Global Citizenship Education

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Catch up on what’s happening in the world of global citizenship education.

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21 century skills for young people 2018-07-23 New York: On 17 July 2018, UNESCO co-organized a high-level event on “Youth Skills for Sustainability and Innovation” to mark the Word Skills Day during the High Level Political Forum. The celebration of the World Youth Skills Day, traditionally organized by the Permanent Missions of Portugal and Sri Lanka, together with UNESCO, ILO and the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, brought together high-ranking officials, policy-makers, representatives of diplomatic community, UN entities, youth organizations and civil society. Representatives of business, tech-companies, labour organizations, experts in emerging technologies, including UCLA, HP Inc., U.S. Council for International Business, Black in AI, brought a new perspective to the discussion. This year, the observance of the Day under the theme “Youth Skills for Sustainability and Innovation” explored how to equip young people with quality, relevant, 21st century skills that prepare them for the future and to enable them to address the major challenges and opportunities of our times, such as the rapid digitalization and climate change. In his opening remarks, the President of the UN General Assembly H.E. Miroslav Lajcak urged the international community to invest in skills and education that equips youth not only with basic literacy skills but also with critical thinking, entrepreneurship skills and adaptability. Recalling the recently held Youth Dialogue, he outlined the importance of including young people in the decision-making and policy-implementation processes around the world and at all levels. "Young people need to take on a leading role in the global effort to create a sustainable world. It is crucial that we seize young people’s potential” - said the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, Jayathma Wickramanayake. She outlined that quality education is key to succeed in the job market, and urged to ensure that young people are equipped with skills and knowledge to respond to technological innovations. Marie Paule Roudil, UNESCO Representative to the United Nations and Director of UNESCO office in New York, stressed that the emerging technologies hold a great promise to support economic growth and sustainable development as they have the potential to improve peoples’ lives, but at the same time present certain challenges related to privacy, security, consumer protection. To thrive in the digital economy, digital skills should go together with social-emotional skills, such as creative skills, learning techniques, entrepreneurial and transferable skills, - Ms Roudil said. Discussing the future of work, Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General emphasized that new technologies come with great hopes and opportunities, which can only be pursued only by working together to tackle the growing skills gap. He further stressed the importance of a dynamic lifelong learning and skills acquisition to respond to the changing trends of the job market. H.E. Mr. Mustafa Kamal (Minister of Planning, Bangladesh), Hon. Mr. Karunarathna Paranawithana (Deputy Minister of Science, Technology, Research, Skills Development and Vocational Training and Kandyan Heritage, Sri Lanka), H.E. Dr. Amrith Rohan Perera (Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN), H.E. Mr. Francisco António Duarte Lopes (Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Portugal to the UN) joined the discussion, sharing national experience and best practices in implementing policies and leverage innovation for youth skills development. Policy-makers, tech experts, representative of private sector and youth activists exchanged views and success stories on how to leverage innovation and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, big data and machine learning to boost youth employment and skills acquisition. All agreed on the need for development of adaptive skills, including soft skills for problem solving and the entrepreneurship. Many underscored the need to ensure holistic and inclusive approach in applying new tools and technological advances. Since 2015, World Youth Skills Day is celebrated annually, providing an opportunity for representatives of Member States, the United Nations system, the private sector, civil society and youth organizations to share lessons learned and best practices on strategies to address and meet current and future skills needs. This year, as a part of the global campaign, World Youth Skills Day was observed globally by the majority of UNESCO-UNEVOC Centers organizing celebrations in 150 countries. URL:http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco-liaison-office-in-new-york/about-this-office/single-view/news/21_century_skills_for_young_people/

