In April 2017, secondary students from Yew Chung International School (YCIS) came to the HKHTC resource centre to participate in a workshop delivered by Director of Education Simon Li on the Auschwitz concentration camp. This workshop was aimed to prepare the student actors and actresses prior to their performance of the “Auschwitz Lullaby”. The school later shared with HKHTC that the school play was a big success.
HKHTC continues to broaden its reach. HKHTC Director of Education Simon Li has served as a visiting educator at the Anne Frank House in
Amsterdam this spring. During his academic visit, Mr Li and the in-house educators at the Anne Frank House have been exchanging
scholarly ideas related to approaches to teaching Anne Frank’s diary in Asia and the pedagogy of Holocaust education.
“Since the days when I was a senior lecturer in academia, I’ve strived to teach tolerance and mutual respect through the inspiring story of
Anne Frank,” Mr Li said. “I find this opportunity to share ideas about an important topic I’ve taught in East Asia for my entire academic
life truly exciting.” An award-winning former journalist from Toronto, Mr Li served as the Head of General Education at a tertiary institute
in Hong Kong before being appointed by HKHTC as its Director of Education in 2016. Anne Frank House is a writer’s house and
biographical museum dedicated to Jewish wartime diarist Anne Frank.
The Joods Kindermonument is a children memorial site in Rotterdam which commemorates the deaths of 686 Jewish children who were killed by the Nazis. In Spring 2017, Director of Education Simon Li (Visiting Educator, Anne Frank House) visited the Joods Kindermonument and paid tribute to the children victims who ranged from only a few months to 12 years old. Most of them did not survive the war.
In May 2017, HKHTC Director of Education Simon Li and the Director of the Humanity House Ms Lisette Mattaar had a fruitful meeting in The Hague to discuss peace education in East Asia and the prospects of collaboration on multiple educational projects between HKHTC and the Humanity House.
The Humanity House is a museum that was founded in 2010 that provides a unique experience for visitors to explore what it’s like to live through a conflict or disaster as well as prominent related themes through contemporary exhibitions. In addition, the museum provides various educational programmes as well as public lectures and discussions to raise awareness on the importance of humanitarian themes which include but are not limited to the freedom of speech, security of food and human rights. The museum also acts as a platform for organisations, agencies and individuals to discuss and debate on humanitarian themes.
On June 22, Director of Education Simon Li was invited by Nord Anglia International School to deliver two workshops on the Holocaust towards all Year 9 students. The workshops examined the Holocaust through its victims, perpetrators and bystanders. The sessions also shed light on the rescuers in the Holocaust, while sharing with students how one person can make a difference and have a substantive impact on the lives of many.
In March 2017, Director of Education Simon Li presented teacher-training sessions to educators on the important skills to teach the Holocaust in an age-appropriate manner.
Director of Education Simon Li gave a sharing session on The Diary of Anne Frank and our centre’s work for different members of Hong Kong’s faith communities this spring.
Harbour School’s Grade 6 students visited our Resource Centre in Shau Kei Wan on June 5, 2017. Director of Education Simon Li gave all students a workshop which explored the Holocaust through the stories of the victims, perpetrators and bystanders. The workshop helped students to have a further understanding of the worst crime in history.
In May 2017, the HKHTC arranged for Holocaust survivor Mr Henry Friedman to address the local schools in Hong Kong. Accompanied by HKHTC Director of Education Simon Li, the 89-year-old Polish survivor spoke about how he lived through an incredible journey that saw his early life nearly destroyed by the Holocaust. Surviving with the help of two Ukrainian families in Poland, his family hid in a tiny space the size of a queen-size bed for 18 months. The courage of Henry’s saviours– and so many others like them– offers many of our local Hong Kong students critical lessons and stories that should inspire us to live better and treat all people with dignity. Mr Friedman’s message was “One person CAN make a difference.”
