The United Nations declared January 27 as the International Holocaust Remembrance Day paying tribute to the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust and millions of other Nazism victims during Hitler’s regime between 1933 and 1945.
As per the Holocaust encyclopaedia, it is also called Shoah and was Hitler’s “Final Solution” for exterminating Jews under Germany’s authority. Around two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population had been killed by the end of the gruesome incident.
Origin
The UN General Assembly under its 42nd plenary session adopted the 60/ 7 resolution and on November 1, 2005, the UN designated January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The choice of designating January 27 as Holocaust Remembrance Day was because it was the day when the largest concentration camp in Germany, Auschwitz, was liberated by the Soviet Army in 1945. The resolution condemns all forms of Nazi denial and in order to prevent future large-scale extermination like these, the resolution has encouraged members to initiate educational programs.
Holocaust commemorative and educational activities are organised by the UN on various themes and ceremonies to highlight the actions of the survivors to reclaim their history, cultural heritage, traditions, and their dignity.
Theme
The UN marks the day to honour the victims of the Nazi regime and to promote Holocaust education worldwide. This year’s Holocaust remembrance and education theme is “Home and Belonging”. The theme emphasizes the condition of the Holocaust victims. It is an effort made to educate an individual of his/her responsibilities owing to the victims of brutalities, to combat hateful speech, holocaust disintegration and to avoid future genocides, as per United Nations.
