JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
The U.S. Congress established Days of Remembrance as the nation's annual commemoration of the Holocaust. At Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility Washington, is slated to observe the Holocaust Days of Remembrance from April 30, 2011 to May 6, 2011. A high school essay contest is part of Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility Washington's observance of the Holocaust Days of Remembrance. The first place winner of the essay contest will have his/her essay published in the base newspaper, the Capital Flyer and receive a $150 United States Savings Bond. The second place essay writer gets a $100 U.S. Savings Bond, and third place will recieve a $50 U.S. Savings Bond.
This year, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum designated "Justice and Accountability in the Face of Genocide: What Have We Learned?" as the theme for the 2011 observance. This theme marks the 65th anniversary of the verdicts delivered at the International Military Tribunal trial in Nuremberg and the 50th anniversary of the Eichmann trial. These anniversaries encourage reflection on the role of justice in the aftermath of genocide. Both trials set important precedents and raised significant questions about the nature of justice in the face of such enormous crimes.
Prior to the International Military Tribunal trial and subsequent Nuremberg trials, the principle of national sovereignty prevailed. In the wake of these trials though, a new understanding of international human rights responsibility emerged as the world began to understand the events now called the Holocaust.
Adolf Eichmann was a high-ranking SS (Schutzstaffel, or elite Nazi party guard) and was central to the planning and implementation of the murder of six million Jewish men, women, and children. He was captured in Argentina by Israeli agents in 1960 and brought to trial in Israel in what would become known as the "trial of the century." Eichmann's trial was a watershed event and was televised around the world. It refocused international attention on the murder of Europe's Jews, and away from sovereignty.
The Nuremberg and Eichmann trials strove for justice, but what does justice really mean in the face of a crime like genocide? These trials were an act of public accountability that was owed to the Holocaust victims. With these trials justice, to a great extent, was aspirational.
Essay Contest Details
Essay Topic/Grading Criteria: "Accountability for Genocide"
1. Discuss one genocide that occurred in history (ie. Holocaust, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rwanda, Darfur and Sundan, etc.) and explain how that genocide affected the local population.
2. After the genocide, explain the way(s) that justice was achieved (ie. how were wrongdoers punished?).
3. Describe ways that we can prevent genocide from occurring in the future.
Contest Eligibility: Any student in grades 9-12 or the home school equivalent. Only one entry per student. All participants must be dependents of military members or DOD employees.
Essay Length: 2 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point font.
Submission Deadline: All essays must be submitted by midnight on April 25, 2011.
Ways to Submit Essay:
1. Via Email: holocaustdaysofremembrance@yahoo.com
2. Via Mail:
11 WG/EO
Attn: Holocaust Days of Remembrance Essay
1535 Command Drive, Suite C-105
Andrews AFB, MD 20762
3. In person at the 11 WG/EO Office: See Address Above
Top Essay Award: Essay published in the base newspaper, the Capital Flyer, and a $150 U.S. Savings Bond.
Second place: $100 U.S. Savings Bond
Third place: $50 U.S. Savings Bond
If you have any questions email holocaustdaysofremembrance@yahoo.com