Some dignitaries at the event
The Embassy of Israel in Ghana has held a solemn event to mark the International Holocaust Remembrance Day in memory of the approximately six million Jews who were murdered during the Second World War.
The event which took place in Accra on Wednesday January 30, 2019, was attended by dignitaries made up of government officials, religious leaders and some members of the diplomatic community.
Highlight of the event was the screening of the 55-minute long documentary titled: “Numbered” that captured the stories of holocaust survivors who were tattooed with serial numbers and detained in camps located in Auschwitz of Germany.
The German Ambassador to Ghana, Christoph Retzlaff, described the holocaust that happened at Auschwitz as an assault on human dignity that should never be tolerated or allowed to happen anywhere.
“Taking frank ownership of our past was important for Germany. Our commitment is firmly rooted in our awareness of the importance of freedom and the rule of law, pluralism and tolerance,” he said.
He insisted that values that promote human dignity should be guarded jealously against prejudice, stereotypes and racist ideologies that insult and disadvantage others.
The Ambassador of Israel to Ghana, Shani Cooper, who shared her personal stories of the holocaust at the event called for a concerted and collective effort to eliminate all forms of anti-Semitism and racism in the world.
“I am trying to do so every day, understanding that I will never be able to change the past but may be, together, we can change the present,” she added.
The Country Representative of UNDP, Gita Welch, also read a message on behalf of the Secretary General of the UN – António Guterres.
She called for more vigilance against all forms of anti-Semitism and hatred that had over the years manifested in the proliferation of neo-Nazi groups, bigotry in the internet space and intolerance, targeting minority groups such as Muslims, migrants and refugees.
By Issah Mohammed