Some 500 young people from Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Germany and Italy are taking part in an international conference on the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Nazi German concentration camp of Auschwitz.
 
Organized by the Christian lay association – the Community of Sant’ Egidio, the conference is held under the motto ‘Young Europeans for a World Without Violence’.
 
Its aim is to make the young generation better aware of the legacy of nationalism, racism and anti-Semitism, to consolidate inter-cultural bonds and promote civic responsibility.
 
Today’s programme includes a meeting in Krakow with a group of former inmates of the Auschwitz camp. Tomorrow, the participants will take part in a pilgrimage to the camp site.
 
The organizers have said in a statement that the memory of the Holocaust is of fundamental importance in building the future.
 
A pilgrimage to Auschwitz and a time of reflection there make it possible to undertake a mental journey into the depths of European history, particularly its painful chapters, in order to re-discover the value and dignity of human life and face the challenges of the future, the statement says. (mk)