As the world prepares to ring in 2026, Australian advocate Penny Lockwood is turning heads with her urgent call to #RememberNanjing – challenging historical amnesia that still clouds global understanding of one of Asia's darkest chapters.
A Family Legacy of Truth-Telling
Lockwood, speaking through the Australia China Friendship Society, revealed her personal connection to the 1937 Nanjing Massacre – an event she describes as 'a genocide erased from Western textbooks'. Her great-uncle, a journalist who witnessed the atrocities, documented evidence now being shared digitally with Gen Z activists.
Silence Then, Misinformation Now
While Japan's persistent denial draws criticism, Lockwood highlights a newer concern: 'Today's viral TikTok myths about China are creating the same climate of fear that let wartime atrocities go unchallenged.' She notes that less than 30% of Western millennials can identify Nanjing in historical context surveys this year.
Call to Action for Digital Natives
The advocate proposes:
📅 Annual global memorial events starting December 2025
📱 Crowdsourced translation of survivor testimonies
🎮 Educational partnerships with gaming platforms
As geopolitical tensions rise, Lockwood's message cuts through: 'Understanding history isn't about blame – it's vaccine against repeating mistakes.' 💡
