International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust 2023; January 27th.

FORUM:“Home and Belonging”. International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust 2023.
The United Nations General Assembly designated January 27th as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. to mark the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.This year, the theme is “home and belonging”, two concepts that were systematically ripped away from Jewish citizens, once the Nazi Party took control of Germany in 1933. Share your reflections about International Holocaust Remembrance Day with the hashtags: #27January, #HolocaustRemembranceDay.

CAMPAIGN: honor Holocaust victims and survivors all year long.

Exploring how victims adjusted their ideas of “home” and “belonging” as they faced the violent, antisemitic onslaught during the Holocaust, and what “home” and “belonging” meant to survivors in the immediate post-war years will frame the outreach programme. In 1933, the Nazi Party took control of the government of Germany and put its ideology into practice, identifying who could claim Germany as home and who belonged. The process of definition and exclusion went beyond legislation and propaganda campaigns of disinformation and hate speech, to state-sanctioned acts of terror that destroyed people’s places of worship, livelihood and homes. The definition of who belonged and who did not, soon extended to all who fell within the expanding borders of the Nazi Reich and was reproduced by collaborator governments.


The Nazis and their racist collaborators rendered many millions homeless and stateless before and during the Second World War. We consider how those who sought refuge from 1933 negotiated the meaning of “home” and “belonging”. We consider those who survived by hiding and the impact of this experience on their sense of “home”. We will examine the ways in which survivors as displaced persons in displaced persons’ camps, and the children born in these camps, navigated the post-War world - a world in which the meaning of “home” and “belonging” had been challenged radically by the perpetrators of the Holocaust.


Holocaust remembrance and education that includes opportunities to develop a deeper appreciation of the victims and survivors and their agency, can inform our response to the plight of contemporary victims. Placing the victims and survivors in the centre of historical research, learning and remembrance illuminates the humanity of victims of atrocities today, and the impact of antisemitism fuelled by disinformation and the distortion of history. Focusing on the humanity of the victims prompts us to remember our humanity, and our responsibility to combat hate speech, combat antisemitism and prejudice - to do all we can to prevent genocide.

EVENTS: On this annual day of commemoration, the UN urges every member state to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazism and to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides.

10 January – 23 February 2023: Exhibition “After the End of the World: Displaced Persons and Displaced Persons Camps”

Europe emerged from the Second World War utterly broken, with millions of refugees scattered across many countries. The United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) was created to resettle those displaced by the mayhem of the war and the Holocaust. The fragments from the past illuminate the work of UNRRA administrators, and chart how, in the aftermath of catastrophic loss, Holocaust survivors navigated their new lives in displaced persons camps. The exhibition is sourced with artefacts and documents from the archives of the United Nations and the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, and draws upon the expertise of the Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Crimes Against Humanity at the Graduate Center—CUNY. The exhibition was created by the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme and Professor Debórah Dwork, together with the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research Archives, the United Nations Archives and Records Management Services, and with generous support of Stockton University.

Visitor Information: The exhibition is free and open to the public. Guests are welcome to visit the exhibition during regular hours (Monday-Friday, 9 am – 5 pm). For more information, please, check the United Nations Visitor Centre entry guidelines.


16 January – 20 February 2023 - Exhibition “#FakeImages: Unmask the Dangers of Stereotypes"

Stereotypes and conspiracy theories against Jews, Roma, migrants, LGBTQIA+ or other groups are not new. During the Second World War, the antisemitic propaganda of the Nazis and their racist collaborators used stereotyping, false images, disinformation and conspiracy thinking to encourage hatred, with deadly consequences. The propaganda and lies foreshadowed the genocide. The exhibition exposes how the Nazi's false and manipulative imaging worked and continues to find expression today. The interactive exhibition challenges us to take action to unmask the lies that continue to divide and polarise our world. The exhibition was curated by Kazerne Dossin, in collaboration with the "Arthur Langerman Archive for the Study of Visual Antisemitism Foundation" (ALAVA) and the Center for Research on Antisemitism at the Technische Universität Berlin. The exhibition is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany, and the Permanent Missions of Belgium and Germany to the United Nations.

Visitor Information:
The exhibition is free and open to the public. Guests are welcome to visit the exhibition during regular hours (Monday-Friday, 9 am – 5 pm). For more information, please, check the United Nations Visitor Centre entry guidelines.

