Holocaust Survivors Share their Experiences with Students of Universidad Americana de Panama

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

The Global Embassy of Activist for Peace worked together with Universidad Americana de Panama to carry out ​​the university forum "Educating to Remember: The Holocaust - Paradigm of Genocide". The event was held in the auditorium of the University. 

Maritza Maxwell, Dean of the Law School expressed that she felt impacted by the subject of the Holocaust, and encouraged students to take advantage of every opportunity to contribute to the defense of human rights, thus being active, and not passive, as to the world's problems.

Forum Panelist Luis Betancourt, Professor of the School of Law and Political Sciences and Officer of the Supreme Court, spoke on the topic: “The Crime of Genocide in Panamanian Criminal Law”, discussing the government of Panama’s international responsibility to participate in treaties that defend human rights, and to amend its own constitution and criminal code.

Holocaust survivor Dr. Jaime Segal spoke on the topic: "The History of the Final Solution". He explained to the students the systematic and methodic manner in which the act of genocide of the twentieth century originated in the mind of Hitler, degrading the life of the human being to the lowest degree.

Felix Poznaski, who is also a Holocaust survivor, emotively addressed the audience after his friend, Jaime Segal, encouraged him to rescue his story from oblivion, so that it never happens again. He shared some of his life experiences with the students, and explained how, as a 10 year old boy, he learned to defend himself with a gun in order to survive, trying to avoid being taken to a concentration camp at all costs, because he knew he could die; however, he took courage and faced the horror of war.

The Traces to Remember Burstein Family plaque was unveiled at the closing of the event. This plaque has previously been exhibited at different governmental agencies, embassies and universities.