Dr. William Soto |Tribute to Mr. Pierre Wolff

Dr. William Soto |Tribute to Mr. Pierre Wolff

We must always bear in mind that the victims of the Nazi regime during World War II were not only 6 million Jews, other groups were also persecuted and killed, including Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals, political opponents, the Romani (Gypsies), and the disabled. Therefore, this was not a crime against one people; this was a crime against the human family.


Dr. William Soto | Speech Given at the National Assembly of Panama

Dr. William Soto | Speech Given at the National Assembly of Panama

                In order to prevent the repetition of crimes against humanity, we must promote in different educational centers an education with values, focused on respect for the dignity of the human being, so that students learn the value of the defense of human rights and become aware of the importance of building paths for the peace of the human family, and measure the consequences of wars and any other discriminatory and belligerent behavior.


Dr. William Soto |The Origins and History of the Holocaust Speech

Dr. William Soto |The Origins and History of the Holocaust Speech

Genocide was the greatest defeat of global education in universities and schools, the product of political irrationality and insensitivity.


Dr. William Soto | SPEECH GIVEN AT THE CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF COLOLMBIA

Dr. William Soto | SPEECH GIVEN AT THE CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF COLOLMBIA

For this reason, the example set by Colombia with the Anti-Discrimination Act is truly remarkable and worthy to follow. Meanwhile, in Europe, far-right movements founded on xenophobia and the blaming of certain groups—usually a minority—for the bad economy, are gaining ground in countries such as Greece, Austria, and France.


Dr. William Soto | SPEECH GIVEN AT THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF COSTA RICA

Dr. William Soto | SPEECH GIVEN AT THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF COSTA RICA


The worst crimes against humanity occurred in the 20th century, and even after the United Nations issued the Universal Charter of Human Rights, we saw cases such as the massacre in Rwanda in 1994, which left 800,000 people dead, and as another example, horrible crimes were committed against different ethnic groups in Guatemala and throughout Central America. This makes us aware that we should not forget the past: we must remember history, as it is the best legacy we can leave to future generations. We must not allow ourselves to repeat the dark 20th century.


Dr. William Soto | SPEECH GIVEN AT THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES OF MEXICO

Dr. William Soto | SPEECH GIVEN AT THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES OF MEXICO

We also believe that forgetting the Holocaust would be a crime, and not making it known to new generations would make us accomplices of those who deny it. For that reason, the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace also presented the government of Paraguay with a proposal to learn the lessons of this terrible chapter in history, which gave rise to the issuing of Resolution 684 by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the country on February 20, 2013, declaring the project Traces to Remember of educational interest.


Dr. William Soto | SPEECH GIVEN AT THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Dr. William Soto | SPEECH GIVEN AT THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

To date, it has been the deadliest war in Latin America, considered by many historians to be the American genocide; however, it left us with the example of a noble and generous gesture from the government of Colombia, which offered citizenship to all the Paraguayans who entered its territory.

 

Something entirely different happened in 1939 when the St. Louis ship left Hamburg with about a thousand passengers—mostly refugee Jews fleeing Nazi persecution—and was not allowed to land in Cuba or the United States, instead being forced to return to Europe to deliver its passengers directly to the gas chambers.