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    Holocaust Memorial Day Assembly

    On Tuesday 24th January, Mr Hackett and Mrs Richards presented a moving assembly to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day. The theme of Holocaust Memorial this year was Ordinary people and the role they play in either accepting or allowing harm to happen.

    The assembly included two poignant poems read by students. Our Year 9 students, River and Niya read the poem, Not My Business by Niya Osudase. Niyi Osundare is a Nigerian poet who wrote the poem ‘Not My Business’ in defiance of the human rights abuses which took place in Nigeria in the 1990s, under the brutal dictator General Sani Abacha. In this poem, we see a selfish and wilfully ignorant speaker refuse to speak out when he sees people go missing, because their life is not directly on the line. The second poem was read by our Year 11 students, Jack and Bibi who read the poem ‘First they Came’, by Martin Neimöller. Martin Neimöller was a German, Christian pastor. The poem speaks about the cowardly behaviour shown by German people as they saw the Nazi regime gain power and take away people from opposition groups. Like the first poem we heard, ‘Not my Business’, Neimöller realises that unless ordinary people speak up, no one is safe. Martin Neimöller was arrested by the Nazis because of his resistance work and was eventually taken to the concentration camp, Dachau, where he was released at the end of the war. Both poems have been included below.

    The assembly ended with a candle lighingt ceremony led by Mrs Richards. Six candles were lit. Students were then invited to join in prayer for peace and tolerance.

     

    Not My Business by Niyi Osudase


    They picked Akanni up one morning

    Beat him soft like clay

    And stuffed him down the belly

    Of a waiting jeep.

     

    What business of mine is it

    So long they don’t take the yam

    From my savouring mouth?

     

    They came one night

    Booted the whole house awake

    And dragged Danladi out,

    Then off to a lengthy absence.

     

    What business of mine is it

    So long they don’t take the yam

    From my savouring mouth

    Chinwe went to work one day

    Only to find her job was gone:

    No query, no warning, no probe -

    Just one neat sack for a stainless record.

     

    What business of mine is it

    So long they don’t take the yam

    From my savouring mouth?

     

    And then one evening

    As I sat down to eat my yam

    A knock on the door froze my hungry hand.

     

    The jeep was waiting on my bewildered lawn

    Waiting, waiting in its usual silence.

     

    First they came by Pastor Niemoller 

     

    First, they came for the Communists

    And I did not speak out

    Because I was not a Communist

    Then they came for the Socialists

    And I did not speak out

    Because I was not a Socialist

    Then they came for the trade unionists

    And I did not speak out

    Because I was not a trade unionist

    Then they came for the Jews

    And I did not speak out

    Because I was not a Jew

    Then they came for me

    And there was no one left

    To speak out for me

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