Speeches – 2008

The Honourable Jason Kenney

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies Spirit of Hope Benefit

Ottawa, Ontario, May 29, 2008

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Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me begin by saying what a great pleasure it is for me to be participating in this year' s Spirit of Hope Benefit.

As well, I want to take this opportunity to commend the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies on the role you play in fostering understanding among diverse communities.  This is an important building block in achieving peace and stability, and the Government of Canada appreciates your efforts in this regard.

At last year' s Canadian Holocaust Remembrance Day Ceremony, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said "Let us plainly state the awful, incontrovertible truth that brings us here today: millions, including six million Jewish men, women, and children were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust."

The extermination of millions of Jewish people and others during World War II was a crime against humanity. 

And in remembering the Holocaust and paying tribute to its victims, we renew our commitment to fight against the evils of racism, discrimination, and anti-Semitism. 

The Government of Canada is committed to combating all forms of racism, discrimination, and anti-Semitism, and to ensuring that the memory of the Holocaust is never lost.

To that end, in 2005 we co-sponsored the resolution on Holocaust Remembrance at the UN General Assembly. 

Last year, Canada co-sponsored another UN resolution that condemns any denial of the Holocaust.  This resolution, which was adopted by consensus, emphasizes that to deny the events of the Holocaust is equivalent to approving genocide in all its forms.

The Government of Canada believes it is crucial to keep the memory of this devastating period in human history alive in order to learn from it. 

Only by understanding the causes and consequences of the Holocaust can we ensure that it never happens again.

Last June, I had the privilege of going to Prague to present Canada' s formal application to start the process for obtaining membership on the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research.

The Task Force supports the development of public engagement initiatives that will provide future generations with opportunities to learn from the horrendous lessons of the Holocaust and in this way help prevent future acts of genocide.

Canada has recently submitted its Baseline Study on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research with a view to advancing to the next stage of membership, and we are firmly committed to continuing the efforts to become a full member of the Task Force. 

Our ongoing efforts reflect the Government' s commitment to ensuring that future generations of Canadians have every opportunity to understand the causes of the Holocaust and to reflect on its consequences.

The Government of Canada will continue to preserve and promote human rights, here at home and around the world.  They are an important part of the fundamental values that Canadians embrace, along with democracy, freedom, and the rule of law.

And we appreciate the fact that the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies will be working in tandem to promote these goals.

I want to thank the Center for inviting me to this event – so aptly titled Spirit of Hope.  I believe the spirit of hope is the driving force behind your significant achievements in promoting human rights and dignity, and it is precisely this spirit that must guide all of our ongoing work. 

In closing, allow me to say it has been both a privilege and a pleasure for me to be with you today.