Governor-General patron of The Holocaust Centre of New Zealand
New Zealand’s Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro has accepted the role of Patron of The Holocaust Centre of New Zealand.
Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro
The Centre told J-Wire: “This is a continuation of our Vice-Regal Patronage and the relationship between HCNZ and the Governor-General. Dame Cindy’s predecessor, Dame Patsy Reddy, served as HCNZ Patron. Sir Anand Satyanand, (Governor-General 2006 – 2011) was also a great supporter.
Dame Kiro said: “No country can afford to let the Holocaust fade from cultural memory. Each generation needs to learn what can happen when doctrines based on lies, hate and division take hold in a society – and the impact of that hate on innocent victims
In bearing witness to the suffering of Jewish people and other groups (Roma, homosexuals, disabled, political dissidents, and Jehovah’s Witnesses) under the Nazi regime, the Holocaust Centre reminds us that we cannot ever be complacent. Ongoing vigilance is needed to identify and resist the ideologies that underpin such acts of prejudice and persecution.
The Holocaust Centre’s teaching looks beyond the statistics to individual stories of loss and survival, resistance and resilience. Connections are made between the past and the present day, and New Zealand’s links with the Holocaust. Although our service personnel fought against the Nazi regime in the Second World War, unfortunately Aotearoa New Zealand aligned with other nations that turned their backs on refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe.
Education about the Holocaust helps to increase awareness of our ongoing responsibility to defend and advance humanitarian principles, and thereby contribute to peaceful and tolerant communities. In this way, we can all play our part creating a future free of hate, discrimination and antisemitism.
As Governor-General of New Zealand, I am pleased to be Patron of the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand.”
Very nice and commendable. Now, how about converting platitudes into real action by making Holocaust studies a compulsory part of high school history curriculum.