 

26 January – 17 February 2023: Exhibition “The Yad Vashem Book of Names of Holocaust Victims”

Yad Vashem - The World Holocaust Remembrance Center has specially updated its exhibition, "The Yad Vashem Book of Names of Holocaust Victims" for display at United Nations Headquarters. "The Yad Vashem Book of Names of Holocaust Victims" details alphabetically the name of each of the approximately 4.8 million Holocaust victims that Yad Vashem has currently documented and confirmed. Whenever possible, "The Yad Vashem Book of Names of Holocaust Victims" shows the date of birth, home town and place of death of the respective victim. The names are taken from Pages of Testimony in Yad Vashem's Hall of Names, as well as from various lists compiled during and following the Holocaust, and subsequently reviewed by Yad Vashem experts. The display of "The Yad Vashem Book of Names of Holocaust Victims" at the United Nations is supported by the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations.

View the opening event here:

Visitor Information:
The exhibition is free and open to the public. Guests are welcome to visit the exhibition during regular hours (Monday-Friday, 9 am – 5 pm). For more information, please, check the United Nations Visitor Centre entry guidelines.

 

26 January 2023 - Opening of Exhibition “The Yad Vashem Book of Names of Holocaust Victims”

The exhibition will be opened by the United Nations Secretary-General, with remarks by the Permanent Representative of Israel and the Chair of Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center. Singer Hadar Orshalimy and Pianist Yaniv Taubenhouse will perform. The Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications hosts the event. View the opening event here.

 

Thursday, 26 January 2023: Each Life a World: Survivors in Their Own Words.
12:00 p.m. EST; Streaming live on B’nai B’rith’s YouTube channel

Continuing its series of annual events in conjunction with United Nations commemoration of the victims of the Holocaust, this virtual B’nai B’rith program will feature testimony by Professor Ivan Lefkovits, a Holocaust survivor, as well as a discussion between B’nai B’rith International CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin and the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center's Senior Vice President of Education and Exhibitions Kelley Szany.

Ivan Lefkovits was born in Prešov (in today’s Slovakia) in 1937. His father was murdered in Budapest, where his family attempted to escape growing anti-Jewish persecution. In the fall of 1944, Lefkovits, his mother and his older brother were deported to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, where his brother, who was 15, was also murdered. Lefkovits later survived the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, along with his mother. He came to Basel, Switzerland, in 1969 as a professor to establish the new Basel Institute for Immunology.

 

The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center has introduced innovative technologies—including the first virtual reality (VR) Holocaust exhibit and an interactive holographic experience—to preserve the legacy of Holocaust survivors in immersive exhibits. Kelley Szany will discuss this new approach to Holocaust remembrance and the role VR and other emerging technologies will play in teaching current and future generations about the horrors of the Shoah.

 

Friday, 27 January 2023: United Nations Holocaust Memorial Ceremony 2023.

11:00 a.m. EST, United Nations Headquarters
Download the Programme.

Ms. Melissa Fleming, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications will host the ceremony. The event includes remarks by United Nations Secretary-General; the President of the 77th session of the General Assembly, the Permanent Representative of Israel and the Deputy Representative of the United States to the United Nations. Professor Debórah Dwork will deliver the keynote address. Mr. Jacques Grishaver of the Netherlands will share his testimony as a survivor of the Holocaust. Professor Ethel Brooks will speak to the persecution and mass murder of the Roma and Sinti. Two grandchildren of Holocaust survivors will present - Professor Karen Frostig and Mr. Michael Shaham. Musicians include Ms. Shoshana Shattenkirk, Mr. Michael Shaham (who will perform on a Violin of Hope). Professor Renée Jolles will perform a piece for violin specially composed by Ms. Victoria Bond for the 2023 Holocaust memorial ceremony. Cantor Nissim Saal will recite the memorial prayer. Registration is now closed. The event will also be live-streamed.

 

Tuesday, 31 January 2023
International Mock Trial on Human Rights.

3:00 p.m. EST, United Nations Headquarters

The International Mock Trial on Human Rights is the culmination of a year-long programme organized by The Social Excellence Forum (SEF) for a diverse group of 20-30 young leaders, ages 15-22 years, from several countries. The students will interrogate the actions and responsibilities of Ernst Rudin, the so-called father of Nazi Racial Hygiene. The Mock Trial will cover the subject of human rights violations, racism and discrimination, and the responsibility of leaders for the consequences of their incitement and actions. The International Mock Trial on Human Rights is organized by The Social Excellence Forum (SEF), with the support of the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme. The Social Excellence Forum (SEF) is a non-profit youth leadership training initiative.

