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On 1 November 2015, UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, attended the 6th National Convention of the Representative Council of Jewish Organizations in France (CRIF), within the framework of a round table on "Education, a defense against racism and anti-Semitism?" Throughout the day, the National Convention of CRIF brought together dozens of political personalities, community and religious leaders, journalists, intellectuals and academics to address the major issues affecting the life of Jewish communities in France and in the world, notably, in relation to minorities, the rise of racism and anti-Semitism, the rise of violence in Israel. Among participants at the round table "Education, a defense against racism and anti-Semitism?" there were Mr Alain Chouraqui, President of the Camp des Milles Foundation and Head of the UNESCO Chair on Citizenship Education, Human Sciences and Shared Memories", Pastor François Clavairoly, President of the Protestant Federation of France, Ms Emilie Freche, writer, Ms Valérie Pécresse, Member of Parliament of the Yvelines. Participants discussed the importance of developing education that promotes the civic engagement of young people as an essential ingredient of a society more able to resist extremist ideologies. The Director-General emphasized the gravity of the current situation in the face of the surge of anti-Semitism, especially in the European context, referring to the murders in Toulouse, Brussels, Paris and Copenhagen in recent years. "It is possible, in France, 70 years after the Holocaust, to be murdered because of being Jewish," recalled the Director-General, adding that the crimes occur in a fragmenting social environment marked by increased mistrust between citizens, fear of the future and promoting the rise of racism. She called for increased vigilance to the changing forms of contemporary anti-Semitism, including its relativization or denial. "This violence of words is all the more difficult to combat it sometimes appears in the form of stereotypes, it permeates culture and it asserts itself in the public debate by hiding behind the pretext of freedom of expression, or behind the anonymity of the Internet,” she said. "This is the sign of a considerable slump of our collective intellectual defenses, weakening our critical minds, the disappearance of our bearings and the most basic reflexes." Recalling UNESCO's actions in the field of education for global citizenship and in the teaching of the history of the Holocaust and other genocides, Irina Bokova recalled the recent nomination of Serge and Beate Klarsfeld as Honorary Ambassadors and UNESCO Special Envoys for teaching the history of the Holocaust and for the prevention of genocide. The Director-General underscored the importance of the commitment to quality education, based on human rights, providing young people with the skills of critical analysis and outlooks that will enable them to be engaged in the face the ideologies of hatred and reject radicalization. She recalled the important role that UNESCO plays today in the fight against violent extremism, through its education programmes and its action to protect cultural heritage in the Middle East. "We cannot reply to extremism solely by the force of arms," ​​said Irina Bokova. "There is no clash of civilizations. There is a conflict between those who think that we can live together in diversity and those who reject the idea," she concluded, highlighting the crucial role of culture and education in preventing extremist ideologies. On this occasion, the Director-General met Mr Jonathan Greenblatt, the new Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), who recently succeeded Mr Abraham Foxman in this function. Ms Bokova and Mr Greenblatt discussed new educational projects that the ADL plans to carry out and possible avenues of cooperation with UNESCO, notably in the fight against racism and anti-Semitism on social networks.