REDDITCH came together last Sunday for Holocaust Memorial Day to remember the millions murdered by genocide and to say with one voice ‘never again’.
Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) exists to honour the memory of all victims of genocide and atrocity in the world and to strive to ensure these tragedies do not occur again.
HMD remembers the 6million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions killed under Nazi persecution of other groups, along with people who died in genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur.
To embody this year’s theme ‘A Better Future’, the people of Redditch were invited to create images of candles and flames in any form they liked. The town’s MP, mayor and councillors were joined by the community to honour the memory of the millions killed under the Nazi persecution.
The crowd walked from the Town Hall in Walter Stranz Square the Holocaust Memorial Marker in Church Green, where they heard a selection of readings.
Then, at midday, at a ticketed event at the Ecumenical Centre, Holocaust survivor Simon Winston BEM and Mirsad Solakovic, who survived the Bosnian genocide, shared their stories.
Mayor of Redditch, Coun Juma Begum, said: “At the Holocaust marker, we laid a single white flower as a symbol of peace and remembrance, joined by children affected by today’s conflicts.
“It was a powerful moment, reminding us why we must unite against hatred and oppression.
“On behalf of Redditch, I want to thank Mirsad for his bravery and honesty in sharing such a personal and painful experience.
“His story reminds us all of the importance of standing up against hatred, dictatorship, and genocide wherever it appears.”
Redditch MP Chris Bloore added: “To mark Holocaust Memorial Day, we gathered in Redditch to reflect on the horrors of the past, marking the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz-Birkenau’s liberation.
“I was deeply moved by Mirsad Solakovic testimony and inspired by Polska Szkola Redditch children.
