Welcome to the Holocaust Memorial website

Northern Ireland has held Holocaust Memorial Day Commemorations since 2002, the first being in Belfast’s Waterfront Hall. Subsequent commemorations took place in Armagh, Londonderry, Enniskillen, Lisburn and earlier this year in the Great Hall, Parliament Buildings. In 2004 Belfast’s Waterfront Hall hosted the National UK Commemoration.

The theme of next year’s commemoration will be:- 'Stand Up To Hatred' . It urges all of us to look at our behaviour to others; to understand how hate is directed against different minorities today; to explore how each of us can help make our communities stronger and safer.

Holocaust Memorial Day 2009 is an opportunity to forge links across ALL the diverse strands of local community lives, to build understanding and to unite in a common cause.

This year's commemoration will be held in partnership with a local council authority (to be announced). This has been the case in most of our previous events and provides local community representatives with the opportunity to reflect on the meaning and relevance of Holocaust Memorial Day. The partnership of central government and an advisory group comprised of local stakeholders has helped to produce balanced and reflective commemorative events.

Holocaust Memorial Day seeks to influence the future by learning from and remembering the past. An educational resource has been developed for use in schools as part of the new curriculum for learning and development. The resource complements the objectives for Holocaust Memorial Day. It provides an opportunity for teachers from various subjects to engage their pupils with an historic event of the twentieth century that has contemporary relevance for all our lives today.