Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council’s Good Relations Team, in partnership with the Museums team, is inviting people to attend their exhibition in Limavady to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
The exhibition will open in Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre from 23rd January 2025 – 1st February 2025, with this year marking both the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, and the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Bosnia.
This year’s theme is poignantly entitled, ‘For a Better Future’ encouraging us to take time to remember the millions of people who lost their lives during the Holocaust under Nazi persecution, and those who died in the genocides which followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Ciarán McQuillan reflected on the upcoming exhibition saying: “This year’s Holocaust exhibition based on the theme, ‘For a Better Future’ helps highlight that we should all be more aware of how the mistreatment of whole groups of people can ultimately take humanity along a dark path.
“It’s important we remember that every individual should be accorded basic human rights and dignity. Learning about times in history such as this, despite being difficult can help us all identify warning signs in the world around us.
“I would encourage you to take time to visit this thought-provoking exhibition as there are many things we can all do to create a better future for each other.”
Holocaust Memorial Day takes place on 27th January each year, coinciding with the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau - the largest Nazi concentration camp. This year’s exhibition will feature a ‘Timeline of Nazi Germany’ with a year-by-year account of how freedoms were gradually restricted and removed from the Jewish people from 1933 onwards - long before the start of the Second World War.
Another resource will outline genocides that have taken place in other countries throughout the 20th century and in the early years of this century. Materials will also include ‘Faces of the Holocaust’ and ‘Personal Possessions of the Holocaust’ featuring both poems and reflections by participants following their visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Also available will be a few copies of the ‘Canada’ booklet which was penned by Causeway Coast and Glens’ Councillor Steven Callaghan following a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau. The piece tells the moving story of a young Jewish boy who lived during the Holocaust.
Joy Wisener, Good Relations Officer concluded: “In addition to our exhibition, Council is also taking part in the Light the Darkness campaign, which will see Council’s headquarters light up purple on 27th January to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day.
“Individuals can take part by lighting a candle in their own home that day, taking a photo of it, and sharing it on social media to demonstrate their support of this act of remembrance.”
Further information about Holocaust Memorial Day Trust can be found at www.hmd.org.uk.
The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) is a charity established and funded by the UK Government to promote and support Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) in the UK. On the subject of this year’s theme, ‘For a Better Future’, they commented:
“We hope that HMD 2025 can be an opportunity for people to come together, learn both from and about the past, and take actions to make a better future for all”.
