Dr Martin Luther King Jnr's March on Washington speech still resonates today

I expect most people know something of the preacher from Atlanta, Georgia. If they don't know about Dr King as a person, they will probably know his famous 'I have a dream' speech. What makes it so memorable? The masses he spoke too at the National Mall in Washington D.C.? The gentle rise and fall in his tone? The way he pushed his papers aside and spoke of an ideal future America?

Looking at the pictures from that day in 1963, and there are thousands of pictures, Martin Luther King's speech was an incredible feat because it was centred on hope and faith in his country. Dr King gave his life for his people and country, because he knew there was something better. There was a better way for America to go than the segregated restaurants, buses, cities, and states. A better way where his children and his fellow citizens' children could play side-by-side. A better way where black men and white men could work and live together happily. He knew there was a Promised Land somewhere. A Promised Land where there is no hatred, racism, discrimination, injustice. A Promised Land where peace, love, and compassion towards one another would be viewed.

As he looked out over the promenade in front of Lincoln's Memorial and spoke those famous words, Dr King probably saw a glimpse of that better nation he dreamt of: in the crowd that day, there were white and black people united and unified. Was that what Dr King's dream was: a country that reflected what he saw before him from that platform?

Martin Luther King's dream has not been fulfilled completely. Yet, progress has been made on the journey towards the Promised Land he believed in and died for. As America and the world celebrates the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, looking towards the future, there are clear signs that Dr King's dream is being realised.

First there was the hope that Abraham Lincoln showed as he signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1883, so fervently described by Dr King and remembered by the memorial in Washington. Then there was the hope that Dr King brought in 1963, now remembered with the newest memorial in the United States' capital. Although he did not live to see significant progress, before his assassination in 1968, Dr King continued and continues to look over America, and indeed the world as this anniversary shows, as his dream and the hope for peace, love, and compassion towards one another continues.

The memorial is not just a symbol for America though. It is for the world. The things Dr King died for still resonate today globally. While the Holocaust and First and Second World Wars provide important lessons for today, the history of the American Civil Rights Movement is also relevant for today. It is not just a racial relevance though. Injustice... racism... discrimination... hatred... are seen in the news, media, and society today. Yesterday, the House of Commons voted against British action in Syria. President Assad and his side, the rebels, the jihadist groups are engulfed in a situation that involves all of these. The British Prime Minister has said that war crimes have been committed there. Whoever is doing so worse is irrelevant for now. The point is that the democratic, equal country and peaceful, compassionate Promised Land Dr King dreamt of is not happening. Syria is only one example. There are many more cases where inequalities are apparent. The values of peace, equality, justice and unity must be the driving force of any solution to the Syria conflict and other global situations. Dr King's famous speech to America is not just a pro-America and pro-democracy one, but a pro-world and pro-peace one.

Listen to global figures read Dr King's 'I have a dream speech' (the link is at the bottom) and remember the hope that he had for his people and country. However, you may also feel that due to the concept of the video and recording, his speech is suddenly relevant for the world; it does not sound like it is just a personal matter, relevant for the black people, rather it sounds like he is speaking to you and to me. Democracy is about 'them' as much as it is about 'us'. 'I have a dream today' is about 'us' as much as it is about 'them'.

There are many other links, videos, and articles about Martin Luther King, his speeches, and civil rights movement on the BBC website to explore. History can tell us a lot about today so have a look at them. Look into the reasons and decisions around Syria and the British vote. What about writing to your MP about the issue; after all it is a democracy where they represent the people. But let's remember and celebrate that famous speech, man, and day 50 years ago, and not just for that famous line, 'I have a dream'.

Click to listen to this new recording of the speech:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23853578
[at the bottom of the page there are further links to other material]

Click to find out about the British vote in parliament:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23892783

Click to learn about the US's response:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-administration-prepares-intelligence-case-on-syrian-use-of-chemical-weapons/2013/08/29/3002f180-10b6-11e3-bdf6-e4fc677d94a1_story.html?wpisrc=nl_politics

Click to find your local MP and how they voted [plus, information about how to contact them]:
http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/index.php

