On January 27, CUPE Ontario joins comrades and allies around the world in marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The day was established by the United Nations in 2005 to honour the memory of the six million Jews and millions of others from persecuted groups who were brutally murdered by the Nazi regime. We commemorate both victims and survivors by recommitting ourselves to the ongoing fight against antisemitism, racism, xenophobia, and all forms of discrimination.
In a world where, every day, we see the impacts of the rise of fascism, International Holocaust Remembrance Day reminds us, as union members, of our goal of building a world rooted in fairness, justice, and equality. We continue to rely every day on solidarity and collective action, both of which help us confront the forces that try to divert us from that goal.
We also recognize the importance of educating our members about the dangers of antisemitism and the evils to which it leads. We are proud to have worked with Independent Jewish Voices (IJV), whose inspiring and compassionate leaders have led workshops and training to help us identify and counter antisemitism in our workplaces and communities.
Working with IVJ helps us live up to our values of inclusion, respect and tolerance; it allows us to maintain the vigilance we need to protect the dignity of all people. It is education and activism that enable us to lead effective challenges against the far-right ideologies that want us divided and weakened.
We will continue to hold to account all those to deny the values of human dignity, equality and respect. In doing so, we hope to honour the victims of the Holocaust. And when we reaffirm our commitment to justice and respect for human rights – when we stand against injustice whenever and wherever it occurs – we also clear the path toward a more just and inclusive future.
