Local MP signs the Anne Frank Declaration to support tolerance and peace

A commemoration of the life of Anne Frank, famous Holocaust victim, was celebrated on the day that would have been her birthday. Anne Snelgrove MP showed up in support of the 10th Anniversary of the Anne Frank Declaration and the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at a parliamentary reception that was held in honour of Anne Frank Day 2008.

The Anne Frank Declaration is a document that was started by the Anne Frank Trust UK as a commitment to challenge prejudice and reduce hatred while honouring the children who were persecuted during the Holocaust. As a global sign of peace and tolerance, Anne Frank’s vision is being carried out through educational programmes across the UK, reaching over 125,000 individuals a year.

Exhibitions are being held in London, as well as regionally, to educate individuals about the story of Anne Frank and the history of the Holocaust. The Trust hopes that these exhibitions of photos, narratives, quotes, historical artefacts, and life-size replicas will act a catalyst for social activism

Anne Snelgrove, MP for Swindon, said: “World War II is receding into the past, but we must never ever forget what happened to millions of people who were persecuted and killed because of their race, religion or colour. Anne Frank+You asks us to consider where do we all stand in relation to the holocaust and all the other terrible examples of repression we have witnessed in the last 60 years… The messages from Anne Frank’s diaries still resonate strongly.

In January 2009, to coincide with Holocaust Memorial Day at the end of month, the prestigious exhibition Anne Frank+You will be in Swindon for a month. The exhibition confronts discrimination and how we include people in this country, issues like bullying, community cohesion and the importance of democracy.

Anne Snelgrove initiated the process which led to the exhibition coming to Swindon.