Stimulated, inspired, and prepared to reach generations

One of the highlights of the Holocaust Educational Trust's Ambassador Conference was the testimony that Hannah Lewis gave. A Holocaust survivor who came to Britain in 1949, Hannah is from a small market town in Poland. As a child, she experienced ghetto life, a labour camp, and the murder of most of her family. Only she and her father survived the war, which for many of the conference delegates, was hard-hitting. With a live Twitter feed, ITV News UK editor, Lucy Manning, led the discussion, which for both Hannah and the delegation was an emotional one. It was interesting that Hannah had only recently begun sharing her testimony with young people. For many survivors, it is very difficult to recall their memories of the Holocaust, but we were so thankful for the time and energy Hannah gave to help us as we look to educate generations about the Holocaust and its relevance for today. For me, Hannah's story, as well as other survivor testimonies, are inspirations to ensure that the atrocities of the Holocaust are not forgotten and not repeated. Each story is unique, different, and special. Every ambassador who heard Hannah at the QEII Conference Centre on Monday 8th July has a responsible to pass Hannah's and others' stories on and ensure that it remains a living history.
This testimony was one of the more personal sessions of the day. Not all were so moving though... Before and after lunch, each delegate attended two academic workshops about an aspect of the Holocaust. I obviously cannot give an outline of every seminar. However, from those I attended, they were informative, stimulating, thought-provoking and engaging. The first I sat through was taken by Professor Richard Overy from Exeter University and author of several works on Nazism and the Second World War. The second was by Professor David Cesarani from Royal Holloway, University of London, a leading British historian on the Holocaust. Professor Overy caused us to think how such horrors could have been carried out; were the perpetrators 'monsters' or were they ordinary men, simply doing their jobs? Professor Cesarani helped us analyse the Nazis' policy concerning the 'Jewish Question', unpicking several of the conventional words we use for this period of history, such as the 'Holocaust', and raising questions about the origin of 'Judenpolitik'. Speaking to other ambassadors about some of the other sessions, these workshops certainly developed our understanding and knowledge of the Holocaust, so we can pass on the relevance and lessons of the concept to generations more accurately.
The final part of the day featured a panelled discussion with some of the main speakers about why the Holocaust matters. While there was debate amongst the panellists, all agreed that the Holocaust mattered to a large extent. As Professor Bauer repeatedly argued, the Holocaust was not unique; it was unprecedented. Genocides are universal but cannot be dealt with without an understanding of the past. How do you do that? Shami Chakrabarti argued that positivity is needed, while Trudy Gold, from the London Jewish Cultural Centre, stressed that the little personal stories help understand the past the best. The Holocaust is not only to be remembered once a year, like on memorial days, throughout the year; remembrance days provide a platform for people to learn about what happened to the Jews under the Nazis constantly. It should be something to be seized and not shied away from. These were just some of the points made in what was an interesting and encouraging dialogue to close the Ambassador Conference and prepare us for reaching generations.
Reaching generations... This sounds like a difficult task and certainly suggests an immensely heavy burden to bear. However, having attended the conference, I and many of the other ambassadors feel prepared, thrilled, and eager to pursue this task. The task of reaching peers, communities, friends, and family with the relevance of the Holocaust and past for today so that such atrocities and horrors are not repeated. The Holocaust Educational Trust certainly helped us take one more step as messengers of important lessons and stories that cannot be forgotten; ones that provide the question 'that was then, what about today?'

500 come together to hear from Bauer, Robinson, and Co.

500 young people from universities and sixth forms across the country arrived at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre early on Monday 8th July. On arrival they collected conference packs and signed up to two seminars by renown lecturers and academics of their choice. This was how a phenomenal conference at a fantastic venue and with stimulating speakers organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust began.
It was inspirational to see so many people the same age enthusiastic about spending a day learning about the Holocaust and the lessons we can take from it. How the Trust organised such an event, I do not know. However, they did it and, after hours of tiresome work, it proved a great success. The day was stimulating and thought-provoking and caused us to develop our understanding about the genocide of the Jewish people by the Nazis. Although everyone was exhausted from such a long and packed day, we came away a little more prepared for reaching generations with the lessons of the Holocaust.

The conference theme was 'Reaching Generations'. As it was a launch and gathering of the Trust's Ambassador programme, the conference aimed to equip us with the knowledge to carry out our roles as ambassadors, or messengers, for the HET and the lessons of the Holocaust for today. Nick Robinson, who opened the conference, spoke about the importance of our roles as, not only a representative, but a messenger for the HET to our communities and generations. He stressed the unique responsibility and importance of our roles; we are the final generation who can hear the stories of the survivors of the Holocaust. Nick set a wonderful tone and objective for the delegation, which was immediately taken up by one of the world's leading historians of the Holocaust.
Based at Yad Vashem, Jerusalem and author of 40 related books, Professor Yehuda Bauer was a brilliant choice of speaker for the day. What he lacked in physical charisma, he made up for in his rhetoric. He caused us to completely think afresh what is meant by the Holocaust. For example, where did it start? Was it 1939, 1933, or even the First World War? Furthermore, he unpicked the traditional notion of the uniqueness of the genocide; rather the Holocaust is an unprecedented event as it can happen again. He stressed that rather than say 'never again' to the Holocaust, we should say 'ever again'.
Ambassadors were  attuned from Professor Bauer to the relevant mind-set for the following academic workshops and the rest of the day. Yet, what is the use of having such information if you do not know how to put it into action? This problem was solved by Shami Chakrabarti. As a human rights campaigner, Shami encouraged us to, as ambassadors, live the values of dignity, fairness, and, the most important, equal treatment. She, like Nick Robinson, stressed the importance of our roles as ambassadors for these lessons; we can use what we have at our disposal, whether that is writing, speaking, media, to promote these values against racism, discrimination, and injustice.
These three renown speakers and individuals, who have each played their part in Holocaust education and human rights, were excellent choices for the first Ambassador Conference. As they reached out to the conference delegation, they were helping us be able to reach generations.
However, they were not the only speakers. There was a wide variety of workshops to attend, such as 'German perpetrators' and 'Life beyond Auschwitz', with speakers like David Ceserani, a well known professor and historian on the Holocaust. There was also a chance to hear from Hannah Lewis, a survivor of the Holocaust, who told a very moving but inspiring account of her experiences. Then there were small snippets of the work of the Holocaust Educational Trust as well as general time to get to know each other, as ambassadors, better. But that can wait for the next blog post...