Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Official Report 1191KB pdf

Time for Reflection

Good afternoon. Our first item of business today is time for reflection, for which our leaders are Megan Quinn and Rhys Lambert, pupils from St Columba’s high school in Gourock and ambassadors to the Anne Frank Trust UK.

Presiding Officer and members of the Scottish Parliament, thank you for the opportunity to address you today.

Anne Frank is a name that I am sure we are all familiar with. Today, on what would have been her 89th birthday, we celebrate Anne Frank day.

Anne Frank was a young German-Jewish refugee who hid from the Nazis during world war two. Anne’s life was tragically cut short at the age of 15 in March 1945 when she died of typhus in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Anne documented her time in hiding in the form of a diary, which was published by her father, Otto, to share her story. It has been read by millions across the globe, including by many of us here today. That, in turn, inspired a group of people to found the Anne Frank Trust UK.

We at St Columba’s high school applied and were selected to work with the Anne Frank Trust as peer guides, and then as Anne Frank ambassadors. Throughout the process, we have shared not only Anne’s story but the importance of challenging hate and prejudice within our school and the wider community.

That has been an invaluable experience. Not only have I learned more about Anne’s story, I have become more aware of discrimination in society and now feel more confident in using my voice to challenge prejudice and hate.

In today’s society, young people face many forms of discrimination and cyberbullying. It is important to challenge and shout down hate and strive for a peaceful and more equal society. Children are the future, which is why we need more young voices to speak up so that they can grow up in a more open-minded and tolerant world.

We read Anne’s story and are shocked at the level of discrimination that a 13-year-old girl had to face, yet we forget that it still happens today. I want to live in a world where people do not have to be afraid of speaking up, where people are not judged by race or religion, and where we show compassion instead of hatred.

We invite you to reflect not only on Anne’s story but on the dangers and harm that can be caused by prejudice going unchallenged. We leave you with Anne’s words:

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”