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Days of Remembrance

The United States Congress established the Days of Remembrance as America's annual commemoration of the victims of the Holocaust and created the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as a permanent living memorial to those victims. In accordance with its Congressional mandate, the Museum is responsible for leading the nation in commemorating the Days of Remembrance, including the national Days of Remembrance ceremony in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, and for encouraging and sponsoring appropriate observances throughout the United States. Days of Remembrance are observed by state and local governments, military bases, workplaces, schools, churches, synagogues, and civic centers.
2009 Days of Remembrance

Theme
Never Again: What You Do Matters

National Ceremony in Capital Rotunda, April 23
President Obama to speak
Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom Hashoah)
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Names Reading Ceremony
See a list of proclamations from cities, states, and government departments

http://www.ushmm.org/remembrance/dor/

This is not just Yom Hashoah, The day of rememberance for Jews only. It is also to draw attention to and try to stop current atrocities going on in the world, such as what is going on in Darfur:


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Since early 2003, Sudanese government soldiers and their proxy militia, known as Janjaweed, have fought rebel groups in the western region of Darfur. In a genocide campaign that lasted from 2003 to 2005, at least 200,000 civilians died from violence, disease, and starvation. Since 2003, thousands of women have been raped and more than 2.5 million have been driven from their homes, their villages burned and property stolen.

Although rebel groups have contributed to the region’s insecurity, the Sudanese government bears primary responsibility for the danger to civilians.

A pattern of government sponsored actions include:

Backing Janjaweed militias in systematic attacks against civilians from the same ethnic groups as the rebel forces, primarily the Fur, Zaghawa, and Masaalit ethnic groups;
Bombing civilians from aircraft;
Committing massive human rights abuses including: murder, rape, and persecution based on race, ethnicity, and religion;
Impeding international humanitarian access, resulting in deadly conditions of life for displaced people;
Harassing internally displaced persons.
Although large-scale government attacks against civilians have declined since 2005, millions remains at risk as the fighting continues. Most of the displaced have not returned home for fear that their villages will be attacked again. In March 2005, the UN Security Council referred the case of Sudan to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for investigation of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. In July 2008, ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo requested the court issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, charging him with genocide among other crimes for the government’s role in orchestrating violence in Darfur. Authorized in August 2006 by the Security Council, a hybrid UN-AU peacekeeping force (UNAMID) is on the ground in Darfur, although it remains underfunded, understaffed, and vulnerable to attacks.

You can also go here to see about other events of genocide, like in Rwanda:

http://www.ushmm.org/conscience/


Usually what I do on Yom Hashoah is make sure I light a candle and then talk to my children about why this day is so important and why we should never forget. How you observe the day is up to you.
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