A Guide for Policymakers published to navigate integration of Global Citizenship Education to national education policies 2018-07-20 The Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) has published Global Citizenship Education: A Guide for Policymakers in order to assist UNESCO Member States to integrate and strengthen Global Citizenship Education (GCED) in their national education policies and further achieve Target 4.7 of Sustainable Development Goals. The Guide, which was developed in consultation with GCED experts, specialists from international education organizations and government officials from the countries’ ministries of education, suggests strategies in five priority action areas including policy review and development; curriculum review and development; capacity building; knowledge creation, sharing and dissemination; and monitoring and assessment. The strategies are designed to allow integration of GCED values and concepts into the countries’ current education system aligned with their priorities and contexts. While the Guide focuses on the formal education system, GCED principles and approaches it describes are equally relevant to non-formal education settings as well as projects and activities implemented by civil society organizations (CSOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The Guide was first released in English and Korean, and it will further be available in other languages including French and Arabic to be accessible for larger audience worldwide. APCEIU plans to introduce and disseminate the Guide through the GCED Global Network while at the same time organize related seminars at various venues on international education. Download link for PDF file: [English version] [Korean version]

Why do education policymakers need to mainstream Global Citizenship Education: An Appeal of the 2030 Agenda 2018-07-20 New York, United Nations Headquarters: On 26 April 2018, the 2018 United Nations Global Citizenship Education Seminar was convened by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations, United Nations Academic Impact, and the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) under the auspices of UNESCO. With the theme of “The role of global citizenship education in the 2030 Agenda and beyond”, this year’s Global Citizenship Education Seminar aimed to shed new light on Global Citizenship Education (GCED) by exploring relevant concepts and methodologies already applied in other areas, and to seek opportunities for GCED to enhance and advance progress toward realizing sustainable development. Addressing the opening session, Ms. Marie Paule Roudil, Director of UNESCO Liaison Office New York and UNESCO Representative to the United Nations, recalled that GCED promotes the principles and values that help ensure the human rights of every individual across all regions of the world. As she pointed out, mainstreaming GCED in the education systems would support the development of values such as learning to live together, solidarity, empathy and respect of the other, as well as resolving conflict through peaceful means. Committed to support governments and educational stakeholders through the promotion of GCED, UNESCO has been: Leading the global advocacy and policy dialogue on GCED; Providing normative guidance, technical support, and capacity building on GCED; and: Focusing on Preventing Violent Extremism through Education. Building on the unique national experience of the Republic of Korea, Prof. CHO Hyo-Je, Professor of Sociology at Sungkonghoe University, delivered the keynote speech and shared insights on the synergy between GCED and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In the panel discussion and Q&A session followed, representatives from the academia, UN agencies, and NGOs exchanged views on the importance of the right to education, human rights education, GCED mainstreaming and branding, and the role of universities in experimental learning and research. In particular, Mr. Aaron Benavot, Professor of Global Education Policy at the State University of New York-Albany and former Director of UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, cited GEM Report’s examination of national educational frameworks and textbooks. He called for more teachers’ training on GCED, and highlighted a whole-school approach, more decentralized education systems, and a strong policy commitment as favorable conditions for GCED mainstreaming. Increasingly complex and protracted crises, especially the rise of violent extremism, has led to ever-greater need for the benefits of GCED. Situated within the SDG Goal 4–Target 4.7, GCED has a crucial role in fostering peaceful, just and inclusive societies. GCED aims to empower learners to engage and assume active roles locally, nationally and globally, to face and resolve global challenges and ultimately to become proactive contributors to a more just, peaceful, tolerant, inclusive, secure and sustainable world. It builds on peace and human rights education and emphasizes the need to foster the knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and behaviors that allow individuals to experience a sense of belonging to the global community and to take informed decisions. URL:http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco-liaison-office-in-new-york/about-this-office/single-view/news/why_do_policy_makers_need_to_mainstream_global_citizenship_e/

