January 27th marks the 78th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp. The International Holocaust Memorial Day was designated on November 1st 2005 by the United Nations General Assembly to remember more than six million Jewish People murdered during the Holocaust.
Besides commemorating those who lost their lives, Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) is dedicated to creating awareness and countering antisemitism, racism, and other forms of discrimination and intolerance. Countries and organizations around the world honor the victims and develop policies and education programs to prevent atrocity crimes and genocide from happening again! Also, it is an opportune time to visit and care for historical sites to learn more about genocide and other crimes against humanity. Holocaust Memorial Day is also used to remember and honor the millions of people persecuted and killed during the Nazi regime, i.e., Roma and Sinti.
The Holocaust, also known as Shoah, is the greatest tragedy in human history. For this reason, on January 27th each year, people worldwide come together to promote understanding, togetherness, prevention, and friendship among religions, races, beliefs, and nations. As we all celebrate International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we can prevent the denial and recurrence of all crimes against humanity that violate human rights in any way, shape, or form.