Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Councillor Donald Wilson will mark international Holocaust Memorial Day this evening (Thursday) at a special commemorative event held at Broughton High School, organised in partnership with the Edinburgh Inter-Faith Association.
A number of guest speakers will be attending for a special night of music, dance and poetry that will be held to commemorate the impact of the atrocities committed not only during the Holocaust but since.
The award winning musician and Rwandan genocide survivor, Jean Paul Samputu, who runs the Samputu Forgiveness Campaign, will be performing some of his songs as well as relaying his life changing experiences that occurred in his home nation.
Other speakers will include Edinburgh resident and Holocaust survivor, Marianne Lazlo, who will be accompanied by other members of Edinburgh’s Jewish community, as well as Sello Hatang from the Nelson Mandela foundation. Pupils of all ages from Broughton High School will be performing readings, dance pieces, music recitals and short dramatic sketches throughout the night.
Lord Provost Donald Wilson said: “It’s vital that we never forget the horrors experienced by so many people both during the Holocaust and in subsequent genocides. I very much hope that we can all continue to work together to eradicate persecution from our society. This event is a special way to mark Holocaust Memorial Day and having the chance to hear from people with first hand experience of such atrocities will be undoubtedly a very moving and humbling experience.”
Broughton High School head teacher, John Wilson, said; “It is a privilege for Broughton High School to host this event and to be working in partnership with City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh Inter-Faith Association. This is a real opportunity for us as a school to underline our commitment to addressing prejudice and discrimination at all levels. Senior pupils at Broughton High School and the Inter Faith organisation have planned what will be a remarkable and memorable event held within our community.”
Holocaust Memorial Day on Sunday 27 January is run by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust – a charity which works to raise awareness of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides to provide an opportunity to learn the lesson and apply them to the present day to create a safer, better future.
The Edinburgh Inter-Faith Association was officially formed in 1989 to promote and facilitate positive engagement between the faith communities of our religiously and culturally diverse city. The EIFA is now considered one of the most experienced and developed Inter-Faith bodies in the U.K.
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