January 27 is recognized by the United Nations as the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Holocaust and commemorates the liberation of prisoners from the Auschwitz concentration camps in 1945.

This January 27, the Human Rights Chair of Ilia State University School of Law acknowledged Holocaust Remembrance Day with an event that featured a number of student speakers:  Mariam Otiashvili, Keti Gaprindashvili, and Nino Guruli from Tbilisi N21 Public School, and Salome Kiknadze, from Ilia’s School of Law. USAID’s Rule of Law Program supported the event.

Mariam Melkadze, Ilia School of Law Project Coordinator moderated the event and helped the students understand the profound impact of the Holocaust.

During the discussions, participants explored the meaning of discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, and other factors. The moderator emphasized the devastating effects of anti-Semitism, the Holocaust being the most terrible result of such anti-Semitism. Twenty-five students from high schools and Ilia School of Law heard excerpts from interviews with Holocaust survivors, offering poignant narratives of tragedy, hope, and resilience.