Addressing Anti-Semitism, Intolerance, and Discrimination through Education - Regional Conference for Policymakers, Teacher Trainers and Educators

The regional conference is designed to enhance the efforts of policymakers, teacher trainers, teachers, school directors and other educators (including from civil society) to develop effective policies, practices and pedagogical approaches to address anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance and discrimination. It will examine various policy measures that government officials can take to establish a comprehensive framework for teacher and school director training, as well as the practical materials and resources the educators can use. It is the latest in a series of national and international events organized by ODIHR and UNESCO on addressing anti-Semitism in and through education.

Why is it important?

Educational systems are an essential element in any comprehensive effort to address anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance and discrimination. Schools and teachers, in particular, can play a significant role in raising young people’s awareness of the nature of anti-Semitism and its effects. Moreover, education can also build students’ resilience to the toxic narratives and ideologies that drive discrimination and hatred. Educators have a duty to create school environments that are safe, respectful of human rights and inclusive of Jewish and all other students. To be able to fulfill this duty, educators need to be given opportunities to build their knowledge and skills on effective ways to address anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination in and through education. At the same time, existing frameworks need to support educators and foster their commitment to this important area of work.

Participants

Education policymakers, teachers, teacher trainers and other educators (including members of civil society) from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Programme

The two-day conference is divided into six sessions. The first session will focus on understanding and recognizing anti-Semitism, introducing the concept of anti-Semitism and its various contemporary manifestations, including online, as well as in the form of Holocaust denial and distortion. This session will be followed by a panel discussion on Holocaust education and addressing anti-Semitism, intolerance and discrimination, with insights from recognized experts and practitioners, as well as examples of initiatives and good practices from various states. The third session will focus on education policies and pedagogical strategies to address anti-Semitism, as well as intolerance and discrimination more broadly.

The second day of the conference will open with a session on the roles of actors outside the school system, such as museums or civil society and community organizations, in addressing anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance and discrimination through education. This will be followed by a presentation of the UNESCO and ODIHR publication Addressing Anti-Semitism in Schools: Training Curricula. The final session will offer participants an opportunity to plan and coordinate national-level educational strategies and actions to address anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance and discrimination.

This event is part of ODIHR’s project ‘Turning Words into Action to Address Intolerance’.