Events

Webinar: "Addressing Antisemitism"

Event Date:

Tue, 2020/06/23

Venue:

Online (Paris)

The twelfth edition of the UNESCO webinar series "Inclusion in the time of COVID-19" aims to exchange experiences and expertise on the measures to address the COVID-19 crisis at the global and local levels. The focus will be on the social dimensions of “leaving no one behind” and on actions taken to fight against the growing incidents of racism and discrimination.

12th edition: Addressing Antisemitism - Tuesday 23 June 2020 from 4.00 pm to 5.30 pm CEST

The UNESCO webinar series aims to exchange experiences and expertise on the measures to address the COVID-19 crisis at the global and local levels. The focus will be on the social dimensions of “leaving no one behind” and on actions taken to fight against the growing incidents of racism and discrimination.

The webinar targets national/local policymakers and stakeholders, international and regional organizations, academics, students and NGOs. This webinar series focuses on thematic areas that shed light on the visceral forms of discrimination that exist in our societies. It seeks to unlock a deeper understanding of a number of critical issues underlying the pandemic in order to act in the present and anticipate the future.

Hate speech specifically targeting groups on the basis of ethnicity, nationality, religion or gender threatens social cohesion and stability and can lead to discrimination and hate crimes. In this regard, the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked another epidemic of rapidly spreading hate speech and misinformation. Around the world, Jewish communities are often the target of hate crimes. This reflects a general trend of increasing antisemitism in recent years. The Jewish community is also faced with targeted conspiracy theories that are reinforced in times of crisis. The webinar will examine these disturbing trends and discuss key challenges and possible solutions to combat antisemitism in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Speakers

Ahmed Shaheed, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief (Maldives)
Günther Jikeli, Erna B. Rosenfeld Professor, Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, Indiana University Bloomington (United States of America
Vanessa Hites, Jewish Diplomatic Corps, World Jewish Congress (Chile)
Pamela Malewicz, Undersecretary for Human Rights and Cultural Pluralism of the City of Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Moderator