KATHMANDU, Jan 27: The United Nations Nepal together with the Embassy of Germany, the Embassy of Israel, the Delegation of the European Union to Nepal (EU) and Higher Institutions and Secondary Schools' Association Nepal (HISSAN) on Wednesday initiated a week-long educational outreach program on Holocaust with the youth of seven provinces in Nepal today.

The outreach program organized on the occasion of the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust began with a memorial ceremony hosted by the United Nations Resident Coordinator Sara Beysolow Nyanti at the UN House. The ceremony- organized following COVID-19 safety protocols -was attended by Ambassadors of Germany and Israel and the Head of the EU in Nepal, according to a press statement issued by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office.

Speaking at the memorial ceremony, the United Nations Resident Coordinator Nyanti said that remembering accurately and teaching about the Holocaust is vital in countering hatred. “This has never been more important than today, a time when antisemitism, bigotry and racism are rising with devastating and violent consequences for people and communities,” she said. “Through our week-long virtual outreach program, I call on all generations especially youth to use your voice to stand up for human rights, challenge discrimination and antisemitism by remembering the need to foster tolerance, solidarity and empathy.”

This year’s International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust is being celebrated under the theme “Facing the Aftermath: Recovery and Reconstitution after the Holocaust”. It focuses on the measures taken by people in the aftermath of the Holocaust to begin the process of recovery and reconstitution of individuals, communities, and systems of justice. The theme encourages a discussion of how measures taken in the past could contribute in how we rebuild societies today.

Resonating with the global theme, the outreach program will highlight the significance of standing up for justice to stop  the rise of anti-semitism and racism, including in the context of theCOVID-19 pandemic, during which we have seen a rise in hate speech and stigmatization  against the COVID-19 patients and their family members. It will emphasize our collective need to stand up against injustice and say “never again”.

After reciting the Yizkor prayer in honor of all those who suffered during the Shoah, Ambassador for Israel, Hanan Goder said, "Today we remember the victims of the Holocaust. Six million Jews were murdered by Hitler and his collaborators because of ideology that could not respect the other and could not appreciate tolerance."

 
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