Marking Holocaust Memorial Day in North Herts, children were invited to enter their artwork into a competition to deepen their understanding of genocide.
The creativity of three young people was celebrated today at a special event, organised in partnership with North Herts Interfaith Forum and live streamed on our YouTube channel.
HMD takes place internationally every year on January 27 - the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp. This year’s theme was ‘One day’.
Paige from Baldock and Henry from Hitchin - who are both seven-years-old - entered North Herts Council's artwork competition, to help younger generations deepen their understanding of genocide and ensure that it forms no part of their future.
Paige’s pen and pencil drawing shows families and children playing together with the words ‘Acceptance, Hope, Love, Peace, Kindness’ and a large sun and field of poppies in the background, and Henry’s colourful drawing depicts a group of people coming together to declare ‘no pride in genocide’.
Charlie - age 15, and from Shillington - won the creative writing competition with some dramatically imaginative diary entries from April 1945, written in the first person of a concentration camp survivor.
He dedicated it to one of his relatives whose tank was the first to enter Bergen-Belsen concentration camp during the liberation.
Councillor Judi Billing, executive member for community engagement, said: “We were amazed by these entries and delighted at how they took on the challenge to interpret this year’s theme of ‘One day’.
"All three show a real maturity and understanding of genocide, and it was lovely to involve Paige, Henry and Charlie in the event.
“This special day helps us all remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, the millions of other people killed under Nazi persecution of other groups, and in the genocides which followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur.
“It’s so important to remember, and educate younger generations, so genocide forms no part of our future.”
For more information visit www.north-herts.gov.uk/HMD.
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