An English Schools Foundation student was chosen to read out an international declaration of remembrance at a congress on the Holocaust, held in Israel this week. John Qing Li, 17, from Sha Tin College was selected to read the statement in front of 115 other students from 62 countries. John was one of two Hong Kong ambassadors picked to attend the first International Youth Congress on Holocaust remembrance. The other was Charlotte Raybaud, 17, from King George V School, and the pair were accompanied by KGV religious studies teacher Kirrily Foley. Ms Foley said John and Charlotte were chosen to represent Hong Kong after schools that had attended the Anne Frank exhibition in December were approached by the Israeli consulate to each nominate two students to write essays on ways of promoting Holocaust remembrance. Between 5 million and 6 million Jews are estimated to have been killed during the atrocities. The five-day congress involved workshops, lectures, discussions and a trip to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum. John said the schedule was 'intense' with 6.30am starts and no more than a couple of 15 or 30-minute breaks until midnight. 'It was really inspiring though,' he said. 'The combined strength and encouragement of the people there was striking and profound.' The declaration called on leaders 'to protect our societies from racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia'. 'We . . . are committed to learning from the past. We will be active in our countries and will preserve the memory of the Holocaust,' it said.
