Anne Frank Day
The final item of business today is a members' business debate on motion S3M-3698, in the name of John Park, on Anne Frank day.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament notes that 12 June 2009 is Anne Frank Day, the 80th anniversary of the birth of Anne Frank; welcomes the establishment in 2008 of Anne Frank Scotland as the new education programme for the Anne Frank Trust UK; further welcomes the work carried out by Anne Frank Scotland with young people to develop an understanding of positive citizenship and human rights; further notes that the programme is focussed on Glasgow, Edinburgh and Fife and supports the expansion of the programme across the whole of Scotland; looks forward to the opportunity for the Parliament to host the travelling exhibition, Anne Frank: A History for Today, which is the centrepiece of the programme; understands that the exhibition uses Anne Frank's story and the history of the Holocaust to address contemporary challenges and discrimination in Scotland, and hopes that all MSPs sign up to the Anne Frank Declaration to mark this anniversary as a recognition of the millions of children and young people who have been victims of persecution and to challenge the prejudice and hatred that harms us all.
I almost did not think that we were going to get here this evening—decision time took a bit longer to conclude than I had expected.
It gives me great pleasure to open this evening's debate on a motion that I lodged a number of weeks ago and which, I am pleased to say, has received an excellent level of support from across the political spectrum in Parliament. That has happened because the story of Anne Frank means so much to many people. Anne's diary, which was given to her on her 13th birthday, tells of her life between 12 June 1942 and 1 August 1944. During her all-too-short life, she must have faced levels of upheaval, discomfort and strain that are almost unimaginable today. Unfortunately, that was all too common at that time in Europe.
Anne Frank was born in Frankfurt 80 years ago tomorrow, on 12 June 1929. In 1933, after the Nazis had gained power in Germany, her family moved to Amsterdam. Following the outbreak of the second world war, her family were trapped in Holland during the German occupation. In July 1942, as the threat to the Jewish population increased, her family went into hiding in the hidden rooms of the Amsterdam office building of her father, Otto Frank. After two years—most people will remember this element of her story—the group was betrayed and transported to a concentration camp. Almost seven months after her arrival, Anne Frank died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, shortly after the death of her sister, Margot.
Anne's father, Otto, the only survivor of the group, returned to Amsterdam after the war to find that a diary had been saved. His considerable efforts led to its publication in 1947. It was translated from the original Dutch and was first published in English in 1952. Most members here in the chamber will not only have read it but will be acutely aware of the meaning behind the story.
I first visited the hidden rooms in 1985 as part of a primary school visit to Amsterdam. The visit brought home to me the reality of the conditions in a way that no book, film or television programme ever could. The thing I recall most from the visit is how quiet and well behaved we were as primary 7 schoolchildren—a clear indication that we were very much taking it all in. The story of Anne Frank certainly inspired me then, as it still does, which is why I have been pleased to support the work of the Anne Frank Trust UK and Anne Frank Scotland over the past year.
Anne Frank Scotland and the Anne Frank Trust draw on the power of Anne Frank's life and diary to challenge prejudice, to reduce hatred and to encourage people to embrace positive attitudes, responsibility and respect for others. The travelling exhibition "Anne Frank: A History for Today" is used in schools and community venues and acts as a focus for educational programmes for young people. More than 13,000 people have seen the exhibition and about 5,000 young people have participated in the related workshops and training. The feedback from staff, pupils, venues and the public has been first class, and people have expressed how much they recognise the importance and relevance of the work, even today.
It has been a busy year for the project officer, Heather Boyce. We are fortunate to have in the public gallery this evening visitors from Holyrood secondary school, St Mary's Kenmure, Turnbull high school and Strathclyde Police. All have worked alongside Heather and other members of Anne Frank Scotland on intensive projects to make them a success. I am pleased that they are here.
None of that would have been achievable without the funding that the trust received from the Barcapel Foundation Ltd. That funding comes to an end in 2010. We have Keith Brown, the Minister for Schools and Skills, with us this evening. I would appreciate his saying in his closing speech whether he would be prepared to meet Anne Frank Scotland and the Anne Frank Trust to discuss potential future Scottish Government assistance on funding beyond 2010.
