Community Relations Council

Building on the commitment we made in becoming part of a Legacy of Hope on HMD 2010, the theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2011 provides us with the opportunity to make this pledge a reality.

On HMD 2011 – 27 January – we’re asking you to consider the role you can play in sharing Untold Stories.

It’s easy to talk about the numbers murdered and persecuted during the Holocaust and subsequent genocides. It’s less easy to appreciate what these figures mean. The millions murdered under the Nazi regime of hatred aren’t a statistic. They were individuals. Somebody’s friend. A mother. A father. A child. A colleague. A neighbour.

There are millions of stories we will never know. But we can still honour the memory of those affected by genocide by playing a part in these Untold Stories. We can listen and learn from them, we can tell others the stories we hear. Some stories are not easy to hear. They can speak of danger, pain and suffering. We must not shy away from these stories – it is vital to recognise the consequences of exclusion and persecution in order for us to learn the lessons of the past.

We all have the power to play a part in the lives and words that are remembered, it is our role to ensure that the Untold Stories from the past do not get lost. On HMD 2011, we are asking everyone to tell these stories that enable us to learn from history, from the real stories of those who are no longer with us in order to create a safer, better future.

HMD_2011_Theme (PDF document)

For further information visit http://www.hmd.org.uk/resources/theme-papers/hmd-2011-untold-stories