Photo credit: DPI NGO Relations
This blog post was written by Marcel Yameogo, a graduate student and a UN Digital Representative at the Seton Hall School of Diplomacy and International Relations.
On 25 January 2018, DPI held a briefing in observance with the International Day of Commemoration and in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.
To open the meeting, Ms. Hawa Diallo, Public Information Officer at DPI NGO, delivered welcoming remarks. Following her remarks, a panel of experts examined the lessons that need to be learned from the Holocaust in regard to understanding human diversity and remembering those who lost their lives as victims of the Holocaust. The panel discussion, moderated by Ms. Kimberly Mann, the Chief of the Education Outreach Section in the Outreach Division of the DPI, brought experts together from academic institutions and international organizations, researchers, educators and authors and civil society leaders. The panel included: Jason Sirois, National Director of the ‘No Place for Hate’ initiative, Anti-Defamation League, Sarah Kaidanow, NGO Youth Representative in the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center of Westchester, and Evelyn Sommer, the Chair of the World Jewish Congress North Americ. Jason Sirois discussed current trends in the Holocaust research and education. Sarah Kaidanow reminded the audience about the impact of the Holocaust and how the society recovered from it. She also discussed the lessons that the global community needs to learn from the Holocaust and the ways for educating youth of danger of extremist views. She proposed ways to help build a more peaceful world.
Evelyn Sommer, the Chair of the World Jewish Congress North America, talked about her work—she oversees the implementation of global education initiatives. These initiatives include: remembrance of the transatlantic slave trade, Holocaust education, Model UN and other youth projects. Evelyn Sommer briefed the audience about #WeRemember, which signifies the great efforts made to fight denial, ignorance, apathy and indifference in regard to the Holocaust. Kimberly Mann, Chief of @UNHOP #HolocaustRemembrance #DPINGO remarked, “no matter where you live, no matter what your beliefs are, it is our responsibility to teach younger generation of the history of the Holocaust”. Key questions asked by the audience included: How to expand teacher training and the Holocaust education around the world? How to support Holocaust survivor who are willing to testify? What role should international organizations play in this?
David Michaels, BnaiBrith briefed the audience about the efforts his organization takes to commemorate the Holocaust. He suggested that to fight antisemitism, people should start by fighting all forms of biases. Jason Sirois, ADL_National shared that if biases at lower levels go unchecked, they gradually turn into violence.
To watch this briefing online, please click here.
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#Holocaustremembrance