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27 January is Holocaust Memorial Day. Together, we must learn from genocide for a better future.

In 2015, inmates at HMP Magilligan created a Holocaust Memorial Day exhibition where members of the local community in Limavady, Northern Ireland, could learn about the Holocaust and more recent genocides. Each year, for HMD, inmates give tours of the exhibition to local children.

It Began with Words explores how the Holocaust began not with violence, but with words, with stereotypes, prejudice and silence. Through survivor testimony and historical insight, it shows how ordinary people and everyday choices allowed hatred to grow. By understanding how the Holocaust unfolded, we can recognise the warning signs of prejudice today and use our voices to stand against it.

After the Holocaust, those who survived often faced incomprehension and even hostility. People who went back to where they had previously lived frequently discovered that their homes were occupied by other people and that their belongings were gone. They were treated with fear and resentment.

Scotland’s national Holocaust Memorial Day event for 2014 took place on 27 January in Stirling’s Macrobert Arts Centre, with a diverse programme including survivor speeches, music and film; all centred on the theme of Journeys.