On January 29, 2018, the Public Defender of Georgia, the Tolerance Center of the Public Defender and the International Foundation Lea held an event dedicated to the international HolocaustRemembrance Day on the theme: “Education about the Holocaust – Our Joint Responsibility”.

27 January was declared as the Holocaust Remembrance Day by the United Nations General Assembly on the basis of a resolution adopted at its 42^nd plenary session in 2005, as thousands of prisoners of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camps were freed on 27 January 1945.

"The Holocaust Remembrance Day constantly reminds us what a large-scale tragedy can be caused by the intolerance on religious, ethnic or other grounds. Therefore, we need to realize the historical reality and remind the society that tolerant attitude towards different people will help us maintain peace and safety, as well as avoid future conflict," - the Public Defender of Georgia said at the opening of the event.

Nino Lomjaria also spoke about the function of the equality mechanism, which obliges the Public Defender to implement the anti-discrimination law in the country. It should be noted that dozens of complaints are filed with the Public Defender’s Office in this direction each month.

Speeches were delivered at the event by Giga Zedania, Rector of Ilia State University, Marina Solomonishvili, Head of the Lea Foundation, and a representative of the Jewish Community of the Council of National Minorities of the Public Defender.

Levan Berdzenishvili delivered a lecture on the experience of Italian Jew writer Primo Levi in the concentration camp for the audience, students, representatives of the Councils of Religions and National Minorities.

The event, held in the Ilia State University book house Ligamus, was supported by the Promoting Integration, Tolerance and Awareness Program (PITA) of the UN Association of Georgia (UNAG), which is funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).