Promotion of Peace and Sustainable Development in the Sahel: A meeting held to develop the program's results framework and implementation schedule 2018-07-20 From 7 to 8 May 2018, Bamako hosted a planning meeting on the program "Reinforcement of Skills for Life and Work for Peace and Sustainable Development in the Sahel ". This two-day meeting enabled participants to develop a results framework, as well as an implementation schedule, through experience sharing with Sahelian countries, and with other countries such as Cabo Verde, the Gambia and Guinea Bissau. The opening ceremony was chaired by Mr. Tiéman Hubert Coulibaly, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mali, representing the Prime Minister, in the presence of Mr. Chang Gwang-Chol, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for West Africa (Sahel), Mr. Hervé Huot-Marchand, UNESCO's Representative in Mali, Mr. Kouldjim Guidio, representative of the Permanent Secretary of G5-Sahel, Mrs Diallo Kadia Maiga, Secretary General of the Malian National Commission for UNESCO and ISESCO, and participants from Sahelian countries, such as Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Mali, and Niger. Also in attendance were countries like Senegal, the Gambia, Cabo Verde and Guinea Bissau, as well as Mrs. Mbaranga Gasarabwe, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Mali, who honored the ceremony with their presence. Mr. Chang thanked the Government of Mali for the warm welcome and accompaniment. “As we all know, youth is the lifeblood of a nation. It is the responsibility of all of us, governments, local authorities, traditional and religious leaders, social actors, international partners, etc., to accompany them in becoming responsible and resilient actors of change, citizens and leaders capable of taking control of their future and that of their country”. He welcomed the quality of the work and urged participating countries to have the various proposed activities validated by their competent authorities by the end of May 2018. Mr. Guidio reiterated the support and the principles of his institution, which are in line with the said meeting. “For the G5 Sahel, we cannot contain violent extremism and its consequences only through security measures alone. It will be vital to integrate governance and development aspects in the search for a lasting solution by member states," he said. For her part, Mrs. Mbaranga recalled that this meeting also supports the United Nations Secretary-General's Action Plan for the Prevention of Violent Extremism, adopted in 2016 and the UNESCO Executive Board's decision on the prevention of violent extremism. "If we do not envision where we are going, we will not be able to have either a steady culture or a lasting peace," she said. In his opening speech, Mr. Coulibaly recalled that Mali attaches great importance to this program, which concerns youth and sustainable development, adding that the first defense against barbarism, obscurantism is the strength of the spirit. “Beyond what must be cultivated in the hearts of men, it is obvious that we must arm all the Sahel countries, morally and intellectually, so that the development models chosen, especially the economic models can be solid”. Finally, he thanked UNESCO and the experts from other countries. The work took place in a participatory and interactive atmosphere. Participants unanimously recognized that problems were the the same in all Sahelian countries, hence the importance of joining efforts for an effective action. To do so, it is essential to rethink education systems, for all sections of the population and for all learners: students as trainers. During the meeting, the importance of considering the most vulnerable individuals was stressed, especially illiterate populations, so that they too could benefit from training and certifications, giving them a better chance to find a job. Participants also recalled that culture is an essential aspect that should not be neglected, thus it must be fully integrated into the implementation of the program through reconnecting young people to their heritage. Through this program, which will run for an initial period of three years, UNESCO will support countries in the Sahel, in particular Burkina Faso, Chad, the Gambia, Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Senegal, but also Guinea Bissau and Cabo Verde, under the overall coordination of the UNESCO Regional Office for West Africa (Sahel) and in collaboration with the UNESCO Regional Offices in Rabat and Yaoundé. The meeting was organized in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Center of Education for International Understanding under the auspices of UNESCO (APCEIU) and the United Nations. You can listen to the radio debate on Mikado FM (Radio UN) at the following link:https://soundcloud.com/mikado-fm/parole-citoyenne-promotion-paix-et-developpement-durable-dans-la-region-du-sahelLink to report Studio Tamani (EU Radio):http://www.studiotamani.org/index.php/journaux/15528-les-titres-du-07-mai-2018-soirLink to ORTM News (3mn45):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVPS4FGtufcLink to Flickr Photos:https://www.flickr.com/photos/155712355@N08/albums/72157695905250034 URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/promotion-peace-and-sustainable-development-sahel-meeting-held-develop-program-s-results

