As we have already entered a new century, so too have we begun a new era of tolerance and appreciation for cultural and ethnic difference in Canada and abroad. With this in mind, it is becoming increasingly important for Canadians to foster an environment that acknowledges past wrongdoing with regard to racism, and to take a firm stand against hatred and discrimination. One of the most widely talked about human rights violations is known as the Holocaust, which was, in short, a systematic annihilation of millions of ‘undesirable’ peoples in the years between 1939 and 1945, also known as World War II. The Nazi Party stood for the destruction of the Jewish people, people with physical disabilities, Roma (Gypsies), communists and other political prisoners. By the end of Hitler’s tyranny, approximately 11 million people had been killed as a direct result of his racist beliefs.
In Canada, there is no national monument commemorating the lives lost during the Holocaust. This is why Jer’s Vision is spearheading the National Holocaust Monument Initiative. Our goal is to erect a monument in the National Capital Region that will honour the lives lost during the Holocaust, and stand as a reminder for future generations to identify and abolish discrimination.
Through research on Canada’s involvement in the Holocaust (before, during, and after), we hope to determine why there is no monument commemorating the Holocaust in the Capital region, as well as identifying other National Holocaust Monuments around the world.
Research Paper
Please download and read this paper that describes Canada’s involvement, or lack of involvement in the lessoning of the Jewish, and non Jewish death-toll: