Council offices to be lit up to mark Holocaust Memorial Day

Bridgend County Borough Council will mark this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day by lighting the main council building this evening and encouraging residents to join the Mayor in lighting a memorial candle at home.

Mayor, Councillor Martyn Jones will light the candle on January 27 as the nation pauses to pay tribute to those persecuted and killed during the Holocaust and subsequent genocides across the world.

At 4pm, households across the county borough are encouraged to join the Mayor and the rest of the UK in lighting a candle and safely placing it in your window to remember those who were murdered for who they were and to also stand against prejudice and hatred today.

This year’s theme, set by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) is ‘Ordinary People’. The trust state that ordinary people were involved in all aspects of the Holocaust, Nazi persecution of other groups, and in the genocides that took place in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. Ordinary people were perpetrators, bystanders, rescuers, witnesses - and ordinary people were victims. More information can be found on the Trust’s website.

We are marking Holocaust Memorial Day this year by illuminating our main Civic Offices building as a mark of respect for all the lives lost due to the Holocaust and subsequent genocides.

We are also joining the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) in encouraging the public to light a candle and place it safely in their windows at 4pm today, along with looking back at some previous events we have held to mark the day. It’s vital for us all to reflect, remember and learn from the past and that is why we in Bridgend County Borough commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day in the way that we do each year.

Tragically, anti-Semitism, hatred and genocide has not been confined to the history books but still takes place around the world. So, we all need to unite as human beings and ask ourselves what we can do collectively, to stand up against all forms of prejudice and hate to create a safer world for current and future generations.

Bridgend County Borough Council Deputy Leader, Councillor Jane Gebbie

Holocaust Memorial Day was established on 27 January 2000, when representatives from 46 countries around the world met in Stockholm to discuss Holocaust education, remembrance, and research. At the end of this meeting, all attendees signed a declaration committing to preserving the memory of those who were murdered in the Holocaust.

Residents are also encouraged to read the Seven Statements of Commitment for Holocaust Memorial Day:

1. We recognise that the Holocaust shook the foundations of modern civilisation. Its unprecedented character and horror will always hold universal meaning.
2. We believe the Holocaust must have a permanent place in our nation's collective memory. We honour the survivors still with us, and reaffirm our shared goals of mutual understanding and justice.
3. We must make sure that future generations understand the causes of the Holocaust and reflect upon its consequences. We vow to remember the victims of Nazi persecution and of all genocide.
4. We value the sacrifices of those who have risked their lives to protect or rescue victims, as a touchstone of the human capacity for good in the face of evil.
5. We recognise that humanity is still scarred by the belief that race, religion, disability or sexuality make some people's lives worth less than others'. Genocide, antisemitism, racism, xenophobia and discrimination still continue. We have a shared responsibility to fight these evils.
6. We pledge to strengthen our efforts to promote education and research about the Holocaust and other genocide. We will do our utmost to make sure that the lessons of such events are fully learnt.
7. We will continue to encourage Holocaust remembrance by holding an annual Holocaust Memorial Day. We condemn the evils of prejudice, discrimination and racism. We value a free, tolerant, and democratic society.

To register for the UK Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony, please visit: https://www.hmd.org.uk/take-part-in-holocaust-memorial-day/ukhmd/