But the legacy includes a solemn warning. No society can remain civilized for very long if oppression, injustice and discrimination against any minority group remains a matter of indifference to the majority. An assault upon the fundamental human rights and dignity of even one individual diminishes us all and creates a precedent which has the potential to harm us all. To enable these lessons to be drawn sharply and clearly, our young people, Jewish and non-Jewish, and the wider community, need to be educated about the terrible facts of the Shoah as well as the fundamental moral issues which it raises. The deceit of Holocaust denial groups, and the misinformation which they spread through the print and the electronic media and by the Internet, must be confronted.
Truth is our weapon and our survivors are the principal bearers of that truth.
Their personal testimonies, told to our young people face to face, are perhaps the most compelling means we have available to fulfil the task of education. With the passage of time, as the number of survivors inevitably diminishes, that task becomes all the more urgent. This year, as in the past, the Board has combined with the Australian Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants and a range of other organisations to create a comprehensive programme of events. Many of you will attend to grieve for dear ones who were lost during humanity's darkest hour. Others will gather as a mark of respect both for those who perished and those who survived.