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	Participants Countries and organizations Conference documentation Conference programme				Written Message by the Albanian Delegation Written Message by the Republic of Belarus Written Message by the Belgian Delegation Written Message by the Brazilian Delegation Written Message by the Canadian Delegation Written Message by the Republic of Chile Written Message by the Croatian Delegation Written Message by the European Commission Written Message by the Foreign Minister of Greece, George Papandreou Written Message by the Delegation of the Holy See Written Message by the Delegation of the State of Israel Written Message by the Republic of Poland Written Message by the Turkish Delegation Written Message by the Republic of Romania Written Message by UNESCO Written Message by the United Nations Written Message by the Uruguayan Delegation Written Message by the Republic of Chile Written Message by the Delegation from the Republic of Chile The Chilean delegation would like to express its sincere appreciation to the Government of Sweden for its invitation to attend the Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust. Prime Minister Persson’s initiative to hold this highly symbolic conference deserves the recognition of the international community. The Holocaust is relevant for Chile in many senses. It is a tragedy that every responsible member of the international community has to bear. It is a tragedy that directly affected the Jewish and the Roma communities in our country. Refugees of the Holocaust resettled in Chile and made a lasting contribution to her development and culture. As other countries, Chile could have done much more to combat the Holocaust and to assist its victims. We all face the challenge of remembering a human catastrophe without precedents in modern history. We all face the challenge of promoting awareness of the Holocaust and of devising consistent and effective policies to avoid racism, anti-Semitism and other forms of hatred and discrimination directed against ethnic groups and other minorities. We all face the challenge of preventing the conditions that lead to genocide. We all face the challenge of incorporating the lessons of the Holocaust in our educational systems. We all face the challenge of avoiding any attempt to revive the doctrines that conducted to Holocaust. The Government of Chile shares the concern of many of the countries represented in this Forum regarding the emergence of movements which praise Nazism or attempt to resurrect this totalitarian doctrine. We will not tolerate the realization of any Nazi activities in our territory. The Holocaust represented a unique experience rooted in specific historical conditions. But its implications go beyond the Nazi annihilation process. Teaching the Holocaust can also help people in a fledging democracy like Chile to understand the essential nature of democracy and tolerance. Chile has had its own political tragedy. A tragedy which was certainly very different from the Holocaust, but which also confronts us with the dilemmas of remembrance, justice, reparation and human rights education. One member of the Chilean delegation to this Forum forms part of the National Roundtable on Human Rights Violations, which is attempting to cope with the drama of the disappeared detainees owing to the responsibility of agents of the Chilean State between 1973 and 1990. Another member of the delegation is concerned with the incorporation of the lessons of the Holocaust and other forms of genocide in the educational reform which is carried out in our country. From the onset of the transition to democracy in Chile, one of the first commitments assumed by the Government was to deal with the institutional, legal and social consequences of massive human rights violations which took place in the country between 1973 and 1990. To that end, the democratic government pursued a human rights policy designed to provide moral and material compensation for the victims of oppression and to amend the legislation in force so as to provide better assurances of protection of human rights. In this context the democratic government established the National Commission of Truth and Reconciliation. It was made up of leading figures representing very diverse sectors of society. The purpose of the Commission was to investigate and shed light on the most serious human rights violations committed in Chile or abroad between 1973 and 1990. To that end, it investigated cases of detained persons who disappeared, were executed or died as a result of torture. Work of the Commission led to the initiation of hundreds of cases involving human rights violations. In addition, the Commission formulated a broad proposal aimed at providing compensation for the victims, dealing with unresolved legal situations resulting from the deaths of victims and ensuring the welfare of their surviving relatives. The National Commission for Truth and Reconciliation constituted a pioneering initiative that served as a model for the establishment of similar commissions in other countries which, like Chile, needed to make the transition from a regime under which there had been massive human rights violations to one that pursued the goal of the rule of law, full respect of human rights and national reconciliation. In the past decade, Chile has become a party to practically all the human rights treaties. The Government of Chile considers that violations of the basic rights of individuals can no longer be considered as an exclusively domestic problem of the countries. Protection of these rights is an inescapable task of the international community. Genocide and other forms of massive violations of human rights should fall within the competence of international tribunals. We must move forward to a clear and orderly global regime, such as the one envisaged in the statute of the International Criminal Court. The Holocaust is not a Jewish tragedy alone. It is a human tragedy and there are elements which mirror other catastrophes. Each catastrophe has its unique and universal aspects. The Holocaust must be remembered within its historical frame, but it must also be seen as a paradigm of man's potential for intolerance, brutality and oppression. We must avoid that the past will ever become again the future. The Stockholm Forum represents a most valuable step in that direction. >> Back to top				Introduction Opening Session: Messages and speeches Plenary Sessions: Messages and speeches Plenary Session 1 Plenary Session 2 Reception at the Stockholm City Hall Written Messages Workshops, Panels and Seminars Closing Session and Declaration Other Activities
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