PRESS RELEASE
17th June 2009
First Minister addresses Holocaust Educational Trust
Student Ambassadors
Over 100 Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz Project student participants gathered in Edinburgh at an event to honour their impressive and inspirational follow-up work. The event, held at the City Chambers in Edinburgh, was address by First Minister of Scotland, Rt Hon Alex Salmond.
The event highlighted the ripple-effect that the Lessons from Auschwitz Project creates in communities. In recognition of the Project’s impact, the Scottish Government announced funding to enable two pupils from every school in Scotland to take part.
The Lessons from Auschwitz Project, which involved almost 800 pupils and teachers from across Scotland in 2007-2008, gives studentsthe opportunity to hear a Holocaust Survivor share their testimony, take part in a one-day visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau, and consider the contemporary relevance of the Holocaust. The final element of the Project requires all student participants to disseminate what they have learned to their school and wider communities. In undertaking this, past participants have led assemblies, created public exhibitions and memorials, taught lessons to younger students, organised day-long anti-racism conferences and written articles published in local papers.
At the event held at the City Chambers in Edinburgh, student participants including representatives from schools in Angus, Lanarkshire, and the Isle of Bute gave presentations to the assembled guests including their fellow LFA participants, MSPs, teachers, Holocaust educators and Survivors. The student ambassadors reflected upon their visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the key lessons they had learnt from the experience, the response of their peers to their follow-up work and the contemporary issues they addressed as a result of their participation in the Project.
Speaking at the event, First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond said: “We must never forget the suffering and inhumanity of the Holocaust. Remembering the evil of fascism from the past compels us to fight racism and antisemitism today, in all its forms. We all have a role to play in combating discrimination and hatred and the Lessons from Auschwitz Project is a great way of keeping the memories of those who suffered and died alive, and of getting young people involved in promoting awareness and understanding. The creativity and effort the pupils involved have brought to this project is commendable, and a great source of hope for the future. By continuing to share their experiences and what they have learned, they can each play a part in making sure genocide and racism are things of the past.”
Karen Pollock, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, commented: “The Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz Project is such a vital part of our work because it gives students the chance to understand the dangers and potential effects of prejudice and racism today. Hearing about the invaluable work these students have undertaken in their local communities demonstrates the importance of the visit in ensuring that the lessons of the Holocaust are learnt, disseminated and acted upon. The students who presented their impressive work today are an inspiration to us all.
“We are delighted that the First Minister and the Scottish Government have recognised the value of the Lessons from Auschwitz Project and we look forward to working with them to involve more Scottish pupils with the work of the Holocaust Educational Trust”.
John Thomson from Montrose Academy, Angus spoke of why he felt compelled to pass on the lessons he learned: “Visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau presented an overriding duty upon each and every one of us who witnessed it. This act of witness gave rise to a conviction that we all have to do something real, something about the atrocities, something to prevent the Holocaust just happening again. That was the lesson I learnt from Auschwitz, to stand up to hatred because my silence can only benefit the aggressor and not the victim, who is forgotten.”
Stewart Bicker of Rothesay Academy, Isle of Bute spoke of the contemporary relevance of the lessons he learned: “It is important to welcome new cultures to our community and to be tolerant to their cultures and beliefs. If not, we allow the growth of racism and prejudice.”
Louise McQuade of Holy Cross High School, Lanarkshire spoke about the value of visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau: “The Lessons from Auschwitz Project gave us the chance to consider humanity and the Holocaust from a different perspective than simply reading about what happened in a textbook.”
-ENDS-
Notes for editors:
Photo 1: Rt Hon Alex Salmond, First Minister; Karen Pollock, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust; Jodi Thomson & John Thomson from Montrose Academy in Angus, Louise McQuade & Susanne Martin from Holy Cross High School, Lanarkshire and Stewart Bicker (student) & Dale McKelvie (teacher ) from Rothesay Academy, Isle of Bute.
Photo 2: Rt Hon Alex Salmond addresses student participants of the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz Project
The Holocaust Educational Trust (HET)
The Holocaust Educational Trust was established in 1988 to educate young people from every ethnic background about the Holocaust and the important lessons to be learned for today. HET works in schools, universities and in the community to raise awareness and understanding of the Holocaust, providing teacher training, an outreach programme for schools, teaching aids and resource materials. HET regard one of their earliest achievements as ensuring the Holocaust formed part of the National Curriculum for History. HET continues to play a leading role in training teachers on how best to teach the Holocaust and in 2007, the Treasury pledged a three-year commitment to enable HET to administer a broad programme of teacher training.
Lessons from Auschwitz Project
The Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz Project for post-16 students and teachers is now in its tenth year and has taken over 7000 students and teachers from across the UK to Auschwitz-Birkenau, as well as many MPs and other guests. The four-part course incorporates a one-day visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau. The visits, combined with Orientation and Follow-up seminars, leave an unforgettable emotional and educational mark on participants. The Project aims to increase knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust based on the premise that ‘hearing is not like seeing’ and to signal what can happen if prejudice and racism become acceptable. For the final stage of the course, participants design and carry out follow-up work focusing on the contemporary lessons of the Holocaust in their schools and local communities.
In November 2005, the Treasury announced funding of £1.5 million for HET to support its Lessons from Auschwitz Project. The funding has enabled HET to facilitate visits to Auschwitz for 2 students from every school in the UK. In 2008, the Department for Children, Schools & Families announced renewed funding for English schools and in November 2008 the Scottish Government announced funding for Scottish schools.
ORIENTATION SEMINAR – Part 1
Participants are given the opportunity to hear a Survivor of Auschwitz-Birkenau share their testimony at the Orientation seminar. During the seminar participants are divided into small groups which are facilitated by a HET educator. The participants remain in these groups throughout the Project. Each group discusses their reasons for taking part in the Project, their expectations, preconceptions and the potential impact that the visit may have on them. It also provides a useful opportunity for participants to get to know each other before they share what for many is a very moving and important life experience.
VISIT TO AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU – Part 2
During the visit itself, students are first taken to Osweicim, the town where the Auschwitz death and concentration camps were located and where the local Jewish community lived prior to the start of the Second World War. The groups are then shown several barracks at Auschwitz I – registration documents of inmates, piles of hair, shoes, clothes and other items seized from the prisoners as they entered the camps. Participants are then taken the short distance to Birkenau. This is the site that most people associate with the word “Auschwitz” and where the vast majority of victims were murdered. The remnants of barracks, crematoria and gas chambers are in stark contrast to Auschwitz I and many people feel this has a greater impact on them. The tour of Birkenau culminates in a memorable ceremony held next to the destroyed crematoria II. The ceremony includes readings, a moment of reflection and ends with all participants lighting memorial candles and placing them around the remains of the crematoria.
FOLLOW-UP SEMINAR – Part 3
At the Follow-Up seminar participants discuss the visit, their personal responses and the impact it had on them. The seminar is very important for participants, as often visitors to Auschwitz have a delayed reaction to the experience and many find it difficult to speak to those who have not been there. Participants also discuss the contemporary relevance of the Holocaust and how they might go about passing the lessons on to others in their school or community.
‘NEXT STEPS’ – Part 4
All student participants are required to disseminate what they have learned to their school and wider community. In undertaking this, past participants have led assemblies, created public exhibitions and memorials, taught lessons to younger students, organised day-long anti-racism conferences and written articles which have been published in local papers. As a result of participating in the Project, students become ambassadors in their own communities, raising awareness of the past and challenging prejudice and racism today.
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