Holocaust Remembrance Week 2022

January 27^th marked Holocaust Remembrance Day, the beginning of a global week of remembrance, led by the United Nations.

This year´s Holocaust Remembrance Week highlights the theme of “Memory, Dignity and Justice” and encourages the global community to persevere with educating people about bringing justice to those who were lost in the Holocaust, as well as to encourage the accurate writing of history, challenging Holocaust denial and the distortion of history.

The date of January 27^th marks the 77^th year since liberation of the Auschwitz Death Camp in southern Poland. In Globeducate schools, teachers have organised events and activities to remember the victims and survivors of the Holocaust and to affirm our promise to never let this happen again.  At this time all of those years ago in 1945, the world discovered the full scope of the Nazis´ actions against Jewish people and other minorities and political prisoners in Eastern Europe.

At the Bilingual European School (BES) in Milan, Year 3 students took part in the Stolperstein Project (Stumbling Stone). They wrote words that people need in order not to forget and to ensure that similar horrors never happen again. These were displayed around the school in both English and Italian, such as Forza e Corago, and Giustizia, Strength and Courage and Justice.  At Mougins British International School in France, Year 5 students made presentations, including one whose own family had personal experience of this horror, and another student presented a research project about Dutch artist Han Van Meegeren who used his forgery skills to deceive the Nazis. Students also learnt about this tragedy in their Global Perspectives and Positive Education lessons, and A-level History students explored Dan Snow´s "The Historiography of the Holocaust."  Later this month, Nobel Algarve British International School in Portugal will host a webinar with Dame Helen Hyde, Holocaust Educator and Trustee of One Vision, exploring Holocaust Photography. 

Abi Lewis, Head of School at Nobel Algarve British International School, said, "The Holocaust teaches us that unthinkable crimes can be committed by society in plain sight and it shows us that under certain circumstances, neighbour can turn against neighbour; however it also shows us that some came to the rescue of others, even risking their own lives to do so. It is a reminder that we can all stand up for what is right and what we believe in, we can all shape our community, our society and our world." 

During the Holocaust, six million Jews died, leaving an entire community of people divided and damaged. Why do we remember this event so many years later? This terrifying event serves as a reminder of the dangers of hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice. Two of the key pillars of a Globeducate school are building character and nurturing global perspectives, and we use events such as this to remind our communities and young people of the importance of these parts of our global mission, underpinning our commitment to prepare each student to be a global citizen who can shape the world.