OSCE rights office, Lithuanian education ministry launch anti-Semitism teaching tools for Lithuanian schools

http://www.osce.org/odihr/item_1_38611.html

VILNIUS, 2 July 2009 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Lithuania’s Ministry of Education and Science today launched a Lithuanian-language version of teaching materials on combating anti-Semitism designed for use in secondary schools.

Lithuania is the third country to adopt the ODIHR teaching materials, after Germany and Poland.

“It is worrying that many different forms of anti-Semitism historically encountered in Europe can still be seen today,” Ambassador Janez Lenarcic, Director of ODIHR, said at the launch event in Vilnius.

He stressed that anti-Semitism is a problem in Lithuanian society, but that education could help reduce it.

“Anti-Semitic sentiment is not only expressed by extremist parties: it is also visible in general public discourse,” he said. “We have the responsibility to educate our youth to democratic, open-minded people who are able to build a society free from intolerance, discrimination and anti-Semitism.”

The teaching materials were developed by ODIHR together with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and Lithuanian experts from the Yiddish Institute at the Faculty of History at the Vilnius University.

They have been approved for use in secondary schools by the Lithuanian Ministry of Education and Science.

The Lithuanian teaching tools form part of an international project on combating anti-Semitism by educational means. ODIHR is assisting 12 OSCE participating States with developing customized versions of the teaching materials.

Each country version covers the history and contemporary manifestations of anti-Semitism, and looks at anti-Semitism as a form of discrimination.

Following the launch, professional teacher trainers will attend a two-day training seminar, delivered by the Lithuanian experts involved in the development of the material.

During his visit to Vilnius, Lenarcic also met Foreign Minister Vygaudas Usackas and attended the Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

 

Stephen Harper PM Accepts Simon Wiesenthal International Leadership Award

http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?category=2&id=2602

31 May 2009

Toronto, Ontario

 

CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY

Good evening ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you Philip for that kind introduction.

I’d like to acknowledge the presence of some important dignitaries with us tonight.

Please welcome the Vice Prime Minister of Israel, Silvan Shalom , and the former Prime Minister of Australia, the Honourable John Howard.

Greetings also to Chairman Schwartz, Rabbi Hier, Avi Benlolo, and the many respected members of the federal and provincial Parliaments who I’m pleased were able to join us this evening.

Ladies and gentlemen. 

I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for choosing to honour me with your Leadership Award this evening. 

And I am particularly humbled since your organization’s namesake, Simon Wiesenthal, was a man whose commitment to the principles of freedom, justice and human rights is world-renowned. 

The famous “Nazi Hunter” devoted his life to pursuing justice for the Jewish people;
- Tireless in his efforts
- to track down the monsters who perpetrated the Holocaust. 

As you know, in April of last year, I visited the Auschwitz death camp, a deeply disturbing experience. 

Yet on the plane ride back to Canada, I also reflected on the hopeful things that have emerged from that dark period:  the indomitable spirit and strength of the Jewish people, most spectacularly demonstrated in the establishment and growth of the State of Israel, and the widespread recognition today of anti-Semitism for what it is – a pernicious evil that must be exposed, confronted and repudiated whenever and wherever it appear, as it is an evil so profound that it is ultimately a threat to us all.

Our Government, ladies and gentlemen, doesn’t just pay lip service to our support for Israel and the Jewish people.

Our actions and deeds mirror our words, whether they are popular or unpopular at the time. 

Under our Government’s leadership, Canada was the first country in the world to withdraw from Durban II, the United Nations anti-Semitic hatefest masquerading as a conference against racism.

When campus radicals harassed Jewish students in Toronto, our Minister Peter Kent forcefully denounced their menacing tactics.

We have taken proactive steps to protect synagogues and other Jewish community facilities at risk for hate-motivated crime.

And this week in Parliament we’ll introduce legislation that will give victims of terrorism the power to obtain just compensation from those responsible for their suffering.

