Holocaust

Annual Holocaust Commemoration: International DAy of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust

We are pleased to invite you to the annual Holocaust Memorial Ceremony, the central event organized in observance of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust and held under the theme Home and Belonging. The theme highlights the multidimensional human needs of victims of atrocity crimes and the dangers of hate speech, antisemitism, Holocaust distortion and denial, and prejudice.

The ceremony will take place in person for the first time since 2020. Those unable to attend in person will be able to watch the event virtually.

Speakers include the United Nations Secretary-General; the President of the 77th session of the General Assembly, the Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations, and the Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations. Renowned Holocaust historian Professor Debórah Dwork will deliver the keynote address. Mr. Jacques Grishaver of the Netherlands will share his testimony as a survivor of the Holocaust. Professor Ethel Brooks will speak to the persecution and mass murder of the Roma and Sinti. Professor Karen Frostig, granddaughter of victims of the Holocaust, and Michael Shaham, grandson of a Holocaust survivor, will present. Musicians include Ms. Shoshana Shattenkirk, Mr. Michael Shaham (who will perform on a Violin of Hope). Professor Renée Jolles will perform a piece for violin specially composed by Dr. Victoria Bond for the 2023 Holocaust Memorial Ceremony. Cantor Nissim Saal will recite the memorial prayer. Ms. Melissa Fleming, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, will host the event.

We look forward to having you join us, in person, or online. The event will be live-streamed.

Register to attend the Ceremony in-person

International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust

Dear Colleague,

I am pleased to invite you to attend to the observance of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust on Thursday, 27 January 2022 at 12 noon in Room XX the Palais des Nations, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 60/7 of 2005. English and French interpretation will be provided. This year, due to COVID-19, the ceremony will be exceptionally organized in a hybrid format, with a limited presence in the room.

Registration is now open for this commemoration under this link https://indico.un.org/event/37258/.

Once the seating capacity is reached, the registration for in-person participation will be closed and confirmation emails will be sent. Participation in person will be possible upon presentation of the confirmation e-mail only. The event will be webcast live on the UN Web TV platform http://webtv.un.org/ as well as on Facebook (@UNGeneva) to allow interested participants to attend the event virtually. The provisional programme of the commemoration is attached. I look forward to your participation in this ceremony.

Yours sincerely,

Tatiana Valovaya

NGO Liaison Unit, Political Affairs and Partnerships Section
Office of the Director-General, United Nations Office at Geneva
Palais des Nations

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Security, Peace, and Disarmament, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bobbinassar@yahoo.com or bknotts@uua.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. 

Memory at risk: the importance of genocide archives for justice, remembrance, research and education

Beyond the long shadow: engaging with difficult histories is a live discussion series organized by the United Nations Department of Global Communications. The series is organized by the Outreach Programme on the transatlantic slave trade and slavery, the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme, and the Outreach Programme on the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and the United Nations. The aim of the collaborative series is to develop a deeper understanding of the legacies of these painful histories – and through examining the past, consider how best to build a world that is just, where all can live in dignity and peace.

Join us for the 5th installment of this Live Discussion Series:

Memory at risk: the importance of genocide archives for justice, remembrance, research and education

Archives play a crucial role in genocide remembrance and education and have been essential for legal procedures and conflict transformation processes in the aftermath of genocide. Establishing comprehensive archives in post-genocide societies can be a challenge, as well as ensuring the continuous preservation of artifacts and documents, and their accessibility to the public.

In a context of increasing disinformation, archives as places of authentic historical information, are an important counterbalance to narratives that seek to distort or deny genocidal pasts and form an important basis for informed research and education.

Register here: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_R2NKoD1CR2aIVHXygJKYVA

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com.

[Civil Society Briefing] “Childhood After Atrocity Crimes: Hope for Peace, Dignity and Equality”

Civil Society Briefing “Childhood after Atrocity Crimes: Hope for Peace, Dignity and Equality”

Register here: bit.ly/39Kzaau

Experts examine the approaches taken to support children who survived the Holocaust and consider how these approaches contributed to models adopted for contemporary practice for working with young people who have survived atrocity crimes.

The briefing is organized by the Outreach Programme on the Holocaust and the Civil Society Unit of the United Nations Department of Global Communications.

SPEAKERS

Ms. Hawa Diallo, Chief, Civil Society Unit, Department of Global Communications

Dr. Beth B. Cohen, Social Historian and Author

Professor Theresa S. Betancourt, Boston College School of Social Work

Ms. Divina Maloum, Founder, Children for Peace

POEM

Lament of Syria

by Ms. Amineh Abou Kerech, Winner, Betjeman Poetry Prize 2017

For more information about the 2021 Holocaust Remembrance please visit: https://www.un.org/holocaustremembrance

If you have questions please contact: education-outreach@un.org

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Children’s Rights, please visit childrightsny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bknotts@uua.org or bobbinassar@gmail.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief, please visit unforb.org.

[UN Observance] International Day of Commemoration in Memory of Victims of the Holocaust

Each year on January 27, the United Nations officially recognizes the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. The UN Charter endeavors that the human rights violations that occurred throughout World War II and the Holocaust must never be repeated, yet we know that they continue to be perpetrated today all over the world. Stay apprised of 2021 events to join us in honoring the memory of victims lost to the Holocaust and lifting up the critical message of peace, security, and human rights for all people here.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit  facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN. For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief, please visit unforb.org.

Holocaust Education in Crisis? Challenges and Responses

To mark the anniversary of the November 1938 Pogrom, The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme and UNESCO are hosting an online discussion Holocaust education in crisis? Challenges and responses to examine the implications of recent surveys about Holocaust education and possible responses to the challenges and opportunities they raise.
Discussions about Holocaust education usually focus on three main questions: what should be taught, how should it be taught, and to what end? Recent surveys have shown that historical knowledge of the Holocaust is in decline, while related dis- and misinformation is on the rise. Simultaneously, research suggests a connection between students’ positive attitudes towards human rights and activism and their exposure to Holocaust education. Our diverse expert panel considers the implications of this research for their field.
Speakers:

Gretchen Skidmore, Director of Education Initiatives, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, United States

Debórah Dwork, Founding Director, The Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Crimes Against Humanity, Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies, The Graduate Center – CUNY, United States

Stuart Foster, Executive Director of the Center for Holocaust Education, University College London, United Kingdom

Elke Gryglewski, Head of the Educational Department, Memorial and Educational Site House of the Wannsee Conference, Germany

Yael Siman, Associate Professor at the Department of Social and Political Science, Iberoamericana University, Mexico

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief, please visit unforb.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values, and Global Concerns-NY, please visit csvgc-ny.org. For more information on the Decolonization Alliance, please email President Bautista at lbautista@umcjustice.org. 

Educating Against Racism

United Nations

Episode 2: Educating against Racism
In our second episode, we will consider how education and educators can challenge racism, prejudice and discrimination – the legacies of histories of oppression, mass atrocities and genocide. How can teachers facilitate difficult conversations about identity, discrimination, racism and prejudice, and remind students of the other legacy – the legacy of resistance, solidarity and empathy? 
 Beyond the long shadow: engaging with difficult histories is organized together with the Outreach Programmes on the transatlantic slave trade, the Holocaust and the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. The aim of the collaborative series is to develop a deeper understanding of the legacies of these painful histories – and through examining the past, consider how best to build a world that is just, where all can live in dignity and peace.
Date: Thursday, 29 October 2020
Time: 10:00 a.m. EDT

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