A new educational initiative has been put together in Bath & North East Somerset to help raise awareness of the European Holocaust and other atrocities of the 21st century.

The Bath & North East Somerset Faith Foundation, which coordinates events across the district every year to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27th, is leading the initiative.

The organisation’s Director, Nathan Hartley, said: “As we approach both the 79th and 80th anniversaries of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland, the largest Nazi death camp during the Second World War, our team are always looking at ways in which we can educate and share with the public just how horrific the atrocities of 21st Europe were.

Today, there is increasing division in communities across the UK and the world. Now more than ever, we need to stand together and educate children and young people about the events of the Holocaust.”

The foundation’s new Holocaust Awareness Project will share resources with B&NES Schools in the run up to Holocaust Memorial Day in January – giving teachers and educational leaders useful information on how the issue can be discussed, whilst observing sensitivities around the topic.

“The initiative also encourages young people to celebrate their differences,” added Nathan, “various regimes throughout history have deliberately fractured societies by marginalising certain groups. Our new educational project shows how we can learn from the past by encouraging individuals to stand together with their neighbours, and speak out against oppression.”

In the run up to Holocaust Memorial Day in January, schools can receive free educational packs from the B&NES Faith Foundation by emailing: [email protected]

The Foundation will also be announcing the arrangements for Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations soon.

The organisation was established several years ago to:

• Support, encourage, and strengthen the work of faith groups across the district.

• Act as a conduit between faith groups and public bodies in ensuring they have a voice and have representation on issues that matter to them.

• Carry out research into socio-religious trends in Bath, Somerset and the wider area.

• Run community engagement projects with faith (and non-faith) groups

• Organise events that promote social inclusion, learning and understanding