Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-10-22-Speech-3-446"

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"Madam President, I have chosen almost the same introduction to my speech as Mr Tannock. That does not happen very often. ‘The past is the prologue of the future’ is the maxim displayed at the entrance to the National Archives in Washington and with good reason. This phrase encapsulates the hope that people can learn from history. Sometimes they do, but not always. We can but try. I have noticed time and again – and the motion on the Holodomor was an occasion to do so once again – that not all chapters in the history of eastern and western Europe in the last century are equally common knowledge. When the groups were debating whether or not to in fact table today’s resolution, the overriding opinion was initially one of scepticism; when questioned, most Members admitted to having no idea as to what Holodomor actually means and what it stands for. Perhaps this is the start of a joint learning curve about such a terrible moment in history which took place at the heart of Europe not even a century, just a little over half a century ago, and which will give us the chance to write history accurately with the help of the survivors. For the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, the commemoration of the victims of this tragedy needs to be the focal point of the avowal we make in signing this resolution. We believe that proper commemoration of the victims depends on our knowing about this tragedy, this massive crime on the part of the Soviet regime. Secondly, we hope that this history will be processed jointly in Ukraine and Russia. What we do not want – and I say this as a German born in the 1950s – is for this processing of history and this proper writing of history to deepen the rift between nations. We do not want that either within Ukraine or between Ukraine and Russia. I therefore believe that opening up the archives is an important prerequisite. This is the demand that must be met. The Council of Europe should also discuss this, so that Moscow opens up these archives. I am delighted that the European Parliament has managed to find a position of unity. I truly hope that the writing of history and commemoration of the victims is the main focus in Ukraine and that this catastrophe is not manipulated for political purposes. Then we will have taken a big step towards making the wish that people really would learn from the past come true."@en1
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