Education key to addressing anti-Semitism, intolerance against Muslims and other forms of discrimination, say ODIHR event participants

Educational tools that help effectively prevent and address anti-Semitism, intolerance against Muslims and other forms of discrimination were presented and discussed at an event held on 24 September 2019 in Warsaw. The event was organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) during the annual OSCE human rights conference, the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting.

The participants highlighted the role educational systems play in building students’ resilience to prejudice and discrimination and in fostering an inclusive climate in schools. However, they stressed that practical tools need to be put in place for teachers and school managers to be able to respond effectively to intolerance and discrimination.

The event showcased ODIHR’s efforts to create hands-on educational materials to address such phenomena in schools.

“Beyond a supportive educational policy framework to address anti-Semitism, intolerance against Muslims and other forms of intolerance and discrimination, teachers and school managers themselves also need training and support,” said Christie Edwards, Deputy Head of ODIHR’s Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Department. “To this end, ODIHR is developing concrete tools to help them adequately frame and teach about these topics and be able to respond when challenges emerge in classrooms.”

The new materials, part of which were developed within ODIHR’s project Turning Words into Action to Address Anti-Semitism, include four educational videos to support lesson plans on countering prejudice, discrimination and anti-Semitism and promoting knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust, as well as forthcoming teacher and school management curricula and teaching aids on how to address anti-Semitism, all applicable to diverse country contexts.  

The materials presented also include specific curricula and teaching materials for students to address hostility, intolerance and discrimination against Muslims, soon to be piloted in Ireland.

Panellists came from teacher training institutions, civil society and religious centres. Speakers from the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Muslim Cultural Centre in Warsaw also delivered presentations. Participants in the ODIHR-organized Youth Activist Forum, taking place in Warsaw this week, were among the attendees.