“75 years after Auschwitz – Holocaust Education and Remembrance for Global Justice”
Photo by Niyi Fote
In an effort to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the end of the Second World War and the Holocaust, the United Nations department of global communications organized a week long events from Monday 27th to Thursday 30th of January, to show case some things about this at the UN in New York.
Significantly, it also marks the establishment of the UNO (United Nations Organization), which was created in response to the atrocity crimes of the Holocaust and the Second World War, with the objective of creating a just and peaceful world.
In addition, in an effort to show case the importance of collective action against antisemitism and other forms of bias to ensure respect for the dignity and human rights of all people everywhere, the UN outreach program and Holocaust have opted for this year’s theme to be “75 years after Auschwitz – Holocaust Education and Remembrance for Global Justice”.
The Holocaust memorial ceremony which was hosted by Ms. Melissa Fleming, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications on Monday 27th at the general assembly hall of the UN, included remarks by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, the President of the seventy-fourth session of the United Nations General Assembly, the Permanent Representatives of Germany, Israel, Russia and the United States to the United Nations, and Mr. Dan Pavel Doghi, Chief of the CPRSI, Senior Adviser on Roma and Sinti Issues, OSCE/ODIHR.
This memorial ceremony taking place almost 75 years after the liberation by Soviet forces of Auschwitz Birkenau Nazi German concentration and extermination camp (1940-1945) also included the testimonies of Holocaust survivors like Mr. Shraga Milstein and Ms. Irene Shashar who were able to share their testimonies.
And to show the atrocity crimes at the Auschwitz camp, some photo exhibitions like “Seeing Auschwitz”,
“Crimes Uncovered: The First Generation of Holocaust Researchers”
and “Some were Neighbours: Choice, Human Behaviour, and the Holocaust” at the United Nations Visitors lobby, on view till 24 February 2020,
“Lonka Project” at the 1B corridor of UN, on view till 7 February 2020,
book signing “Renia’s Diary: A Holocaust Journal” and film screening “The Accountant of Auschwitz” with questions and answers sessions, each depicting the real life situations experienced by the Jews during that time horrific time.
By Niyi Fote /Thenews2
