The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme
Outreach Division, United Nations Department of Public Information
On 1 November 2005, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 60/7 designating 27 January as an annual International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. The Day is observed in the General Assembly Hall with a memorial ceremony and an annual lecture.
The General Assembly also requested the Secretary-General to establish a programme of outreach on the subject of the “Holocaust and the United Nations” to mobilize civil society for Holocaust remembrance and education, to help prevent future acts of genocide. Its theme “Remembrance and Beyond”, serves to highlight and connect the main two elements of the Programme – remembering the victims of the Holocaust and helping to prevent future acts of genocide.
Since its establishment in January 2006, the Outreach Programme has developed an international network of civil society groups, collaborated with world-renowned institutions and garnered the support of experts in the field of Holocaust and genocide studies to develop a multi-faceted programme that includes: seminars for United Nations Information Officers, discussion papers drafted by distinguished scholars from around the world, briefings, film screenings and innovative on-line information products for educators. The Outreach Programme is also a permanent observer to the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research, which was commended by the United Nations General Assembly for its work.
Development of educational curricula by Member States on the lessons of the Holocaust
The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme supports the development of educational curricula by Member States on the lessons of the Holocaust in a number of ways. It developed the “Electronic Notes for Speakers” project, together with Yad Vashem, The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority, the University of Southern California Shoah Foundation for Visual History and Education, Le Mémorial de la Shoah and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM). This online pedagogical tool, available in English, French and Spanish provides concise, detailed information on the history and human experience of the Holocaust and has been praised by educators. The discussion papers, which have been drafted by Holocaust and genocide scholars and experts from Australia, China, France, Ghana, Israel, Sudan and the United States, are used in the classroom to stimulate study of the causes of genocide and encourage debate on preventive action. The Outreach Programme’s website also contains a number of other information resources on Holocaust remembrance and webcasts of all its events. In addition, the Outreach Programme disseminates educational materials to United Nations information centres, for use in their libraries and to share with educators and civil society groups in their countries.
Panel discussions
The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme has organized five panel discussions to date on the topic of Holocaust awareness and genocide prevention. Held at United Nations Headquarters in New York, the seminars are attended by Member States, non-governmental organizations, students, educators and United Nations staff members.
The first took place on 12 May 2006, organized with USHMM, Yad Vashem, Levande Historia and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The seminar examined effective communications tools, and educational resources on issues related to the Holocaust and genocide.
The Deputy Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone, the former Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict, the New York Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and an academic expert joined the Chair of the Secretary-General’s Advisory Committee on Genocide Prevention in a seminar held on 14 September 2006, which explored the causes of genocide and the role of the United Nations in helping to prevent it.
The third seminar, on “Combating Hatred” with the participation of the Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, was held on 8 November 2007 the eve of the anniversary of the Kristallnacht Pogrom. The roundtable discussion featured speakers from civil society who shared best practices to overcome hatred, prejudice and intolerance in society.
The seminar called“Saving Succeeding Generations”, was held on 26 June 2008 in collaboration with the United Nations University New York Office. The keynote remarks were delivered by Edward C. Luck, Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General; Yad Vashem presented cases of rescue during the Holocaust and USHMM demonstrated the Google Earth Satellite Imagery used in its campaign against mass violence. The briefing engaged the audience in a discussion on our individual and collective responsibility to protect those threatened by genocide and other crimes against humanity. Effective practices and communications tools in the campaign against mass violence were also examined. This meeting coincided with the anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter and emphasized the linkage between the goals and values of the Organization and its mandated activities in the areas of Holocaust remembrance and genocide prevention.
On 10 November 2008, in observance of the 70th anniversary of the Kristallnacht Pogrom, the Programme, in partnership with the Permanent Missions of the Federal Republic of Germany and Israel, organized a panel discussion which examined the events leading up to the violence against the Jewish people, how immigration policy contributed to the outcome and the lessons that this history offers today, as well as a profile of Jewish emigration to Shanghai; the documentary film “My Opposition: the Diaries of Friedrich Kellner” was screened in connection with this panel discussion, telling the story of former court official Friedrich Kellner, a political activist in the Third Reich who defied the Nazis by campaigning against them and later secretly documenting their atrocities in his diary.
UNICS Training Seminars
In 2007 and 2008, the Outreach Programme partnered with Holocaust institutions to organize four, week-long regional seminars, designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of local level staff at the United Nations information centres worldwide in the areas of Holocaust remembrance, human rights and the prevention of genocide. Holocaust and human rights experts presented an overview of the evolution of antisemitism and other forms of intolerance. They also examined the devastating impact of the Holocaust and World War II, resulting in the founding of the United Nations and the creation of international legal norms designed to prevent and punish crimes against humanity and genocide. The purpose of these seminars is to better equip the information officers in the field to raise public awareness about the Holocaust and its relevance today, and apply the principles they learn to outreach activities that promote respect for diversity and human rights. Seminars were held in May 2007, at USHMM (Washington D.C.), in October 2007, at Yad Vashem (Jerusalem), in November 2007, at Le Mémorial de la Shoah (Paris) and in April 2008 at the House of the Wannsee Conference Memorial and Educational Site (Berlin). As a result of these training seminars and the ongoing guidance that the Outreach Programme provides to the global network of United Nations information centres, the number of field offices organizing Holocaust Remembrance Day observances doubled from 2007 to 2008, and the number of Holocaust related activities in the centres increased three-fold.
Permanent exhibit
In 2008, the Outreach Programme unveiled a permanent exhibit on the “Holocaust and the United Nations” at United Nations Headquarters. The exhibit, developed with the assistance Holocaust scholars from leading institutions, presents an overview of the tragedy in the context of World War II and the founding of the United Nations. It will be seen by the 400,000 visitors who visit United Nations Headquarters annually.
Daniel Pearl Music Days
The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme also collaborates with local partners to identify ways to engage contemporary society in learning from the lessons of the Holocaust. In October 2008, the Outreach Programme collaborated with the Museum of Jewish Heritage– A Living Memorial to the Holocaust for the second year, to co-sponsor a concert during Daniel Pearl Music Days. This event unites thousands of musicians from over 60 countries to use the universal language of music to help spread a message of respect for diversity and solidarity.
Looking forward
Looking forward, the Outreach Programme will publish a journal of its discussion papers in English and French this year.