Chelsea FC Support #WeRemember Campaign

Chelsea FC provides its support to the #WeRemember campaign, which reflects on the Holocaust as a way to combat antisemitism and xenophobia.

The #WeRemember campaign kicked off simultaneously on January 6th in 50 countries, in 20 languages, with a number of partners including several social media companies and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Educational Organization.

Soccer News: Top players from Chelsea FC advocate remembrance of the Holocaust and the need to fight all forms of antisemitism and xenophobia in sports.

The English club announced its support of the #WeRemember campaign launched by the World Jewish Congress (WJC), the leading international organization representing more than 100 Jewish communities on six continents. The organization’s annual #WeRemember initiative will conclude on the 27th.

Chelsea FC, which has partnered with the WJC since last January as part of its ‘Say No to Antisemitism’ Campaign, posted a video to its social media platforms featuring the stars of its team holding #WeRemember signs and advocating the importance of Holocaust memory in fighting racism and discrimination.

Setting a good example off the pitch. Chelsea FC rejects antisemitism and xenophobia.

The 2019 #WeRemember initiative, now in its third year, urges people around the world to photograph themselves holding a #WeRemember sign and post it to social media in order to spread the message that never again must mean, never again. Last year, the campaign reached more than 650 million people.

Participant photos, interviews with Holocaust survivors, and messages from influencers of varied backgrounds, professions, ages and religions will be projected on the walls of Auschwitz-Birkenau and live streamed from January 24-27. The campaign is being held in advance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27th, the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi death camp in 1945.

Social media companies, including Twitter and Snapchat, will support the World Jewish Congress’ campaign in various ways. On Snapchat, for example, the ‘story’ coverage of the day, including content related to Holocaust education, will be available on the Discover page on January 27th. Snapchatters can join the conversation by submitting their snaps to the public ‘Our Story’ using the available filters.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has also joined the WJC as an integral partner with the launch of a joint website on Holocaust education. Nancy Spielberg, whose Playmount Productions recently released the Holocaust film, Who Will Write Our History, also joined the We Remember project.

“With levels of anti-Semitism, xenophobia and Holocaust-denial rampant and rising across the world, it is imperative that the memory of the Holocaust be shared more widely than ever, to ensure that the atrocities we witnessed just seven decades ago never repeat themselves,” said World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder. “A concerning report by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) last month found that nine out of 10 European Jews said they believed anti-Semitism was getting worse, and a shocking CNN poll released shortly before that found that more than one-third of Europeans know little to nothing about the Holocaust. With fewer survivors among us, it is the responsibility of the next generation to keep their stories and memories alive.”

“Together, we must remember the past to protect our future for generations to come.”

The campaign launched with a unique call by a number of Holocaust survivors whose mission is to educate the world, create a better future and to share their stories with younger generations. These survivors include Toby Levy, a social media activist who has dedicated her life to educating the next generation about the danger of hatred, and Saul Dreier, the founder of the Holocaust Survivor Band and an advocate for using music as a form of remembrance. Participants amplifying the 2019 initiative also include reformed neo-Nazis, other sports teams and associations and people of all religions and backgrounds.

“Education is the key to combatting the spread of anti-Semitism and hatred, and given today’s digital sphere of influence, social media is the best tool to reach the masses,” said Lauder. “Since the #WeRemember initiative began, it has become a grassroots movement of wide impact. We urge everyone – Jewish and non-Jewish alike – to participate in the 2019 World Jewish Congress #WeRemember campaign to inspire these important conversations and help further spread awareness.”

Chelsea FC’s discussion of the #WeRemember campaign can be found here.

Photo Credit: Chelsea FC