I am sure that, over the past few days, many of us have reflected on last week's European election results. It is important that the Scottish Parliament continue to show vigilance and strength in challenging racism, bigotry and intolerance in all its forms. We all—each and every member—must shoulder that responsibility. Scotland has not been without its own problems, particularly sectarianism, which has been described as Scotland's secret shame. Anti-Irish racism is a strand within that we all have concerns about. Although great steps have been made, much work can still be done.
I have genuine concerns about the extremists who exploit differences in our communities and workplaces. We have seen that recently, particularly in the wildcat action that took place at oil refineries in Scotland and throughout the UK. That action was not about people being concerned about migrant workers, but was in essence about unscrupulous employers undermining the rest of the workforce by bringing in migrant workers on different terms and conditions and creating sensitivities between communities and groups of workers in a way that we in the Scottish Parliament must challenge. Understandably, we have concerns about such sharp employment practices.
A great number of MSPs signed the Anne Frank declaration today at lunch time in the garden lobby. I appreciate the time that they took to come and do that, as does Anne Frank Scotland. I hope that it gives members an opportunity to engage with the organisation in the future. The words of the declaration are important, so I will remind members of them. It says:
"I will stand up for what is right and speak out against what is unfair and wrong
I will try to defend those who cannot defend themselves
I will strive for a world in which our differences will make no difference—a world in which everyone is treated fairly and has an equal chance in life".
As politicians, we have our differences on policy and along party-political lines, but I am sure that members agree that, at all times, we should work towards the aims of the declaration not only in what we say, but in how we act and what we do.
I congratulate John Park on securing the debate and on his excellent opening speech.
Today, we remember and celebrate Anne Frank's life and we welcome the establishment in 2008 of Anne Frank Scotland as the new education programme for the Anne Frank Trust UK. The altruistic work that the organisation carries out in Anne's memory is heartwarming, inspirational and poignant.
The trust works under four clear and separate headings. The first is major public exhibitions. Its travelling exhibitions are a highly effective way of drawing people to Anne Frank's story and the contemporary social issues that are connected with it.
The second heading is schools and communities. Positive voices is a project that the trust launched in 2006 and that is designed to deliver Anne Frank's story to schools and youth clubs. It targets in particular communities that suffer from deep divisions, and its success in tackling those divisions has increased with each passing year.
The third heading is work with offenders. The trust has visited more than 40 prisons in a little over five years. That work entails displaying exhibitions, running workshops and allowing the prisoners and staff to hear a Holocaust survivor tell his or her story.
The final heading is awareness raising. The trust is committed to breathing life into Anne Frank's story so that her memory continues to flourish and keeps inspiring future generations. Undoubtedly the mission of the Anne Frank Trust UK is commendable and should be supported here in Scotland and throughout the United Kingdom.
I will relay to members some of the comments that have been made regarding the positive voices project by quoting from a document that was given to members earlier.
Iain Campbell, headteacher of St Margaret's primary school in Polmont, said:
"As far as the exhibition is concerned … this was a tremendous success for the school.
The timing of the exhibition which coincided with parents' evenings allows us to open the event to the parent community who attended in force. The pupils who acted as guides came back to school on both evenings and really enjoyed showing parents around. These particular pupils not only gained considerable knowledge of the Anne Frank story but gained in personal and social skills by being guides.
Five classes attended the exhibition and teachers felt that they gained a great deal from it which allowed further discussion in class.
Parents who visited the exhibition spoke very positively of the experience and thought the guides had done an amazing job. One parent took time to write in to say how moved she had been and how important she felt the exhibition had been for the children reminding them of atrocities of the Second World War.
I would like to thank you for this opportunity as I strongly believe we all gained a great deal from it."
Anne Frank Scotland works closely with young people and delivers an important message about understanding positive citizenship and human rights, which undoubtedly provides a valuable service to Scotland and its citizens.
Anne Frank Scotland has proved to be a tremendous success in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Fife. One of the first major exhibitions that it undertook was a major, month-long workshop programme at Celtic Football Club's learning centre. More than 2,000 students took part in the project and developed a key understanding that every form of racism and discrimination is wrong and cannot be tolerated. Contemporary issues relating to those matters were also discussed. Proposed plans for the coming year include a month-long programme at Porthlethen library and Portlethen academy; maintaining the great work that is being carried out in Edinburgh, Fife and Glasgow, while simultaneously working harder in areas of higher need; and continuing to develop the role of Anne Frank ambassadors and seeking funding opportunities. I, for one, welcome and support the expansion of the programme throughout Scotland and fully expect the positive message to be embraced by all Scots.
