The SDS Parliamentary Group addressed a written initiative to the Government of the Republic of Slovenia to join the support of the project of the Foundation for the Memory of the Victims of Communism to the Museum of the Victims of Communism in Washington and at the same time offer the necessary financial support in order to express respect for the victims of communism, one of the totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, and their commitment to a peaceful and prosperous Europe, SDS announced:
Romania has supported and committed USD 3 millions of budget funds as a contribution to the expansion of the physical galleries of the Museum of Victims of Communism in Washington and the launch of a digital museum experience.
The Museum of the Victims of Communism in Washington is a project of the Foundation for the Memory of the Victims of Communism, which was supported by Poland, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and, finally, Romania.
Andrew Bremberg, President of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, Ambassador, former representative of the United States of America to the UN Office of other international organisations in Geneva, said: “We are extremely grateful for Romania’s support of the Museum of Victims of Communism, which will help educate the American audience about Romania’s courageous struggle against communist oppression.” He also said: “This gift, accepted by the Romanian parliament with broad political consensus, will also serve as a lasting reminder of the power of freedom and help preserve the memory of the more than 100 million victims of communism around the world, as we continue to work for the freedom of more than 1.5 billion people who still live under this oppressive yoke.”
Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, during a meeting with Ambassador Bremberg and Honorary President of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation Edwin J. Feulner last February in Bucharest, said that we must always remember “the horrors, humiliations, underdevelopment, poverty that the communist dictatorship brought to this part of Europe. We must not forget the suffering of the generations that were brutally suppressed by the mechanisms of communism.”
Dr Elizabeth Edwards Spalding, Chair of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation Board of Directors, and Founding Director of the Museum, said that “Romania’s contribution to the Victims of Communism Museum will serve as a foundational gift that will enable the expansion of our physical galleries and the launch of a digital museum experience.” As noted in according to the draft law, this gift to the Museum of Victims of Communism is “necessary to tell the whole world that Romania managed to escape from the darkness of this totalitarianism, strongly condemn the crimes of Communism and honour the victims that this regime caused”.
On April 2nd, 2009, the European Parliament adopted the Resolution on European Consciousness and Totalitarianism, considering the United Nations General Declaration on Human Rights and previously adopted resolutions on respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms. With it, the European Parliament showed explicit respect for all victims of totalitarian and undemocratic regimes in Europe and expressed respect and tribute to all those who fought against tyranny and oppression, renewing its commitment to a peaceful and
prosperous Europe based on values such as respect human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, principles of the rule of law and respect for human rights.
The National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia has taken note of the Resolution on European Consciousness and Totalitarianism, but unfortunately it has still not adopted a declaration expressing actual support for the Resolution on European Consciousness and Totalitarianism. With this, the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia would explicitly and permanently express its rejection of all totalitarian regimes, regardless of their ideology, as they are all based on violence, violation of human rights and are therefore criminal and reprehensible.
“By financially supporting the project of the Foundation for the Memory of Victims of Communism to the Museum of Victims of Communism in Washington, Slovenia would express its deepest respect for the victims of communism, one of the totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, and its commitment to a peaceful and prosperous Europe based on values such as respect for human dignity , freedom, democracy, equality, the principles of the rule of law, and respect for human rights,” believes SDS, which therefore addressed a written initiative to the Government of the Republic of Slovenia to “join the support of the project of the Foundation for the Memory of the Victims of Communism to the Museum of Victims of Communism in Washington and at the same time offer the necessary financial support in order to express our respect for the victims of communism, one of the totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, and our commitment to a peaceful and prosperous Europe based on values such as respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect of human rights.”
