As the world continues to grapple with a rise in antisemitism, UNESCO has launched an important initiative for school teachers, superintendents, and principals in the United States.
This online professional training program aims to equip educators with the knowledge and skills needed to confront antisemitism head-on and raise awareness of its impact on our society.
By providing this valuable resource, UNESCO is helping American schools fight back against hate speech and discrimination through education.
Official Announcement
Today, UNESCO, in partnership with the University of Southern California’s Shoah Foundation, the American Federation of Teachers, and the American Jewish Committee launched a US-wide online professional training program.
The program is targeted at school teachers, superintendents, and principals in a bid to address the antisemitism, the distortion, and denial of the Holocaust in schools.
UNESCO Outline
Antisemitism is an attack on our shared humanity. It must be confronted head-on, without naivety, and with perseverance.
This is the commitment of UNESCO, the UN agency mandated to promote education on the Holocaust and the prevention of genocide.
We are proud to support American teachers to raise young people’s awareness of the nature and impact of this toxic hate speech and ideology that drive discrimination.
Rolling Out the Training Program
UNESCO and its partners’ new “Shine a Light” online training course will be open to the 1.7 million members of the American Federation of Teachers, and they will earn professional credits for taking each module.
Participants will develop their knowledge, skills, and confidence to teach about antisemitism and to dismantle antisemitic stereotypes. They will also learn strategies to address antisemitic incidents in schools and to respond effectively to conspiracy theories including Holocaust denial and distortion.
Educators will also have the opportunity to learn from international and U.S. experts, and to understand how to apply pedagogies and learning approaches based on human rights and the principles of global citizenship education to counter prejudice and hate speech.
They will access resources from UNESCO and the OSCE/ODIHR, as well as testimonies and learning activities from the USC Shoah Foundation’s IWitness program to address antisemitism through social and emotional learning.
Organizations Involved
This project is led by the UNESCO Chair on Genocide Education at the University of Southern California.
UNESCO’s partners in designing, funding, and facilitating the course are the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE/ODIHR), the University of Southern California Shoah Foundation, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the American Jewish Committee (AJC), and Shine A Light.
Jointly hosted by UNESCO and the World Jewish Congress, their website www.aboutholocaust.org sets out the facts of the Holocaust in 19 languages., educating readers on the historical roots of the genocide, its processes, and consequences.
About UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is the UN agency specifically mandated to promote Holocaust and genocide education.
It addresses Holocaust denial and distortion and all forms of antisemitism. The Organization studies and documents the Holocaust and supports states in developing their education programs trains educators and produces educational tools for students across the world.
Five UNESCO chairs in the world are specifically dedicated to this field.
Conclusion
We must continue to educate ourselves and our students on the history of antisemitism, Holocaust denial, and distortion.
The “Shine a Light” online training course is an excellent way for educators to gain knowledge about these topics in order to better equip themselves with strategies to address them in their classrooms.
UNESCO’s website provides further resources that can be used as tools by both teachers and students alike when learning about this important topic. I
t is essential that we all remain vigilant against discrimination so that no one ever has to suffer from hate again – education is key!
Sources: THX News, UNESCO & Colorado Department of Education.
