26/01/2017
FSG
27th of January was the date chosen by the UN General Assembly and the European Parliament to commemorate Nazi Holocaust Memorial Day. On that day, in 1945, the Soviet army liberated the largest Nazi extermination camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. For this reason, various institutional events are held throughout the world.
This year, the motto proposed by United Nations is “Educating for a Better Future”. It emphasizes the universal dimension of education on Holocaust as a platform for building respect for Human Rights, increasing tolerance and upholding our common humanity. The Holocaust was a key point in history that has much to teach us about the danger of extremism and the prevention of genocide today.
Regarding the motto of this year 2017, we would like to point out the need to include information on the Holocaust in the Spanish educational curriculum, including an explicit mention of the Roma community as one of the groups that were victims of it (Samudaripén, or Porrajmos). It is important to raise awareness and sensitize our society, so that all citizens know about this regrettable fact, a serious violation of the Human Rights that marked the memory of the Romani people and that can help us to tackle the discrimination that this people still suffering.
It is necessary to spread the values of respect and tolerance. Our society should act as a whole supporting and showing solidarity with the most excluded people. The State plays a key role in the fight against discrimination: through education, historical dissemination and social awareness. We also remind the public authorities of the need to effectively enforce existing anti-discrimination legislation (non-discrimination and equality), which would help to create a fairer society and preventing acts of racism and would favour the social inclusion of the most disadvantaged groups and minorities, including the Roma population.
Spain has been joining for several years to these commemorations of the Holocaust Memorial Day with acts at state, regional and local level. Organizations are invited to represent the victims, including the Jewish and Roma communities, Gays, lesbians, transsexuals and bisexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Republican exiles, among others.
From the Fundación Secretariado Gitano we want to express with this statement our solidarity with the memory of all the victims.
Among many other events, on 27th of january, an act of remembrance to the victims of the Holocaust, including a specific space for Romani victims, is held at the Madrid City Hall. In the act will intervene Fernando García, FSG worker.
In addition, on Monday 30th, the Official Celebration of the Holocaust Memorial Day and the Prevention of Crimes against Humanity will be celebrated in the Spanish Senate. Fundación Secretariado Gitano will be also attending.
Links
