Addressing anti-Semitism through education is the focus of two events co-organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) this week.
The Regional Conference for Policymakers and Educators will be attended by education policymakers, teacher trainers, representatives of the Jewish community and civil society from South-Eastern Europe. Together, they will hear about and examine the various policy measures that government officials can take to address anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance and discrimination. This topic will be discussed within the frameworks of ODIHR and UNESCO’s work in supporting education systems, schools and teachers in this area.
“Educators play a key role in building their students’ resilience to anti-Semitism, prejudice, extremist and hateful narratives, or conspiracy thinking, while they also have a duty to keep schools safe and inclusive for all students. To be able to do so, they need training and the adoption of effective policy frameworks. This and other ODIHR and UNESCO events, and the materials we published together, aim to support participating States’ educational systems in achieving this goal,” said Katarzyna Gardapkhadze, First Deputy Director, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.
Participants will also learn about and discuss topics related to national strategies, effective pedagogical approaches and teacher training frameworks to address anti-Semitism through education. Supporting educators on this topic is all the more relevant in the context of the COVID-19 induced rhetoric directed against certain minority groups - that are being scapegoated, dehumanized, and demonized as the cause of the virus and its spread. Jewish communities have been among the primary targets of such intolerant discourse, particularly online. This reality underscores the urgency to effectively address anti-Semitism in our societies - as well as intolerance, discrimination, and hate - more broadly.
Education reforms in North Macedonia
The second event, an online workshop in North Macedonia, will aim to assist education stakeholders in North Macedonia with the implementation of the teaching resources jointly developed by ODIHR and UNESCO. It will also provide an opportunity to present these materials during an in-depth discussion about the current educational context in the country, including the reform process focusing on primary school education programmes.
“Education is the most powerful tool for fighting Anti-Semitism and discrimination, violence and intolerance in general. We can prevent the destruction of democratic values in society only by educating our citizens. Therefore, we push our educational system in such a direction so that the current and new generations acquire comprehensive knowledge and learn from historical events,” said Mila Carovska, Minister of Education and Science, Republic of North Macedonia. “I would like to thank ODIHR and UNESCO for the preparation of the educational materials, which I believe will be of crucial importance.”
Both events are part of ODIHR’s “Words into Action to Address Intolerance” project as well as UNESCO’s programme "Global Citizenship Education". Find out more in the educational materials developed by ODIHR and UNESCO: Addressing Anti-Semitism through Education: Guidelines for Policymakers and Addressing Anti-Semitism in Schools: Training Curricula (2020).