Major event organized by UNESCO for the promotion of indigenous languages in Paraguay 2018-07-16 On 3 July 2018, the International Seminar "Empowerment of speakers of the local language, communities and nations" was opened in Asunción, Paraguay. The opening session was attended by high-level representatives of the national and regional authorities, and UNESCO representative, who jointly acknowledged the importance of languages for creating truly inclusive societies for all citizens. During the three-day event, the participants in the Seminar presented the achievements and potential of the comprehensive language policies for sustainable development and urged all relevant stakeholders to take necessary measures for the integration of indigenous languages into the broad frameworks of policies and strategies in the countries of the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region. Taking advantage of the results of the International Conference on Multilingualism in Cyberspace, organized in November 2015 by UNESCO in San José, Costa Rica, the regional gathering in Paraguay provided an open space for elaboration of a set of concrete recommendations for the regional partners’ involvement in the organization of the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages and development of the UNESCO World Atlas of Languages. The set of recommendations calling upon for a joint regional effort include: Establishment of National Committees for the celebration of the International Year of Indigenous Languages. Establishment of Regional Monitoring and Cooperation Mechanisms. Establishment of a budget to safeguard and strengthen indigenous languages. Promote strategies to strengthen interculturality that contribute to combat linguistic and cultural discrimination. Strengthening of indigenous languages presence on the cyberspace. Holding sub-regional meetings and regional consultations for the elaboration of a strategic document concerning the promotion, access and support of indigenous languages in the LAC region; and, Declaration of the International Decade on Indigenous Languages 2020-2030. The International Seminar was organized by the Government of Paraguay and the Knowledge Societies Division of UNESCO, in close collaboration with the intergovernmental Information for All Programme (IFAP), national and regional language harmonization and documentation organizations, research and higher education institutions, civil society, particularly organizations of indigenous peoples in Paraguay and Latin America and Caribbean, as well as with the support of the Permanent Delegation and the National Commission of Paraguay for UNESCO. URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/major-event-organized-unesco-promotion-indigenous-languages-paraguay

UNESCO Member States map the future of Education for Sustainable Development 2018-07-13 Over 270 participants from 116 UNESCO Member States and Associate Members gathered in Bangkok, Thailand on 9 and 10 July 2018 to discuss which future direction governments and UNESCO should take in promoting Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). With UNESCO’s Global Action Programme on ESD (GAP) ending in 2019, UNESCO is preparing the future programme for ESD, to be linked specifically to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNESCO Member States and Associate Members were invited to Bangkok to discuss a draft position paper on the future of ESD, prepared by UNESCO. Opening the meeting, Ms Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, said: “ESD is at the forefront of a major trend in education. We are increasingly asking if what people learn is truly relevant to their lives, if what they learn helps to ensure the survival of our planet. ESD can provide the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that empower people to transform themselves and transform societies. ESD has therefore been duly recognized as part of the global education agenda – as a key element of Target 4.7 of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on Education. ESD is also a key enabler for the achievement of all the SDGs.” Representing the Government of Japan, which kindly provided financial support to the meeting, Mr Yosuke Kobayashi, Director for International Strategic Planning at the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT), said: “The SDGs have strengthened the status of ESD, which fosters leaders who will build the sustainable societies of the future.” Mrs Watanaporn Ra-Ngubtook, Deputy Minister of Education of the host country Thailand, said: “In order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we need to help each other. We should start by sharing what we have already done.” The technical consultation meeting provided room for reflection and discussion in different settings, such as town hall debates touching on themes such as the SDGs, transformative action and the technological future, a world café session, panel debates, group work and regional discussions. An important theme was the role of community as a platform for ESD action. An inspiring example was presented by sustainability practitioner Ms Tomi Matsuba, who lives in the village of Omori, Japan, whose inhabitants practice a very special sustainable lifestyle. The unique village, part of the silver mining area of Iwami-Ginzan, which is inscribed as a UNESCO cultural heritage site, has reinvented itself by exploring alternative paths to prosperity rooted in values of sustainability. Another panel debate addressed the challenging relationship between sustainable development and economic growth, and how education could help reconcile the two. Professor Arjen Wals, who holds the UNESCO Chair at Wageningen University, Netherlands, said: “For the economy to grow, people need to buy new things all the time, which leads to the depletion of natural resources and the creation of waste and pollution. Furthermore, the current growth paradigm reduces human beings to consumers”. The panelists agreed that a fundamental change in the way we think and act was needed, and that education must promote alternative values to consumption. The meeting made apparent the great commitment of Member States and Associate Members to taking ESD into the future and implementing ESD as a key tool to achieve the SDGs. The lively discussions led to numerous suggestions to be included in a revision of the UNESCO position paper on the future of ESD. With the inputs from the meeting, UNESCO will further revise the position paper and conduct additional consultations online with the wider public in the coming months. The final position paper will be presented to UNESCO’s Executive Board in April 2019 and to UNESCO’s General Conference in November 2019 for approval, and to the UN General Assembly in autumn 2019 for acknowledgement. The new ESD programme, to be developed on the basis of the position paper, is scheduled to take effect at the beginning of 2020, and to cover the period until 2030, in line with the target date of the SDGs. Conference website UNESCO Bangkok Office URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-member-states-map-future-education-sustainable-development

IOC-UNESCO launches new one-stop shop Ocean Literacy Portal 2018-07-12 The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO is pleased to announce the launch of the Ocean Literacy Portal. This Portal has been developed to provide a one-stop shop for ocean literacy worldwide, by sharing existing global ocean knowledge. The resources will be accessible to citizens worldwide, from different backgrounds and of all ages, from students to educators, from researchers to policy makers. Ocean literacy is defined as the understanding of our influence on the ocean and the ocean’s influence on us. Ocean literacy is a way not only to increase the awareness of the public about the ocean, but it is as an approach to encourage all citizens and stakeholders to have a more responsible and informed behaviour towards the ocean and its resources. It is not just knowledge about the state of the ocean but a deeper understanding of our individual and collective responsibilities to take care of the ocean. The ocean literacy framework and approach has been developed by a group of educators and scientists in the United States, and then taken up, and adapted by European, Asian and African scientists and educators. While all these organizations and associations have been critical to promote ocean literacy nationally and regionally, the need for an international collaboration and exchange of good practices and experiences led to the engagement of UNESCO in ocean literacy, both through its Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and its Education Sector. The high-level United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and Sustainably Use the Oceans, Seas and Marine Resources for Sustainable Development, convened at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 5 to 9 June 2017, provided the platform to further promote the ocean literacy concept and framework internationally. A voluntary commitment #OceanAction15187, “Ocean Literacy for All: A Global Strategy to Raise the Awareness for the Conservation, Restoration, and Sustainable Use of Our Ocean”, was submitted by UNESCO in partnership with many institutions and other relevant partners. The main aim of the initiatives outlined in the Voluntary Commitment is to develop a global partnership to improve public knowledge across the world citizenry regarding our global ocean. In this context, IOC has, at the occasion of the 51st session of its Executive Council, launched the Ocean Literacy Portal,, developed with the support of the Government of Sweden. The Portal will serve as one-stop shop for ocean literacy worldwide to share resources, news and information about events and projects that are relevant for all ocean stakeholders, from different backgrounds and of all ages. The Portal has been built to respond to the need of the ocean literacy community to have access to educational resources that are based on rigorous scientific knowledge, that cover different themes, e.g. marine litter, ocean observation, marine policy, and that are useful for different users, such as educators, scientists, journalists, policy-makers and representatives of the private sector. In addition, the Portal users will have the opportunity to register for a collaborative workspace. Through the Ocean Literacy Collaborative Workspace – UNESTEAMS, experts from all around the world will be able to work directly with fellow members by co-working on topics and ideas and co-creating and developing new joint projects. This is a further step towards creating a collaborative network. “It is our hope that this platform will contribute to further information and communication regarding the understanding of our ocean,” said Francesca Santoro, IOC Programme Specialist in charge of ocean literacy activities. For more information, please contact:Francesca Santoro (f.santoro@unesco.org) URL:http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/ioc_unesco_launches_new_one_stop_shop_ocean_literacy_portal/

“Many learners are amazed to discover that racism did not start and end in South Africa." 2018-07-11 An interview with Linda Hackner on education about the Holocaust in South Africa Linda Hackner is the Senior Educator at the Cape Town Holocaust and Genocide Centre, which is one of three information centers operated under the auspices of the South African Holocaust and Genocide Foundation (SAHGF). In December 2017, Linda participated together with her colleague Arlene Sher from the Johannesburg Centre in the second International Conference on Education and the Holocaust (ICEH), organized by UNESCO and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM). Following their participation, they have developed an educational programme on the Nazi regime’s “science of race”, linked to the USHMM traveling exhibition “Deadly Medicine. Creating the Master Race”. The exhibition is to be displayed in five different South African cities, accompanied by guided visits and workshops. On 19 February 2018, the exhibition was inaugurated at the Cape Town Holocaust and Genocide Centre. Why is it important to teach about the Holocaust in South Africa? Our South African Constitution is based in part on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Yet when this Declaration was adopted in 1948 in direct response to the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime, South Africa abstained. This was because the South African government was already planning to formally legalize the Apartheid system. In South Africa, many racial laws had already been implemented prior to 1948. But the main pillar of Apartheid, the Population Registration Act No. 30, passed into law in July 1950. Following this Act, people were registered from birth as member of one of four “racial groups”. The Apartheid past is still very raw in our country. We find that studying Nazi Germany and looking at the human rights abuses that took place enables students to access their own dark history through the lens of the Holocaust. We also hope that learning about this period in history helps students to be more aware of the dangers of prejudices, stereotyping, of anti-Semitism and of all forms of racism that still beset our country today. How is the Holocaust addressed in the South African national curriculum? In our curriculum, we have two sections that specifically address the history of Nazi Germany, although in two very different ways. In 9th grade, when learners are about 14 years old, they study the failure of the Weimar Republic, the rise of Nazi Germany and the outbreak of the Second World War as part of their social science class. In total, the curriculum devotes about 15 hours of teaching time to this part of history. In 11th grade, South African learners can choose history as an elective. These classes cover pseudo-scientific concepts of race and eugenics, based on the historical examples of Nazi Germany and the indigenous peoples of Australia. This is why the “Deadly Medicine” exhibition that we are currently displaying in five South African cities is so pertinent to our learners. This is exactly what they are learning about! How do you integrate the exhibition into your work with students and adult groups? The Director of the Cape Town Holocaust Centre, Richard Freedman, who is also the Director of the Holocaust and Genocide Foundation, had been working for a long time to bring this wonderful exhibition to South Africa. When it became a reality, my colleague Arlene Sher and I went to Washington, DC to attend the International Conference on Education and the Holocaust (ICEH) in December 2017. We received great support from the USHMM on how to use the exhibition. Dr. William Meineke, historian at the Museum, came to the inauguration of the exhibition, which was invaluable for our educators. The support from USHMM and UNESCO, has allowed us to display the traveling exhibition in five South African cities: Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban. We are also working together with the Namibian participants of the 2017 ICEH to bring the exhibition to Namibia in February 2019. In each location, we have school classes and educators visiting the exhibition. When we first launched the exhibition in February in Cape Town, learners self-guided through the exhibition using worksheets. However, we soon discovered that students were easily overwhelmed by the density of information. This is why we now start school visits with an introductory class on “race theory” and eugenics, followed by a guided tour of the exhibition. Based on these experiences, we have shared our experiences with our colleagues at the Johannesburg and Durban Holocaust Centres, so they are prepared to facilitate their own workshops and guided visits, once the exhibition is moved there. We hope to do the same with our Namibian colleagues. In addition to the school group visits, we also run workshops with diverse adult groups, including educators, teachers in training, law students, medical students and advanced psychiatric nurses. With each of these groups we focus on a different aspect of the exhibition. We cover for example how laws were used to institutionalize the Nazi regime’s racial ideology or how nurses participated in the mistreatment of patients with disabilities. We engage the workshop participants via case studies and discussions of broader ethical questions- from not only a historical perspective, but also ethical questions that they are facing in their work and life today. Could you give an example of how you link the Nazi regime’s “science of race” to the history of Apartheid in South Africa? There are actually very close historical links. A few years ago, a box was discovered in a cupboard at the University of Stellenbosch. In the box were artefacts; an eye color table belonging to Dr. Rudolph Martin, which the university acquired in 1924, and a hair color and texture table belonging to Eugen Fischer, an anthropologist and doctor, who had dedicated his research to serve the Nazi’s racial ideology. These were original artifacts that were used in South Africa to measure and to categorize people into so-called “racial groups”. So we could say that Nazi eugenics and racial ideology were the bedrock of the racial system here in South Africa. These artifacts were added to the “Deadly Medicine” traveling exhibition alongside excerpts from a doctoral thesis, which reveals how, why and where these instruments were used – among others in the town of Stellenbosch. With the permission of the USHMM, an additional panel was developed by the SAHGF in conjunction with the University of Stellenbosch to demonstrate the impact of the pseudo-science of race in the South African context. What impact has the exhibition on those who visit it and attend your workshops? Many of the children, who visit the exhibition, are amazed to discover that there is racism somewhere else in the world. For them, the topic of “racism” is solely linked to South Africa and the horrifying racial injustices that were committed during Apartheid. Through the exhibition, they understand that racism neither started nor ended in South Africa. It gives them a sense of “not being the only ones.” We have seen a similar impact through our workshops. For many participants, they are quite eye-opening experiences. One of the psychiatric nurses said: “I always thought wars are about guns, and machines, and soldiers. I was not aware that professional, educated people could be used as part of a political government for propaganda and to eliminate innocent and vulnerable people.” It is amazing to see how our visitors realize how learning about the past goes beyond studying history. They see that there is a link between the history of Nazi Germany and South Africa’s past, and even a link to the contemporary. The feedback that we receive shows clearly that establishing these links is very important. How has your ICEH follow-up project affected your work? Working with the “Deadly Medicine” exhibition opened new ways of how we teach this part of history. It has given us more knowledge and information and offered us a much broader approach to teaching about the Holocaust. We will continue with our work, hopefully making it constantly better, more relevant and especially more accessible to as many people as possible. The exhibition allowed us to broaden significantly the scope of our work. When we were in Stellenbosch, we were able to invite schools that would otherwise not been able to visit our Centres or permanent exhibitions. Many learners were exposed to the history of Nazi Germany for the first time. Some of them had never set foot in a museum before. In Stellenbosch, we made contact to many teachers from schools in remote areas. We have organized another educator workshop at the Centre in Cape Town in July that we hope will be attended by many of these teachers. All of this is possible, because we were able to bring the exhibition to them, thanks to UNESCOs and the USHMMs help! The support we have received also helped us to continue our programs in the Centre in Cape Town, while running the traveling exhibition simultaneously. We would not have had the capacity to do this otherwise. We are very grateful for that. Education about the Holocaust and genocide URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/many-learners-are-amazed-discover-racism-did-not-start-and-end-south-africa-also-exists

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