International Day dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and the prevention of crimes against humanity 2017

The International Day dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and the prevention of crimes against humanity, established at the initiative of the Ministers of Education of the member states of the Council of Europe and monitored by the United Nations, is celebrated every year, on January 27, the anniversary date of the liberation of the Auschwitz camp. It aims in particular to encourage States to promote educational projects and to protect places of remembrance related to the Holocaust.

This year, the commemorations began on 26 January 2017 at the Shoah Memorial and UNESCO. Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, visited the Memorial to "honor the disappeared and alert the living against anti-Semitism: an absolute urgency". She then visited the new exhibition inaugurated on January 18, Shoah and comic strip: "A fascinating dive into the art of transmitting the unspeakable" (Twitter, @IrinaBokova).

Irina Bokova visits the exhibition 'Shoah and comics' at the Shoah Memorial © UNESCO

Irina Bokova places a candle to honor the victims of the Holocaust in the crypt of the Memorial © UNESCO

On the occasion of this day, on January 26, UNESCO inaugurated his exhibition Archeologia, presented by the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, and organized a panel discussion on the theme "Educating for a better future: the role of historical sites and museums in Holocaust education" in which participated,  Serge Klarsfeld, honorary ambassador and special envoy of UNESCO for the teaching of the history of the Holocaust and the prevention of genocide, Dorit Novak, Managing Director of Yad Vashem (Israel), Agnès Sajaloli, director of the Rivesaltes Camp Memorial (France) and Jacques Fredj, director of the Shoah Memorial.
The day ended with the 10th ceremony dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust in the presence of Madame Irina Bokova, Sir Eric de Rothschild, president of the Shoah Memorial, and of his Excellency Carmel Shama Hacohen, ambassador, permanent delegate of Israel to UNESCO. These events were organized in partnership with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and the Shoah Memorial.

On January 27, 2017, the Shoah Memorial received, in the morning, the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, who first visited the exhibition "Shoah and comics" before participating in an exchange with middle school students around their study trip to Auschwitz and, more generally, of their learning about the history of the Shoah, notably through their activities with the Memorial. «Words, listening, maintain memory» (Twitter, @Anne_Hidalgo).

Anne Hidalgo visits the exhibition 'Shoah and comic strips' at the Memorial © Michel Isaac

Anne Hidalgo meets the 9th-grade students of a Parisian college © Michel Isaac

It was in the crypt of the Memorial that the commemoration of January 27, 2017 took place, during which the Minister of National Education, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem and Mr. Éric Cala, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for External Relations and Public Information. During this ceremony, the Minister of National Education awarded diplomas to the 60 young ambassadors of memory who had all come to Paris for the occasion. Najat Vallaud-Belkacem also presented academic palms to Nicolas Roth and Alexandre Halaunbrenner, "the words of witnesses, survivors, orphans, are an invaluable treasure" (Twitter, @najatvb).

Speech by Eric Fortified © Michel Isaac

Presentation of the academic palms by Najat Vallaud-Belkacem © Michel Isaac

Graduation ceremony for the ambassadors of memory © Michel Isaac

Deposit of wreaths and lighting of candles on the symbolic tomb of the six million Jews who died without burial, in the crypt of the Memorial © Michel Isaac