Register here the attend the Mock Trial. Registration will close on Thursday, 26 January 2023. The event will be livestreamed here.

 

Thursday, 9 February 2023: Film Screening “The U.S. and the Holocaust” and Panel Discussion

6:30-8:00 p.m. EST, United Nations Headquarters.

A screening of a special 40-minute version of "The U.S. and the Holocaust", a film by Ken Burns, Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein will be followed by a discussion with Ken Burns, Lynn Novick and historian Daniel Greene. The documentary combines first-person accounts of Holocaust witnesses and survivors and interviews with leading historians and writers. Inspired in part by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s “Americans and the Holocaust” exhibition and supported by its historical resources, the film examines the rise of Hitler and Nazism in Germany in the context of global antisemitism and racism, the eugenics movement in the United States and race laws in the American south. The documentary tackles a range of questions that remain essential to our society today, including how racism influences policies related to immigration and refugees as well as how governments and people respond to the rise of authoritarian states that manipulate history and facts to consolidate power. Register here to attend the film screening. The registration will close on Monday, 6 February 2023.

 

Thursday, 16 February 2023: Civil Society Briefing "Social Media and the Holocaust - Education or Distortion?"

11:00 a.m. EST, United Nations Headquarters

A diverse panel will consider the relationship between social media and Holocaust education and remembrance - why some disseminate "dangerous speech"; how youth navigate the digital landscape; strategies to counter online disinformation and hate speech and maximize the potential of social media for education and mutual respect. The report by the United Nations and UNESCO, "History Under Attack: Holocaust Denial and Distortion on Social Media" will be presented. Registration

EXIBITS: The Moment She Lost Her Family Captured in a Photo; This special episode of the Museum’s award-winning Stay Connected Live virtual series will feature Irene Weiss, a survivor of Auschwitz who volunteers at the Museum. Watch live on Friday, January 27, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Press meeting with Auschwitz Survivors a day before the 78th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

International Day of Education 2023; January 24th.

THEME: "To invest in people, prioritize education." International Day of Education 2023.

The International Day will call on governments, the international community and key stakeholders to stand by their commitments to prioritize investment in education and educational transformation in order to reverse the down sliding on the SDGs and unlock accelerated progress. This call will be supported by a social media activation that will rally global influencers, including youth champions.

Statement by the U.N. Secreatry-General on International Day of Education 20203; January 24th.

Education is a fundamental human right.

It’s the bedrock of societies, economies, and every person’s potential.

But without adequate investment, this potential will wither on the vine.

It has always been shocking to me that education has been given such a low priority in many government policies and in international cooperation instruments.

The theme of this year’s International Day of Education reminds us that “to invest in people, prioritize education.”

Investment is critical to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4.

Last year’s Transforming Education Summit gathered the world together to reimagine education systems so every learner accesses the knowledge and skills required to succeed.

Over 130 countries made commitments to ensure that universal quality education becomes a central pillar of public policies and investments.

A Call to Action on Educational Investment and the establishment of the International Financing Facility for Education created a fresh push on domestic and international financing.

And the Summit launched a range of global initiatives to mobilize support for education in crises settings, girls’ education, foundational learning, transforming teaching, digital tools, and green education systems.

Now is the time for all countries to translate their Summit commitments into concrete actions that create supportive and inclusive learning environments for all students.

Now is also the time to end all discriminatory laws and practices that hinder access to education. I call on the de facto authorities in Afghanistan in particular to reverse the outrageous and self-defeating ban on access to secondary and higher education for girls.

I also encourage countries to place education at the heart of preparations for the SDG Summit in 2023 and the Summit of the Future in 2024.

Most of all, I urge civil society and youth to continue calling for more and better investment in quality education.

Let’s keep the flame of transformation burning.

Let’s deliver education systems that can support equal societies, dynamic economies and the limitless dreams of every learner in the world.

António Guterres; U.N. Secretary-General.

Statement by the Director-General of the UNESCO on International Day of Education 2023; January 24th.

