Promoting Holocaust Education
Task Force Declaration on Promoting Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research, presented to the Washington conference on Holocaustera Assets, Washington, December 3, 1998
(Germany, Israel, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States)
The international community's recent attention to the longneglected issues of Holocaustera assets has prompted a number of countries to look more closely at both their own roles and the broader history of this tragic period. While differing enormously in content and intensity, these developments are encouraging, useful, and necessary. Holocaust education, remembrance, and research strengthen humanity's ability to absorb and learn from the dark lessons of the past, so that we can ensure that similar horrors are never again repeated.
As the international community continues to focus on the Holocaustera assets issues at the 1998 Washington Conference and beyond, the priority and urgency for international attention must also encompass Holocaust education' remembrance, and research. Efforts and resources in this direction should be expanded to reinforce the historic meaning and enduring lessons of the Holocaust ("Shoah") and to combat its denial.
To address this imperative, we are committing our countries to encourage parents, teachers, and civic, political, and religious leaders to undertake with renewed vigour and attention Holocaust education, remembrance, and research, with a special focus on our own countries' histories. We will strengthen our existing programs or launch new ones to advance this common objective. We pledge our commitment to this endeavour and have joined together to develop an unprecedented diplomatic cooperation in this field, in a spirit of partnership, humanity, and justice. We call on the other nations participating in the Washington Conference on Holocaust-Era Assets to also take steps to strengthen existing Holocaust education, remembrance, and research efforts, and to undertake new ones where necessary. We invite nations to work with the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research to pursue these common goals.
As this century comes to a close, our determination never to forget is a key to realizing progress for mankind. The healing of the world (in Hebrew, tikun olam) is a solemn duty of all who cherish freedom and human dignity. We hope our efforts to deepen Holocaust education, remembrance, and research will help to fulfill that responsibility as we begin a new millennium .