The theme for this year’s commemorations ‘Bridging Generations’, is a call-to-action. A reminder that the responsibility of remembrance doesn’t end with the survivors – it lives on through their children, their grandchildren and through all of us. This theme encourages us all to engage actively with the past – to listen, to learn and to carry those lessons forward.
The Interreligious Relations Team are most grateful to St Mary’s Catholic School who will host the event and are delighted to welcome Professor Yitka Graham and Mr Nicu Ion as the guest speakers for 2026’s Diocesan Holocaust Commemoration.
Yitka Graham comes from a multicultural and interfaith background and has a lifelong interest in ensuring that the Holocaust is never forgotten.
Reflecting on the experiences of family and friends, her talk focuses on this years theme of ‘Bridging Generations’ and how we must all work together to preserve the memory of the Holocaust for the future.
Nicu Ion is a Romanian Roma politician, educator, and human rights activist based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. As the first Roma individual elected to public office in the United Kingdom, serving as a Labour councillor in Newcastle upon Tyne, Nicu has championed equality and inclusion throughout his career. A mathematics teacher by profession, he combines his educational expertise with his dedication to social justice.
Nicu played a pivotal role in initiating a motion in Newcastle City Council that formally recognised the genocide of the Roma and Sinti communities during the Second World War which was unanimously voted across the Chamber in November 2023. His advocacy led to the historic approval for the construction of the first memorial in the UK dedicated to the memory of Roma victims of this genocide, marking a significant step in acknowledging and addressing historical injustices.
We are very grateful to Yitka and Nicu for agreeing to speak during our commemoration.