The Permanent Mission of Greece in Geneva and the World Jewish Congress are organizing a Human Rights Council 48th Session side event on "Education against hate speech and discrimination"

The Permanent Mission of Greece in Geneva and the World Jewish Congress are organizing a Virtual Side-Event to the 48th HRC Session on “Education against hate speech and discrimination” on Tuesday, 14 September 2021 at 13:00 (Geneva time) via Zoom. The event is organized in the framework of Greece’s 2021 Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), with the co-sponsorship of the Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Permanent Mission of Sweden, in their capacity as troika members of the IHRA Presidency, and in partnership with UNESCO.

A dedicated webpage has been set up in: https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/events/unhrc-side-event-education-against-hate-speech-and-discrimination
Registrations:  https://wjc-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4_BSGrDZR1mjUnL4y_tAjg

Concept Note

Hate speech and incitement to hatred or violence is on the rise today, targeting persons belonging to minorities and vulnerable groups. The COVID pandemic has brought to the surface “a tsunami of hate and xenophobia, scapegoating and scare-mongering,” in the words of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. This is exacerbated by the use of social media, which enable the quick dissemination of conspiracy myths and disinformation, as well as the worrying phenomena of Holocaust denial and distortion. In 2020, such incidents have also been recorded at demonstrations against pandemic prevention measures, including comparing current restrictions to those imposed by the Nazis.

This event will take place in the framework of Greece’s 2021 Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), an international organization comprised of 34 member states, dedicated to combating antisemitism and safeguarding the memory of the Holocaust, in partnership with the World Jewish Congress. The main focus of the Greek Presidency is “Teaching and learning about the Holocaust: Education for a world with no more genocide.” The discussion will center around the challenges posed by the growing dis- and misinformation that spreads, in particular, online and ways to redress this phenomenon, while ensuring the right to freedom of expression.

A major challenge is providing the modern citizens, especially youths, with adequate education and information both on modern and historical topics, but also with a skillset of critical thinking that would allow them to distinguish between factual information and disinformation and to create informed opinions about historical facts and democratic processes. Responses to the underlying factors of disinformation should be examined within the international human rights framework and requires active engagement by states, companies, civil society and media. The importance of education of all relevant actors, in combatting Holocaust denial and distortion is undeniable, as the spread of this phenomena alters the historical record, enables extremism and racism, challenges cohesiveness in societies and drives people further apart.

Program

Welcome remarks:

-Amb. Chris Lazaris, Chair of IHRA
-Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education, UNESCO
-Germany (TBC)
-Incoming Swedish chair of the IHRA (TBD)
-Petra Mårselius, Head of Secretariat for the Malmö Forum

Panelists:
- Prof. Fernand de Varennes, UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Sue Hampel, Chair of Education Working Group, IHRA
- Karel Fracapane, Program Specialist, UNESCO
- Nikos Panagiotou, Associate Professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Moderator: Leon Saltiel, Representative to the UN in Geneva and UNESCO, World Jewish Congress

Concluding Remarks:
- Amb. Panayotis Stournaras, Permanent Representative of Greece to the UN in Geneva

Education against hate speech and discrimination