The centrepiece of Anne Frank Scotland and the Anne Frank Trust UK is the moving assortment of memorabilia entitled, "Anne Frank: A History for Today". The exhibition traces Anne's incredible life from her childhood to early teens, set against the background of the rise of Nazi power and the persecution of the Jewish people in the Holocaust. Implicit in the exhibition are the themes of racism, ethnic cleansing, genocide, bullying and anti-Semitism. The most powerful element of the exhibition is that it challenges viewers to look for ways to resolve differences without violence and to learn about human rights laws and standards, which are outlined by documents such as the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It challenges viewers to implement that understanding by taking an active role in their communities and in government. The exhibition is admirable and moving and I look forward to the Scottish Parliament hosting such an event.
The Anne Frank declaration is a message of hope, truth and positive human endeavour. It is a most worthy document and I had no hesitation in signing it. I am confident that all colleagues feel the same way.
Anne Frank graced this world with her presence for only 15 short years before dying of typhus in Bergen-Belsen. During her short life, she endured more traumatic experiences and harrowing journeys than any of us could possibly fathom, as did many other Jewish children during the war—more than 1 million of whom perished. After her family and the four others hiding with them were betrayed, they were sent to Auschwitz before being sent to Bergen-Belsen a few weeks later. Only Anne's father Otto survived the war. Her sister Margot, her mother Edith and the other four people who shared their Amsterdam hiding place for 25 months were murdered.
Anne Frank's diary has been translated into 67 languages and is now one of the world's most read books. She is remembered for her literary skills, courage and resilience. That is testament not only to her, but to the entire human race and the undeniable truths that out of the dark comes light, and that the human spirit can tolerate any evil that is thrust upon it.
I, too, congratulate John Park on securing the debate. Without hesitation, I applaud the establishment and success of the Anne Frank Trust UK and Anne Frank Scotland and subscribe to the Anne Frank declaration.
In the weeks leading up to the commemoration of the 65th anniversary of D-day, I was struck by the fact that, even in the few years since the 60th anniversary of the event, awareness among young people of the enormity of the second world war has declined further. That lack of understanding about the rise of fascism in Germany and the gradual but inevitable path that led to the world's most destructive conflict is complemented by a more encouraging understanding of the Holocaust, although, among far too many, there is the belief that it was the Holocaust that led free nations into war with Nazi Germany—it was not. The final evidence of the Holocaust was understood by the wider public only when the war itself was over, and it has been rightly condemned ever since. However, the truth is more prosaic: Governments at the time did come to appreciate the horror that was being perpetrated, but chose to suppress the knowledge and to do little, if anything, to disrupt it. Perhaps they had no choice, if the ultimate objective—the absolute defeat of Hitler—was to be achieved at the earliest date. However, with notable and wonderfully honourable exceptions, there was little appetite for accommodating widespread Jewish immigration into other nations before the war.
At question-and-answer sessions over the years, I have routinely been asked, "Could it happen again?" That is surely a false question: it has happened again. It happened in Stalin's post-war Soviet Union, in Pol Pot's Cambodia and in Rwanda. Perhaps people mean to ask whether it could happen again in Europe. The answer is, again, that it has happened, in post-Soviet Balkan states. It can happen, it has happened, and I say with profound regret that it will probably happen again; therefore the work of the Anne Frank Trust UK is vital in engaging the minds and securing the commitment of every new generation.
The trust's work must be complemented by an understanding of everything that happened in the lead-up to the events that Anne Frank described in her diary. The lessons of history must be understood if history is not to be repeated. Whatever recompense there might be in our actions to honour the people who died, at the heart of what we do must be a recognition that a collective lack of popular international will in the 1930s—a collective lack of will and action on the part of people just like us—resulted in the ruthless extermination of millions of disabled people, Romany folk, homosexuals and, above all, Jews.
