Transform Hate into Hope

World War II was a major horror in our history causing more than 60 million deaths eliminating more than .3% of the world’s population. Adolf Hitler was the tyrant of the century.

Now in the little town of Oswiecim, housing 41,000 inhabitants, who live directly next to the Death Camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau, there is a desire to transform its reputation. One million bodies have been burned here and ashes dumped everywhere, even into the local swimming lake. The stench of these ashes remains in the air’s atmosphere and the some of the town’s areas can be considered one giant cemetery.

Visitors come from daily to visit the horrific historic site that has been maintained exactly as it was used to remind people NEVER AGAIN. People enter the Camp and tour the site leaving deeply impressed with a hanging sense of despair and leave the town, most often, as fast as possible. It is not a place to stay for a visit.

On the other hand, Auschwitz has been the world’s pressure point for the formulation of the United Nations, the state of Israel and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Now this town will inaugurate an event and ask to be recognized for these as a positive emergence.

The town of Oswiecim working with Children of the Earth and others, some for years, and are now prepared to focus on transforming the symbol of the past horrors into a place of HOPE for the future. We are as a group planning with the local Mayor, the school Rector, and town officials, a program that will initiate this process on the International Day of Peace 2016 as a Day of New Beginnings. The world must learn now that the past is the past and the present and future does have potentials for a better future. The Mayor will declare Oswiecim a City of Peace.

Children of the Earth will bring trainers from different corners of the world symbolizing the unity of all ethnic groups and offer a 3 day workshop on Human Rights and Peace for the local students who are attending a school in one of the original barracks used for housing prisoners.

This day as the beginning of structuring a City of Peace will include a ceremonial event including The World Peace Violin, several speakers representing the United Nations DPI, local officials and music from a local school group. The full plan has not been finalized but many individuals are working together to have this be a successful meaningful beginning for the town. In fact the town itself is preparing a Bridge of Infiinity of the Nations Reconciliation Park to the Camp to further the recognition of its positive identity

Imagine Oswiecim and the town’s people being able to take pride in their town for housing all of these potentials and how the world could react to this.  If you are interested or wish to contribute in some fashion please contact nina@coeword.org

First barracks outside the Auschwitz Camp Museum and surviving inmates ask for this to be made into an educational facility.
Directly across the street and where train unloaded prisoners.