Annette Brooke MP and Dorset students return from Auschwitz ready to act on lessons learned
April 27, 2009 12:00 AM
Annette Brooke MP and students from schools in Mid Dorset and North Poole returned from the Holocaust Educational Trust's regional visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau on Thursday 23rd April vowing to act on the lessons learned from the experience.
The visit was a unique opportunity to see what happened at Auschwitz-Birkenau, to pay respect to those who lost their lives, and to explore the universal lessons of the Holocaust. The group was shown around the camp's barracks and crematoria, and witnessed the registration documents of inmates, piles of hair, shoes, clothes and other items seized by the Nazis. They were then taken the short distance to Birkenau where a memorial and candle-lighting service was held to remember the 6 million Jews, and the Roma, Sinti, gay, disabled, black people, and other victims of the Nazis killed in the Holocaust.
The course includes an orientation and follow-up seminar, to prepare students for the visit and to reflect on their experiences. On their return, students are required to give a presentation to their peers, based on their experience of visiting Auschwitz and the lessons they have learnt. In this way, as many young people as possible benefit from the Lessons from Auschwitz Project. Government funding has enabled the Trust to facilitate regional visits to Auschwitz, as part of its Lessons from Auschwitz Project for thousands of students each year.
Commenting Annette said:
"I cannot underestimate the importance of visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau and recognising the full extent of the industrialised nature of the Holocaust. These events may have taken place over 60 years ago but as our society bears witness; we need to continue to teach the lessons of the Holocaust to the younger generations in order to fight bigotry and hatred today.
I look forward to seeing how the students will communicate their experience to their peers and am encouraged that many more students will now have the opportunity to participate in the course in future years. I hope that this will ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are truly learnt, disseminated and acted upon."
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