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Holocaust Memorial Day 2010

This year's Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) commemoration is an important one as it remembers the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz- Birkenau. As the survivors of the Holocaust get older it is vital that we take the time to hear them speak and act on the lessons learned from their experiences.
 
HMD 2010 is a poignant reminder not only of the 11 million people who died at the hands of the Nazi regime but it is also a reminder of the more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda and Bosnia. Hundreds of people die every day in Darfur as the government in that country continues to displace the local inhabitants.

Holocaust Memorial Day Theme - The Legacy of Hope

The theme for HMD 2010 reminds us that we can become part of the Legacy of Hope by remembering those who have been persecuted and murdered.  Our challenge is to make the hopes of the victims and survivors of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides part of our future.  We can use our voices to join with the voices of the victims and survivors to speak out against discrimination, prejudice and exclusion.
 
Find out more about The Legacy of Hope theme at www.hmd.org.uk

HMD 2010 programme - the Lower Precinct

Magda Bloom Magda Bloom lives a quiet suburban life in Birmingham. She has been an active member of her local community and she has raised a notable family. For 60 years she has lived a nightmare on a daily basis: Magda is a Hungarian Jew, deported to Auschwitz with her family, and left without them. She lost her daughter seven years ago and the sadness of that event meant she stopped telling her own story.  She feels it's time to remind people about her life experiences. Her story is truly remarkable.

Other related HMD 2010 events

Peace month poetry competition winners ceremony

The Award Winners for the Peace Month Poetry Competition have been selected by the judging panel and the an award event will take place at Coventry Central Library at 6.00pm on 27 January. The evening will be hosted by the well known Midlands Poet Simon Pitt. and the award winners will have the opportunity to read out their winning poems or have them read by Simon.

Coventry Peace House

There will be readings from ‘Human Rights Now’, which was launched on the 61st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10 2009, Coventry Peace House invited people to write or draw their thoughts about human rights today. There will be readings from this powerful publication.

Faces in the Void
23 January - 14 February, The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum

A poetry and photographic exhibition by Marion Davies and Jane Liddell-King explores the continuity of Jewish life and the continuing impact of the Second World War.

The artists will give a talk on Thursday 28 January at 12.30pm.  This will explore the Czech Torah scrolls and how they led the artists on a remarkable journey, uncovering the stories represented in the exhibition and also new perspectives on Coventry's connection with Lidice.

 www.theherbert.org

Freedom for All
18 January - 5 March, Coventry Cathedral
(£5 charge applies, under 7s free with paying adult)

A photographic exhibition looking at Martin Luther King Jr and the civil rights movement.  Experience first hand Martin Luther King's legendary vision for racial equality in America.

www.coventrycathedral.org.uk

Visit Belgrade Plaza Car Park ground floor to see the Stand up to Hatred (HMD09 theme) shoe sculpture inspired by a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau in 2009.

Why is Holocaust Memorial Day relevant to me?

The message for this year is that all of us have a part to play in bringing about change. We are in the driving seat – we can all make choices to discriminate and feel prejudice, or we can be the ones who make a stand and treat everyone with dignity and respect. All of us can take on personal responsibility to protect the civil and human rights of others in Coventry, in Britain and across the world. We can all help to build a safer future for all - doing it together.

Find out more about the relevance of Holocaust Memorial Day.

Holocaust Memorial Day aims:

• To commemorate, educate and prompt action to ensure that the hatred that led to the Holocaust is never repeated or forgotten.
• To remember all victims of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution - Jews, Roma and Sinti (Gypsies), East European civilians, Russian prisoners of war, trades unionists, Communists, political opponents, disabled people, Jehovah’s Witnesses, gay men and lesbians and black Germans.
• To reflect upon those affected by more recent atrocities, such as in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Kosovo.
• To educate about the dangers of anti-Semitism, racism and all forms of discrimination.
• To promote community cohesion so that the diversity of people’s different backgrounds and circumstances are appreciated and positively valued, and to establish a greater sense of citizenship.

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•  Holocaust Memorial Day poster  (765 kb)