Holocaust Memorial Day is the day for everyone to remember the millions of people murdered in the Holocaust and in the genocides which followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur. It is held on 27 January, which marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest death camp.

The theme for the 2023 Holocaust Memorial Day is Ordinary People. Andrew Muir said: “The theme for this year’s Memorial Day is very powerful, as it makes us stop to think how unbelievable it can be when ordinary people can carry out extraordinary acts of violence and cruelty on other ordinary people, who were just trying to live their lives and look after their families.

“Over the past decades we have seen too many times how powerful leaders have started to build support for a cause, encouraging ordinary people to get more and more involved to carry out actions without question. Actions that can be life-changing for other ordinary people. 

“In our democratic world there needs to be accountability on leaders, so the horrors of the Holocaust can never be allowed to happen again.”