When Hamas formed the government of the Palestinian Authority, refusing to drop its objective to eradicate Israel and its people, Canada was the first country in the world to suspend ties with and assistance to its government.

We have pulled no punches on the menacing actions and malevolent statements of the government of Iran.

And when Israel was beset by a volley of Hezbollah rockets, we unequivocally supported Israel’s right to defend herself. 

Because a battle between a democratic state and a terrorist group seeking to destroy it is not a matter of shades of grey – it is a matter right and wrong.

Ladies and gentlemen, I certainly don’t need to tell the people in this room that the age-old hatred of anti-Semitism remains sadly present in our world today.

Rooted in lies and fuelled by paranoia, it is a vile affront to the values that unite all civilized peoples. 

Let me be very clear:  The Jewish people will always have a steadfast friend and a stalwart defender in our Government.

Not just because hatred is a threat to all of us, but because Canada owes so much to the Jewish people. 

In every field of human endeavour, be it the arts, academia, business, or any other endeavour, our country has been immeasurably enriched by your contributions. 

Together we are building a better, stronger country.

And together we will continue working to lift the darkness of intolerance and oppression from our world.

Thank you.

Shalom.

European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights: Data in Focus report 2: Muslims

New FRA report examines discrimination against Muslims: Under-reporting of incidents and lack of trust in public authorities (28/05/2009)

http://fra.europa.eu/fraWebsite/eu-midis/eumidis_details_en.htm

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) released on Thursday 28 May a report on discrimination against Muslims in the EU. The results for Muslim respondents indicate similarly high levels of discrimination and victimisation as for other minority groups surveyed. Many racist incidents are not reported to the police or to any other organisation. Knowledge of anti-discrimination legislation is low, and there is a lack of trust in complaints mechanisms.
Morten Kjaerum: “Overall, the results suggest that Muslims are treated very differently, dependent on both their ethnic origin and their country of residence. Wearing traditional clothing hardly increases discrimination. Muslims surveyed do not consider religion to be the main reason for their discrimination.” [ Media release ]

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) released on Thursday 28 May a report on discrimination against Muslims in the EU. The results for Muslim respondents indicate similarly high levels of discrimination and victimisation as for other minority groups surveyed. Many racist incidents are not reported to the police or to any other organisation. Knowledge of anti-discrimination legislation is low, and there is a lack of trust in complaints mechanisms.
Morten Kjaerum: “Overall, the results suggest that Muslims are treated very differently, dependent on both their ethnic origin and their country of residence. Wearing traditional clothing hardly increases discrimination. Muslims surveyed do not consider religion to be the main reason for their discrimination.

http://fra.europa.eu/fraWebsite/attachments/newsletter-jun09_en.pdf

 

UN seminar on “Cyber Hate: Danger in Cyber Space”

The United Nations Department of Public Information’s Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme will organize a seminar titled “Cyber Hate: Danger in Cyber Space” from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on 16 June 2009 in conference room 2 at New York Headquarters.  This seminar, to be opened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, will explore the impact of hate-related discourse on the Internet, particularly on youth, and ways to counter it.

Kiyo Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, will welcome keynote speaker Mr. Hemanshu Nigam, Chief Security Officer, News Corporation and MySpace.  Mark Weitzman, Director of the Task Force against Hate and Terrorism and Associate Director of Education for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, will present an overview of hate speech on the Internet, including Holocaust denial.  The morning session will highlight the effects of cyber hate and cyberbullying on youth and ways to confront the problem, to be presented by the Anti-Defamation League.  The afternoon segment will focus on prevention and regulation issues, with a number of experts.   The seminar will conclude with a discussion on and delivery of recommendations for safe and responsible dissemination of online information that is respectful of all groups.  This event is part of the Unlearning Intolerance Seminar Series, which examines different manifestations of intolerance and explores means to promote respect and understanding amongst people.  For information please contact Kimberly Mann at 212-963-6835 or mann@un.org.  Registration for non-UN grounds pass holders at unlearningintolerance@un.org.

