Secretary general of the United Nations, UN, Mr. António Guterres, has canvassed peaceful co-existence among nations.
He made the appeal yesterday at the International Day in memory of victims of holocausts. The UN chief condemned racism and violence in countries around the world.
He said: “Today, we remember the six million Jewish men, women and children who perished in the holocaust. Countless others also lost their lives as cruelty convulsed the world.
“Yet decades since the Second World War, we see the persistence of anti-Semitism and an increase in other forms of prejudice.
“Neo-Nazis and white supremacy groups are among the main purveyors of extreme hatred. And too often, vile views are moving from the margins to the mainstream of societies and politics.”
He solicited standing together against the normalisation of hatred, adding that whenever and wherever humanity’s values are abandoned, the people would all be at risk.
Mr Guterres spoke on the theme: “Holocaust remembrance and education: our shared responsibility.”
According to him, everybody has a responsibility to quickly; clearly and decisively resist racism and violence.
Through education and understanding, we could build a future of dignity, human rights and peaceful co existence for all, he said.
Marking the day in Lagos, the Director of the United Nations Information Centre,UNIC, Mr. Ronald Kayanja, urged a change of mind set on hate speech.
He disclosed that propaganda was used during the period of the holocaust, and solicited effective education to re-orientate the masses about its dangers.
The day was marked with a quiz competition that was keenly contested among selected schools in Lagos State.
