The Stanley Burton Centre for Holocaust Studies at University of Leicester was a proud host to Dr. Martin Stern, who is a Nazi Holocaust survivor. The public lecture was titled ‘A Survivor’s Angle on Holocaust and Genocide Studies’.
It was a free public lecture in a medium sized lecture theatre, and believe me it was packed full-house, a couple of students were sitting on the floor listening quietly to a man who spoke of his experience and surroundings as a child in the calmest manner I have ever seen. Well, to be honest there was a point where I could sense his eyes twitching and his cheeks turning slightly red, but it is just human. And being a keen observer I expected that and concentrated on spotting it.
Anyway’s the lecture itself was well delivered, I won’t dwell into what he said and his story, as I won’t do justice to the quality and feeling of his talk. What I can say is the fact, how ‘Never Again’ term is nothing but just a term ! There have been 50 Genocides since the Nazi Holocaust and the world has been a spectator to it.
He picked on interesting topics whilst answering questions, with how some countries need not look at the Nazi Holocaust to learn lesson or have morale insight, for e.g. China has such atrocities, that they should look in their own country to see how many people have died in suppression. He even picked the point about how in the case of Rwanda civilians were being massacred and the UN general pleading for help from the world, but nobody budged and failed humanity, but today the world is fighting Libya’s (bastard) dictator (sorry, I had to write that word, it’s my inclusion not Dr. Stern’s) to avoid another Genocide and massacre. Very good lecture all-in-all.
At the end, I was lucky enough to buy a copy of The Kaiser’s Holocaust by David Olusoga & Casper W. Erichsen and got it signed by Dr. M. Stern, I am proud to own the book with his signature, as, for a lad like me, coming from a third world country and privileged enough to attend a prestigious university in the UK and listen to a Holocaust survivor, is just priceless. I am moved in some way.
Live in peace friends, please do. Goodluck.
Just Saying... 