By Community Correspondent Neil Shingadia.

The 10th annual UK Holocaust Memorial Day and 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, were marked by an array events across the UK last week. I was fortunate to be involved in one of the main events held in London, when the Greater London Authority's (GLA) observance of Holocaust Memorial Day was held at London's City Hall - a ceremony organised by the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, while attended by the London Assembly, dignitaries and other invited guests.

The theme of the event was based on ‘The Legacy of Hope’ which focuses on the experience of survivors and how it shaped their lives - and indeed our own lives. The Legacy of Hope offers us the opportunity to remember and to ensure that the people - individuals no different to the likes of you and me - who were murdered are remembered.

The event commenced with Israeli violin maker Amnon Weinstein, who has spent over 15 years restoring and collecting instruments used by Holocaust victims. Labelled the “Violins of hope", they were the same instruments that were strung in the concentration camps, while inmates were on the march to their deaths. The fragile wooden instruments survived to ‘tell the story of millions’ exterminated during the Holocaust - which were played by rising musicians during the ceremony.

The crowd of dignitaries also heard testimonies from Holocaust survivors, Zigi Shipper and Gena Turgel - who have played an great role in bringing our awareness and attention to the lessons of the Holocaust; their anecdotes spoke of pain and loss, of strength and survival, of despair and their wish for a ‘Legacy of Hope’.

As the ceremony drew to a close, wreaths were laid by the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, wherein I along with my fellow colleague, Jasmine Kapoor of Lampton School, told of our experience visiting Auschwitz with the 'Holocaust Education Trust' as part of their Lessons from Auschwitz Project. We spoke of the importance about the opportunity to learn about the Holocaust in order to ensure history does not repeat itself, stressing the idea ’to forget is to condone’ - something we must never do.

Following the service, nine West London based students read out aloud the principles which guide commemorations of Holocaust Memorial Day, which was scripted and signed by Boris Johnson, in what is known as the 'Statement of Commitment' - a document specially developed for the inaugural Holocaust Memorial Day national event, with members of the public invited to do the same this week. The document calls for people to ‘remember the Holocaust, educate future generations about what happened and to recognise that everyone has a responsibility’ to fight the evils of discrimination, racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia.

Everyone left the ceremony with an important message; Throughout history, humankind has shown itself to be capable of terrible inhumanity. We must be constantly reminded of our past so that we can strive to improve our future.

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The Statement of Commitment is contained in a book open for the public to sign at City Hall for the rest of this week. For more information or to see a filmed version of the ceremony, visit: http://www.london.gov.uk/webcasts.jsp