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Catch up on what’s happening in the world of global citizenship education.
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UNESCO and Azrieli Foundation distribute Holocaust survivors’ memoirs 2017-02-07 UNESCO and the Azrieli Foundation are working together to distribute Holocaust survivors’ memoirs.As part of activities to promote education about the Holocaust, UNESCO is partnering with the Azrieli Foundation to provide access to testimonies of Holocaust survivors through the UNESCO Associated Schools Network (ASPnet).ASPnet links educational institutions across the world around a common goal: to build peace in the minds of children and young people. The 10,000 ASPnet member schools, present in over 180 countries, work to support international understanding, peace, intercultural dialogue, sustainable development and quality education in practice.The Azrieli Foundation launched the Holocaust Survivors Memoirs Program in 2005 with a view to collect and publish memoirs and diaries of Holocaust survivors in Canada. Personal accounts of survivors of genocide have proven to be very important educational tools to help students empathise, connect better with the past and understand how violence begins and how it can be prevented. Agents for positive change“UNESCO considers its ASPnet students as agents for positive change. The memoirs provided to UNESCO by the Azrieli Foundation are an important and innovative learning tool for our students to truly understand, through personal accounts, the consequences of antisemitism, racism and all forms of intolerance. These books support the wider ASPnet goals of international understanding and instilling peace in the minds of young people,” said Sabine Detzel, International ASPnet Coordinator.The memoirs will be used mostly in sub-Saharan Africa to help interested schools promote education about the history of genocides in support of UNESCO’s programmes in the region. The memoirs will support awareness-raising among students and teachers about the importance of teaching about violent events of the past as a means to build a culture of prevention.“We are proud to partner with UNESCO in sharing these memoirs and are excited by the connection and lessons these books will provide between generations and cultures across the globe,” says Naomi Azrieli, Chair and CEO, The Azrieli Foundation. 
Towards a promising collaboration on citizenship and innovation in West Africa 2017-01-25 Established in 2015, the École Citoyenne de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (ECAO) aims to contribute to the consolidation of the rule of law in West Africa, in particular. This association is dedicated to inculcate the culture of dialogue, to promote the rule of law and human rights and to bring young people to further engage in socio-political life.UNESCO-Dakar is implementing a programme on global citizenship education and supports innovation in education to enhance youth employment and entrepreneurship.Within the framework of their respective programmes, UNESCO Office in Dakar and ECAO discussed, on January 19, on concrete regional and national actions to be implemented in 2017, around two main thematic areas: peace and citizenship on one side, innovation and entrepreneurship, on the other side. Collaboration between the two organizations will enable to mutualize their advantages towards achievement of their respective objectives. 
International Day of Commemoration of the Victims of the Holocaust to focus on education, sites and museums 2017-01-20 UNESCO will focus on the role of historic sites and museums in Holocaust education during this year’s International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. Events marking the commemoration will take place at the Organization’s Headquarters from 24 to 26 January, ahead of the official Day, 27 January, which is the anniversary of the liberation of the concentration and extermination camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Every year around this date, UNESCO commemorates the genocide perpetrated against the Jewish people and other Nazi crimes, reaffirming its commitment to promote education about the history of the Holocaust, and fight racism and antisemitism. The theme of this year’s commemoration, Educating for a Better Future: The Role of Historic Sites and Museums in Holocaust Education, will be the subject of a keynote address (26 January, 3 pm) by Serge Klarsfeld, UNESCO Honorary Ambassador and Special Envoy for Education about the History of the Holocaust and the Prevention of Genocide. It will be followed by a round table discussion with Piotr Cywiński, Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum (Poland), Jacques Fredj, Director of the Shoah Memorial (France), Dorit Novak, General Director of Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center (Israel), and Agnès Sajaloli, Director of the Memorial of the internment camp of Rivesaltes (France). It will be moderated by historian Jean-Yves Potel. The debate will focus on the challenges facing historic sites of massacre and persecution, memorials and museums, and examine their testimonial and educational functions, which are growing in importance in view of the declining number of survivors of the Nazi’s crimes. Relics bearing testimony to Nazi violence will be featured in an exhibition of objects excavated near the crematoria of Auschwitz-Birkenau, which were lost during half a century and only recently rediscovered by the Auschwitz museum. The display of the last personal effects people had managed to keep up to the time of their execution will be inaugurated by the Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO (26 January, 2.30 pm, open to the public until 17 February). An Official Ceremony will close the Day of Commemoration (26 January, 7 pm), with a concert by world-renowned musicians Martha Argerich (piano) and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Ivry Gitlis (violin). The ceremony will also feature a personal testimony by Raphael Esrail, President of the Union of Auschwitz Deportees, and a reading by actress Anne-Catherine Dutoit of texts written by Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel. Also ahead of the Day, on 24 January young students and history teachers will examine the challenging question of How to Deconstruct Hate Speech? This youth event is held as part of the UNESCO Campus conferences organized in partnership with the Engie Foundation. Also on 24 of January, there will