BASW marks Holocaust Memorial Day

To mark Holocaust Memorial Day, BASW professional officer Joe Godden has written a blog for Community Care titled Why social workers should mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

Reminding social workers of their obligation to promote human rights, he says: “Social workers in the UK, who are carrying out their duties as agents of the state, need to do so in a way that is compatible with legal human rights obligations. BASW’s human rights policy states social workers are working on a day-to-day basis with individuals and groups whose human rights are affected by inequality, poverty and discrimination.”

Describing society’s negative portrayal of minorities as a “toxic mix, with those who are poor or who have disabilities being vilified”, Mr Godden argues this “is the start of a slippery slope to de-humanising individuals and communities.”

Read the Community Care blog in full here

BASW England Committee member Richard Servian also shares his thoughts on the impact of genocide, which can be viewed here

SASW

Longstanding SASW member Ken MacLennan has done a lot of work to raise the profile of the discrimination of Gypsy Travellers, who also suffered terrible persecution during the Holocaust.

Ken has been instrumental in Stornoway’s Holocaust Memorial Commemoration, which sees Stornoway chosen as one of seventy locations to receive a special candle designed by Sir Anish Kapoor marking the 70th anniversary since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau on 27 January 1945.

The candle was commissioned by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and will link seventy events taking place across the UK. The Stornoway candle will be lit on January 27 between 1pm and 2pm at Lews Castle College UHI.

More information about the event can be found here