Pope Benedict XVI’s trip to Israel is a historic positive step forward for Vatican-Israel relations and the Catholic-Jewish dialogue.

This important trip reaffirms Pope Benedict’s commitment to continue to strengthen relations between the Vatican and the State of Israel, begun under his predecessor Pope John Paul II.  In recent months, Pope Benedict XVI has reconfirmed the Catholic Church’s unqualified repudiation of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.

He has taught that Christians should gain a new respect for the Jewish interpretation of the Torah. He has also asserted that God’s covenant and promises to the Jewish people are alive and irrevocable, further demonstrating his belief that Jews are “beloved brothers and sisters.”

Atlantic Jewish Council’s publication

You can read it on the following webpage:

http://www.theajc.ns.ca/shalom/Shalom_2009.pdf

Information from Hungary: the Holocaust Memorial Center

http://www.hdke.hu/index.php?menu=020201&mgroup=1&app=info&page=main&artid=6b279380a98488f1b39d87c79385a896Rabbi

Andrew Baker, leading advocate for tolerance visiting Budapest

For thirty years Rabbi Andrew Baker, a leading advocate for tolerance, has been travelling all over the world implementing programs promoting tolerance and protection of all minority groups. Some of his destinations include such newly emerged democracies like the Czech Republic, Slovakia or Lithuania. He helped the Romanian Government establish a national commission chaired by Elie Wiesel to examine the local history of the Holocaust. He was awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his work in German-Jewish relations.

Information from Croatia

We would like to inform you about a seminar organized in Zagreb, Croatia by the Ministry of Education: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa9r1xoddh8

More information from Croatia: you can here about the Classroom holocaust museum project in Croatia: http://www.slideshare.net/Hajdarovic/razredni-muzej-holokausta

A female version of Oscar Schindler: Irena Sendler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc7vFEcnBHI

Award ceremony of “Righteous Among the Nations” in Lithuania, April 21, 2009

16 people were recognized as Righteous among the Nations in the ceremony that took place on April 21 at 4.30 pm in Vilnius University This year the awards for Righteous among the Nations were organized by the International Historical Commission together with the Embassy of Israel, the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum and the Jewish community of Lithuania.  

 “With their courageous and noble action they were saving not only persecuted Jews, they were also saving human’s dignity that was lost during the Holocaust”, – said Mr. Chenas Ivri, the ambassador of Israel for Lithuania and Latvia.

In the ceremony this year also participated  Mr. Isaac Herzog, the minister of Israel of Welfare and Social Services as well as the delegation of “Litvakai” that is visiting Lithuania. “I came from holy city to thank everyone personally and to convey the gratitude of the state of Israel. Your work saved the face of your nations humanity”, – said Mr. Isaac Herzog, minister of Israel of Welfare and Social Services to the Righteous.

“Behind the wall of numbers they see the particular faces of victims, executioner, observer as well as the rescuers. We have to know and to remember these faces”, – in the award ceremony said Mr. Ronaldas Račinskas, the Executive Director of the International Historical Commission.

Mr. Chenas Ivri, the ambassador of Israel for Lithuania and Latvia thanked to the International Historical Commission for organizing the ceremony to award the Righteous among the Nations, also thanked to pupils and teachers of Viršuliškių secondary school for participating in this project. The ambassador also stressed that he appreciate the work of the International Historical Commission in the field of Holocaust researches, especially in the topic of education – to arrange trainings for teachers and the work of Tolerance education centers at schools. “The collaboration that started in 2005 between the embassy and the International Historical Commission continues, for example, arranging the award ceremonies of Righteous among the Nations where pupils and teachers participate”, – he said. 

 

More the information in the website of the International Commission:  http://www.komisija.lt/en/naujiena.php?id=1240985482