be a preview of the documentary film In Search of the Last Music by director Alexandre Valenti, which celebrates women and men who went on composing music in camps and ghettos and the man who tracked and preserved their work, Francesco Lotoro. The screening is organized in partnership with Les Bons Clients production company. **** UNESCO’s events for the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust are organized in partnership with the Shoah Memorial (France) and the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum (Poland), with support from the Permanent Delegation of France to UNESCO, the Permanent Delegation of the Principality of Monaco to UNESCO and Metin Arditi, UNESCO Special Envoy for Intercultural Dialogue. **** About UNESCO’s support for education on the history of the Holocaust and other genocides: http://www.unesco.org/new/holocaust-remembranceMedia contact: Agnès Bardon, UNESCO Press Service, a.bardon@unesco.org +33 (0)1 45 68 17 64Media accreditation: Djibril Kebe, UNESCO Press Service,d.kebe@unesco.org +33(0)1 45 68 17 41 
Holocaust Education on the GCED Clearinghouse 2016-10-31 UNESCO encourages Member States to develop programmes that strengthen a culture of prevention and foster understanding of the causes and consequences of the Holocaust and how genocide can happen so that young people become more aware of the processes that can lead societies to descend into violence. Education about the Holocaust and other cases of genocide in history can be a means to foster the knowledge, skills and behaviours that will help learners become critical thinkers, and active global citizens who value human dignity, reject antisemitism, racism and other forms of prejudice that can lead to group-targeted violence and genocide. The UNESCO GCED Clearinghouse contains the largest database to date of education materials and research pertaining to education about the Holocaust or other genocides. 
UNESCO international conference seeks common understanding on educational measures to prevent violent extremism 2016-09-19 Violent extremists are made, not born. But why do people engage in such actions and what can education do to prevent them?This is the subject of high-level discussions to take place at the first International Conference on the Prevention of Violent Extremism through Education: Taking Action (PVE-E), co-organized by UNESCO and the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP), on 19-20 September 2016, in New Delhi, India.Over 150 participants from around 70 countries including Ministers of Education, senior education policy-makers, experts and youth activists in the field, will come together to build a common understanding about how education systems can appropriately and effectively prevent violent extremism.At the event UNESCO’s Teacher’s Guide on the Prevention of Violent Extremismwill be presented. The first draft of the Policy Guide on the Prevention of Violent Extremism through Education, developed by UNESCO, will also be discussed, providing participants with the opportunity to share comments during the Conference.At the conference, UNESCO MGIEP will also be hosting its first Talking Across Generations on Education (TAGeDelhi) in which 50 youth delegates from around 30 countries will engage in a forthright dialogue on the prevention of violent extremism through education without the artificial barriers of podia. The session will be moderated by acclaimed author, journalist and educator Irshad Manji and the objective will be to mainstream youth voices to the highest level of policy-making.Daily discussions can be followed on Twitter and Facebook with outcomes of the discussions and videos posted on the Conference website. 
European Ministers back education for democracy to counter extremism, racism 2016-09-12 Education ministers and officials from 50 countries attended the Council of Europe Standing Conference of Ministers of Education, in Brussels from 11-12 April, 2016, to discuss the theme “"Securing democracy through education: The development of a Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture".Speaking at the event, which focuses on the democratic mission of education to face the challenges of violent extremism, migration and racism, Mr Qian Tang, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, commended the Council of Europe for “giving such high attention to the fundamental role of education in building and maintaining democracy and peace.”Mr Tang presented UNESCO’s pioneering work on Global Citizenship Education and on Preventing Violent Extremism through Education, including the new UNESCO Teachers’ Guide on the Prevention of Violent Extremism and a forthcoming Guide for Policymakers to be launched in September this year in Paris.In his welcoming remark, Mr Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe said: “If we want to promote democratic ideals we need to promote values, teach children to live with others equally.”Minister of Education for the Flemish Community of Belgium Ms Hilde Crevits said: “In the long term education will be more important than any anti-terrorist law. Education plays a pivotal role in safety and security in Europe and beyond.”The European Commissioner for Education, culture and sports Mr Tibor Navracsics added “While education is not the only solution, there is no other solution without education.”New education tool to teach democratic valuesThe event also launched a new tool for teaching democracy and democratic values. The Reference Framework of Competences required to participate in Democratic Culture, developed by the Council of Europe with input from over a thousand teachers and experts across the continent, was launched at the event. “UNESCO is supporting countries to deliver education programmes that build young people’s resilience to violent extremist messaging and foster a positive sense of identity and belonging” said Mr Tang. He also expressed the hope that the event would help strengthen collaboration between UNESCO and the Council of Europe in providing effective citizenship education to prevent extremism and combat radicalization and a look at the relationship between European and global challenges.In a Final Declaration, the Ministers of Education invite the Council of Europe to reinforce cooperation with strategic partners in order to further support education reforms in member States, including the United Nations system and its agencies, notably UNESCO, for its work on global citizenship education and the prevention of violent extremism. 
