Queen’s Park set to host Holocaust Memorial day
THE annual Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration will be held once again in Queen’s Park Loughborough.
The event, on Monday, January 27, at 4.30pm, will see the Mayor Charnwood, Coun Brenda Seaton, Mayor read the Act of Commitment.
Everyone is welcome to be there and lay a pebble on the memorial stone at the end.
In addition Loughborough University will be holding a week of events to mark the occasion.
The day is recognised across the world to remember the six million Jews that were murdered during the Holocaust, as well as the millions of other people killed from 1933-1945 under the Nazi persecution and in genocides across the world since.
This year’s theme for the commemorations is Stand Together, which explores how genocidal regimes throughout history have deliberately fractured societies by marginalising certain groups, and how these tactics can be challenged by individuals standing together with their neighbours, and speaking out against oppression.
And the organisers of the memorial day say that with increasing division in communities across the UK and the world. Now more than ever, there is a need to stand together with others in our communities in order to stop division and the spread of identity-based hostility in our society.
A week-long programme of various events, From January 27-31, has been organised by Alejandro Argüelles Bullón, a second-year sport and exercise psychology student at the university and regional ambassador for the Holocaust Educational Trust.
The programme includes educational lectures, workshops, testimonies, memorial services and day trips available to attend.
All of the events are free of charge and are open to staff, students and members of the community.
The full programme is as follows:
• Monday, January 27- Holocaust survivor testimony stream and memorial service
• Tuesday, January 28 – Lessons from Auschwitz: Presentation and candle service
• Wednesday, January 29 – Sculpture workshop and exhibition; and workshop with Amanda Harrington
• Thursday, January 30 – National Holocaust Centre and Museum day trip
• Friday, January 31 – “The Preventability of the Holocaust”: A lecture by Paul Maddrell
• Wednesday, February 5 – “Antisemitism and misogyny online”: A public seminar with Cristian Tileaga.
Alejandro said: “During this week, we shall commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau by the Soviet Forces.
“In the turbulent times that we encounter today, with incidents of division, hatred, racism and antisemitism increasing, we must remember the lessons from the Holocaust to understand where prejudice and hatred can lead to if unattended.
The university’s Holocaust Memorial Day programme is run in collaboration with the Holocaust Educational Trust, Loughborough Students’ Union, LU Arts, the Centre for Faith and Spirituality, Unison East Midlands, Loughborough University and College Union (UCU) and Unite the Union.
• Those who are interested in attending any of the sessions at the university are strongly advised to book their place at https://www.lboro.ac.uk/newsevents/ in advance, as places are limited.