Today is Holocaust Memorial Day, a date chosen for 27 January marks the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp.
This day marks a time for everyone to pause to remember the millions of people who have been murdered or whose lives have been changed beyond recognition during the Holocaust, Nazi Persecution and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
Today, we remember the horrors of the past for it is only by understanding and remembering those who died in the Holocaust that we can adequately tackle modern-day intolerance.
In remembering the Holocaust we remind ourselves how important it is not to spread messages of hate, or to exclude people because of things like the colour of their skin or the religious beliefs they hold.
I am sadly reminded that there was an increase of 41% in the number of racially or religiously aggravated crimes following the EU referendum. Although the majority of people would be shocked and abhorred by this fact, discrimination has not ended. Now I feel it is more important than ever that we are vigilant to messages of hate and strive to ensure we live our lives guided by the principles of tolerance and respect. We are united by our humanity and on days such as today it is imperative we remember and pledge to learn lessons from the atrocities of the past.
By remembering the Holocaust we remain aware that we, as humans, are capable of heinous things. But remind ourselves that by coming together, and educating the young we can strive to ensure that such horrors remain in our collective memory and never happen again.
If you would like to learn more about Holocaust Memorial Day you can read about it here http://howcanlifegoon.hmd.org.uk/ Holocaust Educational Trust (UK)