Man, it is colder than Liberal Party welfare reform here at the moment. A cold snap has descended over Europe and while it is nowhere near as cold here as in Switzerland, at minus 7C, it's cold enough for me. This is the kind of weather that demands one makes lots of crumpets while drinking premium whisky and stay indoors in front of the fire, but Swedes would scoff at that, so despite the snow and cold temperatures, they are out and about as though this is all perfectly normal. I'll never understand.

Today, it is the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on January 27th, 1945. Last evening Swedish tv screened the movie Schindler's List, based on the prize winning book by Australian writer, Thomas Keneally. I have read the book and seen the film several times and it still fills me with a sense of horror and grief at the unspeakable suffering these people endured and those who turned a blind eye and allowed it all to happen.

In Nynäshamn, the event was marked by a candlelit parade in the early evening through centrum and up to the church, where a service was held to commemorate the continuing fight for human rights and the battle against discrimination. One thing that really heartened me was seeing such a large number of young people come out on a cold, snowy evening and stand up to be counted. I hope that people never forget what happened and we stay vigilant so that it can never happen again.

I was quite struck by the message in the cartoon I saw from the pen of Melbourne's brilliant Michael Leunig.



The memory of Auschwitz is a reminder that racism and intolerance can never be tolerated.