Remarks by Ambassador Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis on International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Holocaust Memorial Center, January 27, 2010

Good afternoon. I am both honored and humbled to speak to you here on Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Before I begin my prepared remarks, I would like to say how moved I was by the words of my friend the German Ambassador. Her powerful words remind us that we are all truly brothers and sisters.

The United States and Hungary share a strong bond of friendship and partnership, particularly in our efforts to combat intolerance and promote equality. As U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, I look forward to working together with you in continuing these efforts.

It is inspiring to look out at everyone here. Our presence today helps ensure that the unspeakable evils of the Holocaust will never be forgotten. And we pledge to tell our children of these events so that these horrors are never repeated.

Today, however, is not only a day for somber reflection on one of the darkest chapters in humankind. It is also a day for us to renew our shared values and commitments towards a more open, tolerant society. Just as we mourn the victims of hate, we also celebrate those who have fought for justice and tolerance.

In that spirit, the new publication launched today, “For Each Other,” showcases inspiring examples of tolerance around the world. The U.S. Embassy collaborated on this project, and I would like to highlight one inspiring example.

The Southern Poverty Law Center was founded in 1971 in Montgomery, Alabama, the birthplace of America’s Civil Rights Movement.

The Center’s history shows how just a few individuals can make an enormous difference. The Center’s co-founders, Morris Dees and Joe Levin, were two local lawyers who shared a commitment to racial equality.

Over three decades the Southern Poverty Law Center courageously achieved landmark Supreme Court victories that greatly advanced civil rights.

Today, the Center is internationally known for its tolerance education programs, its legal victories against white supremacists and for the tracking of hate groups.

The Southern Poverty Law Center also publishes the “Intelligence Report,” which reports on extremism in the United States. Today, it reaches over 300,000 subscribers, including 60,000 law enforcement personnel, who use it as a key resource to combat hate groups.

This is but one example of how a few courageous individuals stood up and successfully fought against the evils of hate and intolerance.

We recognize, however, that their work and ours remain unfinished. We accept the challenge of continuing the fight for tolerance and justice.

In closing, President Obama’s statement while visiting Buchenwald concentration camp last June, bears repeating: “It is up to us, the living, in our work, wherever we are, to resist injustice and intolerance and indifference in whatever forms they may take, and ensure that those who were lost did not go in vain.”

Thank you.