Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) 2025 (27 Jan) marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration camp complex, and the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Bosnia.
The theme for this year is ‘For a better future’.
The South Belfast MLA has said: “The theme of this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day is one of hope, one that implores each and every one of us to reflect on the atrocities of the past so that we may prevent anything similar happening in the future. Today, we pay tribute to those who have been killed as a result of genocide.
“I’m incredibly proud of the role Northern Ireland has played in offering sanctuary to those who need it, from the children who fled the Nazis as part of the Kindertransport to the Ukrainian families forced to leave their homes by Putin’s aggression. We want Northern Ireland to continue offering solidarity and safety to those fleeing persecution.
“We must never take for granted the freedoms we enjoy today. As we observe populist politics continuing to threaten democracy in different parts of the world, and marginalised groups be made scapegoats, there remains a duty on us all to be cognisant of injustice and harmful rhetoric. To robustly reject and challenge the scourges of antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, xenophobia, sectarianism, homophobia and transphobia.
“We must stand firmly united against prejudice, hatred, and violence in all its forms.”