IAN SHELDON, SENIOR DEPUTY HEAD

With thanks to Ceri Stokes, Deputy Head Pastoral and the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust

Genocide is a tough subject with which to introduce a new week in school. Genocide refers to acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. I think that the systematic extermination of a race of people is amongst – no, is – the most abhorrent act that humans carry out against each other.

Today, the 27th January, is Holocaust Memorial Day. This is the day each year when we remember the six million Jewish people who were systematically persecuted and murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators during the Holocaust.

Today is the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp. It's estimated that 1.1 million Jews were exterminated in this camp alone. Many others worked as slaves to power the Nazi war effort, and yet more were subject to appalling medical experiments. Mrs Stokes has visited the camp and kindly shared the pictures on the next two slides with me.

Firstly, the sign at the camp's entrance with the lie "Arbeit macht Frei": "work sets you free". There was never any intention that the people coming into the camp would ever be freed. They were "untermenschen", which translates simply as sub-human.

Personal belongings were removed as soon as people arrived. This is a small fraction of the leather shoes: each pair from a person who would be murdered because of who they were. Similar exhibits exist at other death camps, and in Holocaust museums around the world, and the connection with their owners is so stark.

Now 80 years on, there are few survivors left. But some remain and are dedicated to telling their stories, so that we can remember.

Susan Pollack grew up in Hungary, and experienced antisemitism from a young age. In 1944 Susan was sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where she was separated from her family. After the war, she found out that more than 50 of her relatives had been killed and that only she and her brother had survived.

On Holocaust Memorial Day, we also remember other groups of people who were persecuted and murdered by the Nazis. These include: Roma and Sinti people, disabled people, gay people, Jehovah’s Witnesses, political opponents and many others.

Rudolf Brazda was the last known concentration camp survivor deported specifically for homosexuality. He was sent to prison twice, and then deported to Buchenwald concentration camp in 1942 where he was subject to forced labour for 32 months.

After the Holocaust, the world said ‘Never Again’. But humanity has failed to learn lessons from the Holocaust, and genocides continue to happen around the world, to this day. On Holocaust Memorial Day we remember the millions of men, women and children, who have been murdered in the genocides which followed – in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

People are still discriminated against today because of their religion, their race, their sexuality, or some other element of their identity. Whilst we are not at immediate risk of genocide here in the UK, hate speech and prejudice are frequently seen online, and the number of hate crimes recorded each year has been increasing. Outside of the UK, at this very moment genocide is taking place in the region of Darfur, which is part of the country of Sudan in Africa.

80 years on, there are few survivors of the Holocaust. But those who remain keep reminding us the reason why history must be studied: so that we avoid the same thinking in the future. The theme for this year's Holocaust Memorial Day is "For a Better Future" and if we want a better future, we must learn, and make a stand against misinformation, racism and persecution.

Today across the UK, thousands of local events and activities take place every year, in schools, communities, libraries, prisons, museums and galleries, in faith groups and many more. These activities include candle lightings, performances, art projects, readings, talks and much more - and this is one. Each event is an opportunity for people to reflect on the lives of people affected by genocide, and to challenge prejudice, discrimination and hatred in our own society today.

Let us remember the victims of the Holocaust and other genocides. Let us honour their memory by working towards a world where such atrocities never happen again. Let us build a future where everyone can live in peace, dignity, and respect. A future where diversity is celebrated, where differences are respected, and where everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Let us not be bystanders to injustice. Let us be upstanders, speaking out against hatred and bigotry wherever we see it. Let us work together to create a world where everyone feels safe, valued, and respected.

We have a voice. Let's use it.