Event marks Holocaust Memorial Day
BRIDGEND County Borough Council marked Holocaust Memorial Day with a free public event to commemorate the victims and honour the survivors of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides.
In partnership with Bridgend College, the annual event was held in the Sony Theatre and welcomed more than 160 members of the public to remember the millions of innocent lives lost in the Holocaust and genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
The event saw special guest Eric Eugene Murangwa, a survivor of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, speak about his experiences during and after the genocide.
A genocide education campaigner, Mr Murangwa believes his family’s survival was thanks to the courage and humanity shown by his former football teammates.
Mr Murangwa has a self-proclaimed mission to make sport an integral part of the Rwandan reconciliation and reconstruction process by ensuring sport is used for social change and life skills, as well as for leisure.
As part of the ceremony, the traditional “Seven Statements of Commitment” were read by community representatives and a candle of remembrance was lit by mayor of Bridgend County Borough, Coun Pam Davies.
A twenty second silence was also held to remember the lives that were lost.
In addition, Rabbi Michoel Rose from Cardiff United Synagogue provided a Jewish prayer and pupils from local schools read poems and a life story by Rennie Inow. To close the event, Bridgend College’s performing arts students, Kasey Jane Lewis and Kaitlyn Phippin, performed “All That Matters”.
Attendees were also invited to write their thoughts on a postcard as part of this year’s theme – The Power of Words. These were posted in a special posting box during the event and will be sent on to Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.