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UNESCO co-organises workshop against hatred and discrimination
Mary Guinn Delaney, head of the Transformative Education Section at OREALC/UNESCO Santiago, opened the event. "Education is one of the most effective responses to combat hate and discrimination. We need to educate empowered students, who are active promoters of more peaceful, tolerant, inclusive and safe societies, and who understand that these types of issues are global and not local," she said.
"The problem of anti-Semitism is not just a problem for Jews but for society as a whole. Hate speech, which in every age takes on different expressions and formats, undermines peace and inhibits the creative and innovative potential that lies in diversity. Joint work between states, organisations and civil society is of the utmost importance to build coexistence and eradicate anti-Semitism and all forms of discrimination," said Jack Terpins, President of the CJL.
Marcos Peckel, the CJL's Commissioner for Combating Anti-Semitism, reflected on the harm caused by hate speech. He stressed that anti-Semitism "has been the cause of traumatic events that have transcended the Jewish sphere, from the Crusades to the present day".
During the conference, the participants, together with specialists from both organisations, discussed anti-Semitism in global contexts and its approach from the perspective of educational policy. Nicol谩s del Valle, coordinator of the culture and education programme of OREALC/UNESCO Santiago, emphasised the importance of this last topic and pointed out: "In order to support participating States in fulfilling their commitments related to transformative education, UNESCO calls for the strengthening of educational programmes within a framework of human rights and global citizenship".
The panels included the perspectives of various stakeholders. Alex Maws, head of education at the Association of Jewish Refugees and former chair of the Education Working Group of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) gave an introduction to the topic. "It is not always easy to recognise anti-Semitism, which is why it is crucial to investigate its nature and how it differs from other forms of discrimination.
Cristina G贸mez Giusto, from the Department of Education for Human Rights, Gender and Comprehensive Sex Education of the Ministry of Education of Argentina, elaborated on the local experience. "Human rights are a cross-cutting aspect of our education policies, and it is important that beyond the theoretical aspect there are concrete programmes and strategies to address these issues.
Fernando Lottenberg, OAS Commissioner for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism, opened the second and final day of this space. There, participants explored strategies and actions to address anti-Semitism at the regional level, promoting exchange and joint work. In addition, together with Eliana Rapp Badihi, head of the Spanish and Portuguese Office of the International School of Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem, they discussed Holocaust education as a tool in the fight against anti-Semitism.
