Ottawa Journal by David Tilson MP — Remembering the victims of the Holocaust at anniversary of liberation

January 28, 2015 · 0 Comments

Allied troops liberated the largest of the Nazi death camps, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Jan. 27, 1945, witnessing firsthand the horrors of the Nazi regime’s brutal inhumanity.
The anniversary of this occasion has been adopted around the world as the International Day of Commemoration to honour the victims of the Holocaust.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of that liberation. In that time, Canada and others in the global community have taken great strides to stamp out anti-Semitism, prejudice and hatred. However, the only way to truly ensure the terrible events of the Holocaust never happen again is to ensure they are never forgotten.
This global day commemorating the millions of men, women and children, who suffered, died and lost loved ones is crucial to that goal.
At the same time, we must be proactive in our communities. Our government is supporting new innovative learning tools to help educators promote Holocaust remembrance and education.
For example, we supported the International Holocaust Remembrance Day Virtual Classroom. This innovative live webcast allowed educators to interact with Holocaust experts remotely from their own classrooms concerning lessons on human rights, racism, genocide, democratic values and citizenship.
We are also working globally to help stamp out anti-Semitism and bigotry. Indeed, Canada was the first country to sign the Ottawa Protocol on Combating Anti-Semitism, an international action plan to help nations measure their progress in the fight against anti-Semitism.
And, central to the goal of fighting anti-Semitism is our government’s continued support for the State of Israel—the only pluralistic democracy in the Middle East. Our government will continue to stand in solidarity with Israel, as we remain committed to promoting Canadian values of freedom, democracy, and rule of law at home and abroad.
Together, we can help ensure one of the most heinous chapters in human history is never forgotten and its mistakes are never repeated.