Event
Educating against antisemitism, intolerance and discrimination in Greece: UNESCO-led workshop
Reports show that 44% of young Jewish Europeans are experiencing antisemitic harassment, while every second European considers antisemitism a problem. A continuous global challenge, antisemitism is threatening Jewish individuals and communities, as well as the very fabric of democracy and the security of societies. How can we create a safe and inclusive environment in schools and enhance students' resilience against antisemitism?
UNESCO continues its series of tailored workshops for educators in EU member states within its 2-year project, funded by the European Union, to strengthen their education systems against antisemitism. The next workshop will take place in Athens, Greece, on 4-5 December 2023. It will be organised in collaboration with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Hellenic Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports.
Bringing together educators from across Greece, the event will explore what they need to know about the problem and change in their teaching approaches to effectively address the issue in and through education.
This event will touch upon the following questions:
- What is antisemitism, how does it manifest, what is its danger, and why does it need to be addressed through education?
- How do stereotypes, prejudice and conspiracy theories form and function?
- What does an effective response to incidents of antisemitism in classrooms and educational environments look like and what are the responsibilities of schools and teachers?
- What teachers need to do to boost learners' critical competencies and resilience to conspiracy theories? How can school programmes to prevent and counter prejudice, hate speech and antisemitism benefit from integrating digital media?
- How to recognise and counter Holocaust denial and distortion?
- What is the role of Holocaust education and learning about Jewish culture and heritage in countering antisemitism?
After the training, UNESCO will continue its cooperation with the Hellenic Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports to follow up on the results of the workshop as part of the .
The training program will take place in Greek and English (with simultaneous interpretation)
About the project
UNESCO implements a 2-year project, funded by the European Commission and supported by OSCE/ODIHR, to strengthen the education systems of EU member states against antisemitism. Through this new partnership, policy-makers and educators receive guidance and support to improve their teaching methods, activities, and materials. They are trained on countering Holocaust denial and distortion, responding to incidents of antisemitism in schools, and addressing online hate speech and conspiracy theories in the classroom. The project also involves research into how well-prepared European teachers are to address antisemitism and how Jews, Judaism, and antisemitism are presented in school textbooks and curricula.
