What we do?
In 2005, the United Nations passed a resolution to mark January 27 as an international day of commemoration to honor the victims of the Holocaust and urged member states to develop educational programs to impart the memory of this tragedy to future generations. Since then many member states organised different activities and ways of commemoration on that day or some other dates which are more important for the local history of certain countries and regions. Nevertless, there is still no official International Holocaust Remembrance Day marked in our country, I decided to create activity, which can be easily used to mark that day and I do it every year in the end of January as a part of History course. I also presented it in several local or regional workshops and seminars for teachers, trying to persuade them to use this concept of personal experience narratives to pay respect to innocent vistims of Holocaust and in the same time to open so many important questions.
Why we do it?
Besides of creating emphathy with the victims of Holocaust and preserving their memory and strenthening importance of remembrance of survivors, victims, rescuers and liberators, there are some other important objectives of this activity. First of all, recognition that the Holocaust was a loss to civilisation as whole as well as the countries that were directly involved in it. Also, it increases awarness of the danger od radical and extremist movements and raises consciousness about contemporary forms of anti-Semitism, xenophobia and all forms of hatred. This activity sparks critical thinking and intellectual curiosity and promotes respect for human rights, especially for minority groups. In this format is applicable worldwide, but it could be adapted to the local context and used to place spotlight to other crimes or genocides.