Monday, 30 January 2017

Thoughts on Holocaust Memorial Day

I remember when I visited Yad Vashem, Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, in Jerusalem in 1980. I was 18, and it was a chilling experience, one that left a permanent impression in my mind about how humans can be so cruel to humans.
Friday was Holocaust Memorial Day and a chance to remember as well as to reaffirm the better side of human nature. At a time when bigotry and division are playing out on our television screens on a daily basis, I reflect that human nature is easily swayed towards cruelty. We need the leaders of our nation and of our organisations to act differently, drawing on our better nature and remaining connected, committed to peace and respect as a better way forward.