Buildings across East Dunbartonshire will be lit up in purple on Thursday 27 January as the Council marks this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day.
The Community Hubs in Bearsden, Bishopbriggs and Kirkintilloch along with Milngavie Town Hall, will all shine purple as people across the globe join to remember the millions murdered during the Holocaust and subsequent genocides.
Holocaust Memorial Day has been commemorated by the Council since 2007 and is an international day of remembrance. The date chosen is the anniversary of the Soviet Army liberating the largest Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, in 1945.
Joint Council leader Vaughan Moody said, "It’s important that we never forget the horrors of the Holocaust and the genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. Holocaust Memorial Day allows us and millions of others across the world to remember the suffering that hatred and discrimination can cause.
“It’s an important day for us to mark as it encourages us all to pay tribute to those that were murdered, and honour the survivors whose lives were irrevocably changed. It also reminds us that we must reject and challenge hatred in all forms and cannot be complacent in our aim to create a safer future for everyone.”
Joint Council leader Andrew Polson added, "The theme for this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day is ‘One Day’. This theme can be honoured in different ways – all of which allow us to come together to remember and learn about the atrocities that have occurred in the world.
“We need to recognise that hateful language and behaviour, both online and offline, needs to be challenged and prevented. Holocaust Memorial Day gives us the opportunity to reflect on the past and the present - inviting us to learn the lessons of the past so it doesn’t happen again in future.”
EDLC Libraries will be featuring a range of eBooks and eAudiobooks exploring the experiences and stories of those impacted by the Holocaust across their digital collections. For more information visit EDLC 24/7 library
Further information about Holocaust Memorial Day can be found by visiting the Holocaust Memorial Day website
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