The experience of Anne Frank and her family engages hearts and minds because her diary encapsulates what happened in a timeless way and enables us all to relate to her experience. The recent BBC dramatisation illustrated afresh how everyday the nuances and complexities of Anne Frank's family life and relationships were. It also showed us how vivid were the assorted personalities with whom she shared her final years in confinement. Her experience moves us to tears in memory of all the people who died because it makes tangible the terrible statistic of 6 million murdered people.
Prejudice and hatred are not inherited. A song in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific" succinctly captures a truth—members should not fear; I will not sing it. The lyric goes thus:
You've got to be taught to hate and fear
You've got to be taught from year to year,
It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught.
You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.
You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught
How welcome it is to read the testimonials from people who have seen the touring exhibition, to learn about the discussion that the exhibition has stimulated, and to witness the leadership and engagement of so many young people—the very six, seven and eight-year-olds whom we can carefully teach to think and act quite differently.
The lesson of the 1930s and Anne Frank's life and death is that we must not just be vigilant across the world but set an example by fighting prejudice and hatred at home. We must stand ready to accept willingly all people who come here under genuine threat of persecution. We must counter ignorance. We must directly and personally tackle people who seek advancement by encouraging fear and suspicion of other people. In a week when, to the collective dismay of us all, the British National Party succeeded in doing exactly that to secure the election of two MEPs who will represent our country it is clear that we need to do far more. Politicians face a real and personal challenge.
I will stand up for what is right and speak out against what is unfair and wrong. I will try to defend those who cannot defend themselves. I will strive for a world in which our differences will make no difference—a world in which everyone is treated fairly and has an equal chance to life.
More power to the Anne Frank Trust UK in promulgating that declaration. I thank John Park for affording me the opportunity personally to affirm it today.
I, too, thank John Park for enabling us to debate, in Anne Frank week, the valuable and important work of the Anne Frank Trust UK.
The work that has informed the trust's exhibition is critical to our understanding. Members who, like John Park, have been to the Anne Frank House will have realised under what pressure the people must have been who spent two long years in that confined space. Although there has been an extension to the museum, which Stephen Spielberg generously provided, it is easy to sense what a claustrophobic atmosphere those people must have endured.
If we do not learn from history, we are doomed to make the same mistakes again and again. In that regard, the work to raise the profile of the horrors of the Holocaust must be carried forward. As Jackson Carlaw indicated, we can look at the statistics, but the single story of a young girl brings the issue home.
The issue has not gone away. It is about the discrimination that we see in the world around us and the persecution of people for no reason other than that they are different. We need look no further than the Balkans and Darfur, and perhaps even the 750,000 children incarcerated in Gaza, to see the necessity of the work of the Anne Frank Trust UK and all organisations that highlight the consequences of our lack of tolerance. Much closer to home, we listen to the sectarian chants from the terraces of our football clubs and we realise that those issues are not remote and are not reserved to other parts of the world—they have the potential to be very real in our country.
I am pleased that I have been part of the debate and that all the contributions thus far have been so positive about the work of the Anne Frank Trust UK. However, we must recognise that much of that work would not have been possible, and Anne's story would not have been known to the wider world, were it not for the commendable efforts of her father, Otto Frank. He found, edited and published—under some duress—her diaries in the form that we know them. We should take the story of Anne Frank as a lesson in how negative things can be done to small communities simply because they are different. I urge all members to take that message throughout the country. Let us bring an end to the discrimination, sectarianism and racism that we all face in various ways.
Like other members, I congratulate John Park on securing the debate and giving the Parliament the opportunity to mark Anne Frank day. It gives us a chance not only to commemorate the life and tragic early death of a remarkable young woman but to stand united against racism, discrimination and intolerance in all its forms. A number of members have mentioned how present that threat can be, for example in the results of the recent European elections, not just in this country but, sadly, even in Holland.
Anne Frank's 13th birthday, on 12 June 1942, was the day on which she began to keep a diary. One of her first entries, on 20 June 1942, reads:
"It seems to me that later on neither I nor anyone else will be interested in the musings of a 13-year-old schoolgirl."
Since its initial publication in 1947, Anne's "musings" have inspired, moved and educated successive generations of young people and adults. She lived a short but dramatic life, suffered an early and tragic death, and left a first-hand testimony of the hardship of life under Nazi rule, including an invaluable record of the daily tribulations, hopes and fears of two years in hiding.
