This year, as in previous years, on January 27, 2022, Derby marked “Holocaust Day” in memory of all the genocides that have occurred in the world, in memory of all the victims and suffering of innocent people. The BiH community in this city, led by Mr. Ferid Kevrić, has been actively participating in these activities for years, and the day-long activities were also attended by H.E. Vanja Filipović, Ambassador of BiH to the UK. Strong messages against hatred and division were sent by students of the BiH supplementary school in Derby as well as Ahmed ef. Gopo.
The Bosnian-Herzegovinian folklore group “Mladost Bosne” under the watchful eye of their instructor Fahira Hasedžić had the honor of representing the BiH community from Birmingham with their folklore performance in front of an audience at the QUAD Center as part of Holocaust Remembrance Day.
This year’s keynote speaker was Dr. Larisa Olvork, Professor of History and Influence at the University of Derby. Larisa told the audience about a day in the extraordinary life of Jack Kagan (1929-2016). Kagan survived the Holocaust with the Jewish resistance group Bielski in the Naliboki Forest. The story of the Bielski partisans was immortalized in the film Defiance (2008) starring Daniel Craig. Kagan rebuilt his life in the UK after the war and became a prominent advocate for Holocaust education and remembrance nationally and internationally.
January 27 is marked as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The day when the Red Army liberated the largest Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz in Poland, on January 27, 1945, the United Nations, by passing the Resolution on Holocaust Remembrance Day in 2005, declared it a day of remembrance for all Holocaust victims.
This day is marked by a series of educational, peace, cultural and political activities that honor the victims of the Holocaust during the Second World War, raise awareness of the prevention of genocide and contribute to the achievement of the goals of the UN Resolution on Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The performance of the folklore group “Mladost Bosne” impressed not only the parents, but also everyone present. Their remarkable performance was rewarded with great applause. In addition to our little representatives, there were also Derby’s Jewish (Jews from Derby), the Ukrainian group, the Roma group, the Armenian group, the Iranian group, local schools and many more who presented themselves with their artistic performance, selection of moving and inspiring words, poetry and traditional music and dance.
This was an evening of words of tolerance, music and dance with this year’s theme “One Day”, which explores how genocidal regimes throughout history have deliberately broken societies by marginalizing certain groups, and how these tactics can be challenged if individuals stand together with their neighbors and speak out against oppression.
Dear children, Bosnians and Herzegovinans, Thank you for presenting us with pride and a smile. Thank you, our wonderful instructor Fahira Hasedžić, and your parents for taking the time to contribute to Holocaust Remembrance Day in this way.
BH UK Network
