complacent. Even in the UK, prejudice and the language of hatred must be challenged by us all.
To show the Council’s commitment to commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day, Tredegar Clock will be lit up to show an act of solidarity.
A number of libraries such as Ebbw Vale, Tredegar, Brynmawr, Blaina, Cwm and Abertillery will also be displaying pupils work from Primary Schools across the borough.
Schools received resources and information on The Day that Anne Frank received her Diary for her 13th Birthday, 12th June 1942. Anne described the diary as the best present she had ever received and used it as a tool to express her thoughts and feelings during times of uncertainty, celebration and horror.
Pupils were then encouraged to write back to Anne and express their thoughts and feelings.
Survivors of the Holocaust and of genocide often talk about the One Day when everything changed, sometimes for the worse and sometimes for better.
Iby Knill feels that from One Day to the next, everything changed and yet nothing had changed:
“One day Gretl, my school friend…greeted me with an embrace. The next day she ran across the road and turned her head away so as not to acknowledge me.”
For Faiza, there was a defining day. Following a civil war in 2003, which has left millions of people displaced, the Sudanese government has supported Arab militia who have destroyed hundreds of villages, and murdered thousands of people.
Faiza was targeted by the Sudanese Government for supporting victims of the genocide, and so, she says:
“One Day I decided to leave my country. It was a hard decision, but there was no other way. I left my home, my friends, my people; I left all my belongings. There is a book on a table near my bed open to page 49 waiting for me.”
Councillor Mandy Moore, Equalities Champion of Blaenau Gwent Council said:
“Holocaust Memorial Day is an important day when everyone reflects on the Holocaust and terrible acts of genocide that have taken place throughout the world. This year’s theme, ‘One Day’ is one day for us all to pause and remember a part of history that we must never forget and make clear our determination that they should never be repeated”.
The HMDT website is a great resource for teachers and parents who want educate their pupils/children to learn lessons from the past in creative, reflective and inspiring ways.
To get involved, visit the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust’s website: https://www.hmd.org.uk/take-part-in-holocaust-memorial-day/