Like other members, I applaud the work of the Anne Frank Trust UK in bringing her story to Scottish schools. We want our young people to grow up with an understanding of the world and their place in it. We want them to understand what it means to be Scottish but at the same time to admire and accept the identities of others. That means taking a stand against racism, discrimination and intolerance in all its forms. Educating young people about the Holocaust can contribute greatly to that aim.
Holocaust education is important not only in its own right but because it opens windows to wider aspects of citizenship education. It provides rich opportunities for analysis, discussion and debate. Holocaust education sits well with the Government's policies in the curriculum for excellence, which has as its aim the idea that young people should become successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and, crucially, responsible citizens. Pupils will be able to learn across the traditional subject divides and benefit from learning experiences inside and outside the classroom. As a counterpoint to Jackson Carlaw's point, in addition to Holocaust education, children nowadays visit world war 2 battlefields much more frequently, which helps to educate them on the consequences of war.
Learning about the life of Anne Frank and reading her diaries can not only open young people's eyes to a different world but help them to reflect on the problems and challenges that they and their society face today.
The Government is giving the Holocaust Educational Trust annual funding of around £214,000 for the next two years to run the lessons from Auschwitz programme. We also run a number of other initiatives, some of which I will mention shortly. On the point that was made about meeting the Anne Frank Trust, I can confirm that Scottish Government officials will meet the trust on 23 June.
Through that funding, around 400 senior pupils each year will be able to visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. Government funding will enable pupils to travel to Auschwitz for only £49 each. I speak from personal experience when I say that those visits are a profound experience for those involved. I went to a night that was organised by Beaconhurst school in my constituency to hear two young women talk about their visit to the death camp. Many people were there—parents, local politicians and others—and no one was left in any doubt of the impact that that trip had had on them and on those at the school who heard about it.
Each participant in those trips will share their experiences with their school and the wider community. That is the point—the trip is not just for the individual themselves. On 16 June, the First Minister will speak at a gathering of previous participants who have gone on to become student ambassadors for Holocaust education.
We have also been working closely with the Holocaust Educational Trust to ensure that those visits benefit pupils from across Scotland. We want to ensure, as I have mentioned, that the visits are closely aligned with the curriculum for excellence and the work of Learning and Teaching Scotland, through which the funding that I mentioned earlier is disbursed.
The Scottish Government—the present Administration and the previous Administration—has supported Holocaust memorial day every year since 2001. The most recent event, which was in Paisley on 27 January 2009, attracted Government support of £25,000. Learning and Teaching Scotland has enabled teachers who are involved in Holocaust education to go on professional development study visits to Amsterdam and Berlin. Those trips have included visits to the Anne Frank museum in Amsterdam and Berlin's Anne Frank Zentrum, an educational museum.
We have also funded "Testimony", an exhibition about the Holocaust that features the personal recollections of Scottish survivors. That exhibition can be used in schools and communities to support Holocaust education.
As is evident from the speeches this evening, people remember the Holocaust and all the victims of Nazi atrocities with the positive aim of preventing anything like that from happening again. Tragically, however, nearly 65 years after the end of the second world war, genocide remains a threat in—as Hugh O'Donnell mentioned—places such as Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur. Like most people, I believe that education is one of the keys to ensuring that genocide is not allowed to take place again. We must ensure that young people grow up with an understanding of the events of the Holocaust and of how and why it was possible for it to happen. Therefore, we welcome the contribution of organisations such as the Anne Frank Trust, the Holocaust Educational Trust and the Holocaust Memorial Trust, and I encourage them to work closely together, along with Learning and Teaching Scotland, to ensure that all of our young people receive a clear and consistent message about identity, tolerance and respect for others.
I would like to give the last word to Anne Frank, who was born, as we have heard, on 12 June 1929 and who died in March 1945. Three months before her 16th birthday, she wrote:
"what are you supposed to do if you become part of the suffering? You'd be completely lost. On the contrary, beauty remains, even in misfortune. If you just look for it, you discover more and more happiness and regain your balance. A person who's happy will make others happy; a person who has courage and faith will never die in misery!"
She also wrote:
"It's difficult in times like these; ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us, only to be crushed by grim reality. It's a wonder I haven't abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart."
Meeting closed at 17:44.