Holocaust Memorial Day
‘The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust reminds us that HMD is not only about remembrance, but also about taking action to create a safer future.’
Quakers marked Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) last month, attending local and national events. With the theme of this year’s HMD being ‘the fragility of freedom’, Oliver Robertson said on the Quakers in Britain website: ‘The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust reminds us that HMD is not only about remembrance, but also about taking action to create a safer future.’
One of the resources promoted by HMD is a ‘10 steps of genocide’ guide, produced by Genocide Watch, as well as a list of ‘genocide alerts’, detailing the countries and situations where a genocide is at risk of occurring. ‘Some of the countries listed by Genocide Watch may come as a surprise,’ said Oliver Robertson. ‘The UK is currently on the “watch list”, the lowest level of alert, meaning there are signs of the early stages of the genocidal process. It cites the words and actions of the government and far-right politicians in promoting dehumanisation, discrimination and polarisation in our country.’
One way Quakers have sought to work against violence and hate, said Oliver, has been ‘by working where welcomed to accompany those affected by extreme violence.’ This includes accompanying local peacebuilders in Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia and the West Bank. ‘Connecting with people, whether personally or by reading their stories, helps us to avoid seeing them as “other”. It steers us away from the first of the steps towards genocide, taking a tiny step towards a world where genocide is a thing of the past.’
Some Local Meetings also held vigils to honour the occasion, inviting attenders to light candles and walk in silence. ‘In every genocide… those who have been targeted for persecution have had their freedom restricted and removed,’ said Settle Quakers in promoting their event. ‘Today many people in western democracies take freedoms for granted. This HMD, we can reflect on how these freedoms need to be valued.’
HMD takes place on 27 January, the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. The HMD 2024 UK Ceremony can be viewed at http://bit.ly/HMDceremony2024.