“Everyone has the right to education.” This 24 January, it is more important than ever for UNESCO  to  remind  everyone  of  the  value  and  importance  of  these  few  words  taken  from article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  Despite the importance of this statement, the fundamental right to education is still far from  being  a  reality  for  all  the  girls  and  boys  in  the  world.  According  to  our  data,  244 million of them are still out of school this year. In particular, UNESCO would like to dedicate the fifth edition of this International Day to all the girls and women in Afghanistan, who have been denied their right to learn, study and teach. The Organization condemns this serious attack on human dignity and on the fundamental right to education. UNESCO has been tirelessly calling for the immediate restoration of the right to education for all girls and young women in Afghanistan.Our organization, in close liaison with the country’s communities, continues to work in Afghanistan to secure the continuity of education, whether by means of literacy courses or  by  mobilizing  the  power  of  radio,  a  medium  able  to  reach  people  directly  in  their  homes. UNESCO also remains the primary source for the monitoring of education data in Afghanistan, particularly data related to higher education. We will continue to mobilize the  international  community  in  order  to  uphold  Afghan  girls’  and  women’s  right  to  education.We must not forget, however, that throughout the world, even for those fortunate enough to  be  in  school,  grave  concerns  persist.  For  example,  in  low-  and  middle-income countries, seven out of ten children are still unable to read and understand a simple text at the age of 10 years.This is why, in recent months, UNESCO has been working to strengthen international mobilization  to  ensure  the  quality  of  education.  We  need  to  adapt  education  to  the  challenges  of  our  times,  particularly  by  acting  on  the  conclusions  stemming  from  the Futures  of  Education  initiative, which  calls  for  a  new  social  contract  through  and  for  education.At  the  World  Conference  on  Higher  Education held  in  Barcelona  last  May,  the  International Conference on Adult Education held in Marrakech last June, and the World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education held in Tashkent last November, UNESCO  and  its  Member  States  together  made  new  commitments  to  transforming  education for every age.In September, this international mobilization culminated with the Transforming Education Summit  (TES),  which  was  convened  by  the  Secretary-General  of  the  United  Nations, António Guterres. The TES led more than 130 States to make firm commitments

Now we must translate these commitments into action – and UNESCO will continue to coordinate the international community’s efforts to ensure quality education for all. On  this  day,  UNESCO  is  urging  one  and  all  to  defend  –  everywhere  and  always  –  a universal  and  fundamental  right  which  is  the  best  lever  for  ensuring development: education.

Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General.

EVENTS: Building on the global momentum generated by the UN Transforming Education Summit in September 2022, this year’s Day calls for maintaining strong political mobilization around education and charting the way to translate commitments and global initiatives into action. Education must be prioritized to accelerate progress towards all the Sustainable Development Goals against the backdrop of a global recession, growing inequalities and the climate crisis.

The International Day of Education on 24 January 2023 is dedicated to Afghan women and girls.

Read UNESCO’s concept note for the 2023 celebration and download the programme. 

OBJECTIVES

The Global campaign to mark the International Day for Education 2023 aims to:

• Generate visibility from local to global level on prioritizing education to reach the SDGs ahead of the SDG Summit, building on the outcomes of the TES 
• Promote and showcase the national statements of commitment at country level and mobilize political and financial support for translating them into action
• Encourage wide take-up of the global initiatives launches at the TES to accelerate foundational learning, get every learner climate ready through greening education, promote public digital learning, advance gender equality in and through education and ensure learning continuity in situations of emergency and protracted crisis 
• Advocate for higher levels of domestic and international financing, including through innovative sources, building on commitments at the TES. 
• Provide youth a platform to build on the TES youth declaration, relay their demands and showcase their initiatives and innovations to advance the right to education 
•  Rally influencers to push forward the global education movement calling on world leaders to stand by their commitments and prioritize investment in education and educational transformation

World Braille Day 2023; January 4th.

FORUM: Today we celebrate inclusive design with World Braille Day This incredible writing system was invented by Louis Braille in 1806. For thousands of years, the ability of blind people to participate fully in social, political, and cultural life was limited by the lack of access to written or printed forms of information. Although the work of many others contributed to his accomplishment, Louis Braille's invention of a tactile six-dot reading and writing system revolutionized the way blind people perceived and contributed to the world. Follow the conversations with the hastags: #worldBrailleDay, #4January, #Braille.

EVENTS: Join the webinar to mark the World Braille Day 2023.