Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I also want to join in the warm words of welcome. We miss Mario Silva as a member of this committee. I think I'm vice-chair only because he's not here now, so I want to express our appreciation to him for his work for our committee in the past and for his leadership in the ITF now.
I want to put two questions to him, which arise from his remarks, which I found very comprehensive and very helpful.
The first has to do with your reference, Mario, in your brief that amid the dark history of the Holocaust there remain amazing examples of self-sacrifice for others, and of humanity's ability to stand up for moral values. In that regard you mentioned Raoul Wallenberg, Canada's first honorary citizen. I wonder if, in that context, the ITF can perhaps have, as a thematic reference in its commemorative work, reference to the work of rescuers. It's an inspiring type of work and it is particularly inspiring for young people, and Raoul Wallenberg is a particular role model.
As you know, January 17 has been set aside here in Canada as Raoul Wallenberg commemorative day. I wonder if the ITF alone or in concert with others has any plans with respect to the Raoul Wallenberg commemorative day in Canada and with respect to maybe helping to establish Raoul Wallenberg commemorative days in other ITF member countries. That is my first question.
You mentioned that a third area of focus for the ITF is research to shed further light on the Holocaust and its driving forces, with a view to preventing genocide, ethnic cleansing, racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia.
On that very important theme of prevention, I wonder if part of your research might be into the dangerous phenomenon of genocidal anti-Semitism, or even state-sanctioned genocidal anti-Semitism where you have the convergence of the incitement of the most horrific of crimes, namely genocide, embedded in the most enduring of hatreds, anti-Semitism. You know this well; I need not elaborate.
Those are my two questions.