Martin signs Holocaust Book of Commitment
Martin has signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment in the House of Commons. In signing the Book of Commitment, Martin paid tribute to those who perished during the Holocaust and honoured the extraordinary Holocaust survivors who work tirelessly to educate young people about what they endured, through the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Outreach programme.
Founded by Lord Janner of Braunstone and the late Lord Merlyn Rees, the Holocaust Educational Trust was formed in 1988 as a result of renewed interest and need for knowledge about the Holocaust during the passage of the War Crimes Act. The Trust’s aim is to raise awareness and understanding in schools and amongst the wider public of the Holocaust and its relevance today. The Trust believes the Holocaust must have a permanent place in our nation’s collective memory.
One of the Trust’s first achievements was to ensure that the Holocaust was included in the National Curriculum for England in 1991 – for Key Stage 3 students (11-14 year olds). They also successfully campaigned to have the assets of Holocaust victims and survivors released and returned to their rightful owners.
Since 1999 the Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz Project has given thousands of post-16 students and teachers the opportunity to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau as part of a four-part educational programme. The Project is now in its fourteenth year and has taken more than 18,000 students and teachers from across the UK to Auschwitz-Birkenau, as well as many MPs and other guests.
Having played a crucial role in the establishment of Holocaust Memorial Day in the UK in 2001, the Trust continues to play a key role in the delivery of this national commemorative day.
The trust works in schools, colleges and higher education institutions, providing teacher training workshops and lectures, as well as teaching aids and resource materials
If you would like some more information on the Holocaust Educational Trust you can visit their website at www.het.org.uk