International Day of Holocaust Remembrance January 27th - International Youth Congress

On November 1, 2005, more than sixty years after World War II, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 60/7, establishing the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. This International Holocaust Remembrance Day is annually observed on January 27, marking the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau on January 27, 1945.

We believe in the power of youth, as the next generation, to influence human society. In this spirit, Yad Vashem has decided to initiate an International Youth Congress as part of the proceedings marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, 2008. This conference, gathering youth leaders from across the globe to meet, converse and make the voice of their generation heard on the subject of shaping Holocaust remembrance and its significance for the future, will be held at Yad Vashem.

The three-day congress will bring together students from all around the world in a joint effort to expand their knowledge on Holocaust-related issues, such as the challenges of preserving the memory of the Holocaust in the 21st century which will ultimately enable them to draft a declaration that will strengthen their commitment to Holocaust remembrance and its implications for future generations.

During the congress, students will visit the new historical museum at Yad Vashem, tour various memorial sites on campus, meet with Holocaust survivors, and will have an opportunity to discuss major historical, ethical, educational, and philosophical issues with leading scholars. In addition, the students will explore the multi-cultural city of Jerusalem.
         
We hope that this first-ever congress at the International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem will become an annual event.

▲ Top