Esteemed Prime Minister, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I feel honoured by the opportunity to address this distinguished audience on the topic of unfading importance to the whole humankind.

Genocide may be considered a distinctive feature of the 20th Century. The facilities and the political mechanisms that were created then have wiped out millions of lives at no excuse.

The 21st Century is expected to be a century of democracy. However, the democratic processes claim their price. Ethnic cleansing, terrorism and other types of mass-crime occur primarily in the environment with no strong authorities, sound institutions and, first and foremost, civil society. Strong civic power in the countries that opted for democracy has not been built overnight. From our own experience we know how difficult it is to strike a balance among different stakeholders and how difficult it is to bring up a responsible citizen.

We will always remember what happened in Lithuania back in 1941. It took only half a year of massacre to systematically destroy the six-centuries-old civilisation of the Lithuanian Jewry. This was a catastrophe which rippled across an immense part of Europe and was almost indifferently witnessed by locals. In some cases they even collaborated with the Nazis. I therefore think that intellectuals and educators of Lithuania and a number of other European countries face a very important task to inspire a movement under a slogan “Never Again.” A one similar to those movements dedicated to the topic of the Holocaust, that have swept across the United States, Israel and Germany.

Here I still see many open possibilities for international cooperation, first of all on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. The “Never Again” movement should become efficiently integrated into a broader context of education against anti-Semitism, racism and xenophobia. I would like to emphasise the great educational and practical importance of international forums. The initiatives launched after the First Stockholm Forum have made a useful and harmonious contribution to Lithuania’s Euro-Atlantic integration. Based on the international cooperation experience, education on the Holocaust expands into a broader process of raising a civil society, which rejects xenophobia and cherishes tolerance. Here we have already gained experience to be shared with other countries, especially – with the “new neighbours” of the enlarged European Union.

Our system of education must demonstrate clearly that the rhetoric of a radical nationalistic populism has experienced a historical bankruptcy. This is necessary to make sure no parties or politicians get elected that eventually end up as the indictees at international tribunals. This, unfortunately, happened in former Yugoslavia. Admittedly, this was our mess, the European mess. The recent wave of anti-Semitic and racist assaults rolling across our continent, Lithuania being no exception, can be also viewed upon as an embryo of such re-emerging mess.

Education and policy instruments should help us to efficiently dispose of the ballast of intolerance. Otherwise it will flourish nourished by new complex phenomena, such as refugees, economic recession, social contrasts and even the issue of restitution of the historical Jewish property.

Today one may already notice the weakening of traditional political parties and spreading tumour of populism in a number of European states, including Lithuania. Let us help each other to stop the progress of this disease before it becomes untreatable.
Speaking of our joint international efforts to prevent genocide, I see the International Criminal Court playing a major role. I am convinced, that strict enforcement of the Rome Statute will become one of efficient actions of the international community aimed at combating crimes against humanity.

My general advice is to support the United Nations Organisation and to strengthen its institutional and legal framework. I see it as the best international preventive instrument capable to protect against the reoccurrence of genocide and ethnic cleansing. However, further efforts are needed to improve the preventive role of the United Nations.

We must all agree that the right of humanitarian intervention is everyone’s duty. The United Nations Organisation must be capable of prompt and strong reaction by sending its peacekeepers or authorizing other parties (through its Security Council) to use military force for stopping an ongoing genocide. In such cases it will be necessary to efficiently coordinate actions of the United Nations, regional organisations, individual countries and non-governmental organisations.

Achieving all that is not an easy task. I recall an important observation written down by the Gaon of Vilnius, a famous scholar of the Lithuanian Jewry of the 18th century. I quote: “Many people read books about virtue but remain indifferent to deeds,” – end of quote. So let us dedicate ourselves to deeds that can – and must – prevent antagonism between nations, political mess and genocide.

Ladies and Gentlemen – I thank you for your attention.