UNESCO highlights links between peace and Education 2030 Agenda at Amsterdam meet 2016-09-12 he role of education in peacebuilding is the theme of the UNESCO keynote speech at a research findings seminar in Amsterdam on April 20-22.Mr Jordan Naidoo, Director, Division of Education 2030 Support and Coordination, UNESCO will address the Research Consortium on Education and Peacebuilding on April 22 on the links and interdependence between Sustainable Development Goal 4 and peacebuilding.UNESCO’s constitution enshrines its mission to “build peace in the minds of men and women.” The issue of peace and education is dealt with in the new education agenda in target 4.7 of SDG4 which calls for the “promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence and global citizenship.” The Framework for Action, the implementation guide for the SDG4-2030 Agenda, contains 17 references to peace.During times of conflict SDG4 specifies that efforts must be made to:Ensure that education institutions are protected as zones of peace, free from violence, including school-related gender-based violence;Schools and educational institutions – and the routes to and from them – must be free from attack, forced recruitment, kidnapping and sexual violence; andActions must be taken to end impunity for persons and armed groups that attack education institutions.Building global citizensUNESCO encourages Global Citizenship Education to enable learners of all ages and backgrounds to develop into informed, critically literate, socially-connected, and ethical and engaged global citizens.The consortium is a partnership between the University of Amsterdam, the University of Sussex, Ulster University and UNICEF and aims to contribute to UNICEF’s Learning for Peace programme. 
UNESCO releases Holocaust education recommendations in six languages 2016-09-12 The purpose of the recommendations, the work of UNESCO and the Georg Eckert Institute for International Textbook Studies, is to help education policy-makers ensure that educational media meet standards of historical accuracy and are enabled to place the Holocaust in perspectives which bear resonance in given local environments.They also provide advice on conceptual and narrative standards that will help learners acquire historical knowledge and deeper understanding of the nature, the complexity, and the impact of crimes perpetrated by the Nazi regime, in particular the genocide against the Jewish people.These recommendations will thus provide guidance on how educational media can help raise awareness among leaners of how to prevent similar events from occurring.The recommendations draw on an extensive research performed by the Georg Eckert Institute and UNESCO to map Holocaust education worldwide, and compare representations of the Holocaust through the analysis of 272 valid curricula in 135 countries and 89 textbooks in use in 26 countries.The research, titled The International Status of Education about the Holocaust, A Global Mapping of Textbooks and Curricula, was published in 2015. The recommendations are preceded with a summary of the research. 
L'UNESCO lance une nouvelle formation pour aider les éducateurs à lutter contre l'extrémisme violent 2016-09-12 UNESCO and the Asia Pacific Centre of Education for Intercultural Understanding (APCEIU) are developing a new partnership to boost training for educators worldwide on the prevention of violent extremism.As part of APCIEU’s Global Citizenship Education international and regional trainings new modules will be introduced by UNESCO to sensitize educators to the issue of violent extremism and to the educational measures that can build learners’ resilience to extremist narratives.In addition, the APCEIU and UNESCO have agreed to introduce sessions dealing with the history of genocides, in particular the Holocaust, as a means to raise awareness of the dangers of mass violence in contemporary societies, and help young people become critical thinkers able to oppose group-targeted violence.Regional seminars to follow opening workshopThe first training seminar, titled Global Capacity-Building Workshop is taking place in Seoul, Korea, from 19 June to 2 July 2016. It gathers teacher-trainers and teachers from 26 countries including Mongolia, Cambodia, Uganda, Lebanon and Colombia and covers all aspects of Global Citizenship Education, from policy design to pedagogy and teaching practices, in workshops partly led by UNESCO.It will also include sessions conducted in partnership with the Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN), a European Union body supporting youth stakeholders confronted with violent extremism, and of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, one of the world’s leading institutions for Holocaust education and research and genocide prevention. The workshop will be followed throughout 2016 and 2017 by several similar training seminars with a more regional scope.UNESCO is engaged in a programme to contribute to the prevention of violent extremism through education, within its work on Global Citizenship Education. This includes the development of guidance for policy-makers and to support the work of teachers in the classroom and capacity-building for education stakeholders. 
UNESCO Director-General pays tribute to the memory of Elie Wiesel 2016-09-12 The UNESCO Director-General, Ms Irina Bokova, paid tribute to Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, and author of a unique body of work on the memory of the Holocaust."Elie Wiesel was a pillar of the conscience of humanity, a moral compass for human rights, human dignity, human strength," said Irina Bokova. "Through his work, he put words on the unspeakable, to awaken all minds to the horror of the Holocaust. His legacy is unparalleled and his message is more relevant than ever to fight against antisemitism in all its forms. We all owe him an immense debt, and this is our duty to take forward.""Elie Wiesel was a great friend and champion of UNESCO, presiding the Universal Academy of Cultures, founded by Federico Mayor. His thinking informed the work of the Organisation across many years, as he embodied UNESCO's mission to 'build the defences of peace in the minds of women and men."