| Why Holocaust Memorial Day is so important |
Tags: Holocaust Memorial Day
| Friday, 28 January 2011 17:21 |
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HMD 2011 Untold Stories from Holocaust Memorial Day Trust on Vimeo. Yesterday was Holocaust Memorial Day, marking the 66th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. It's a day to remember the millions who died in the Holocaust, but also to reflect on subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda and Bosnia, and atrocities that are taking place around the world today, such as in Darfur in Sudan.
I’m once again happy to support the work of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, who do such excellent work to promote public awareness of these atrocities, and work to bring communities together and celebrate our differences. Their message is clear: by learning from the lessons of the past, we can create a safer better future.
Each year the Trust promotes a theme – this year’s is ‘Untold Stories’. When we hear of the huge numbers killed or persecuted in conflicts around the world, the human impact can be difficult to comprehend. ‘Untold Stories’ turns those numbers into individuals, and ensures that we listen and learn from the mistakes others have made in the past.
Throughout my time as Tooting’s MP, and in my role as Community Cohesion Minister, I have always worked to promote the diversity in Tooting, and the United Kingdom, and support work that brings communities together, and to bridge differences and misunderstandings that might ferment tensions. Genocide does not appear out of thin air. It is the result of such tensions, built up over long periods of time, fuelled by a lack of compassion and understanding for our fellow human beings. Holocaust Memorial Day reminds us of our failures to stop such atrocities in our past, and encourages us to work together to mend and heal divisions in our own communities so that they never happen again.
We live in a diverse community – a melting pot of cultures and religions from across the globe – it’s why I love Tooting, and it’s what attracts so many people to the area. We should take strength from this diversity, and all do something, however big or little, to ensure that 2011 is the best year yet for our local community.
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