Wiesenthal Centre at the "Building DiverCity" Bootcamp

September 25, 2023

Pollica - The 2nd edition of the “Building Divercity” Bootcamp was organized, under the auspices of UNESCO, by the International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities and the Simon Wiesenthal Centre-Europe, with the support of UNAR (Italian Office against Discrimination), Paideia Campus, Verbe et Lumière-Vigilance and the City of Pollica.

 Alex Uberti, Wiesenthal Centre European Project Manager, at workshop on antisemitism and with bootcampers

The youth present represented a wide panel of ethnic, cultural and religious diversity... from Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America. This year, there were also two students from Israel.
 
The general concern was the global surge of discrimination and hate, thus the intent to shape more tolerant policies in cities, universities and civil society. The programme included workshops on racism, gender inequality, antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-LGBTQI+ and anti-Roma discrimination... but also, the evolution of international law, local policies, data analysis, social media...
 
At last year’s inaugural bootcamp, the Wiesenthal Centre’s Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, had focussed on antisemitism as a tripwire for other forms of discrimination and the need to build solidarity among victims, in particular to counter conspiracy theories.
 
This year, the Wiesenthal Centre’s European Project Manager, Alex Uberti, presented historical and contemporary aspects of antisemitism, exposing the persistence of anti-Jewish tropes, decoding "anti-Zionism" and the modern terminology of hate.
 
The discussion on antisemitism began with an exercise in intersectionality, mentioning the case of a far-right militant burning a Quran in Stockholm, "which resonates for the Jews, as the Nazis began by burning Torah scrolls and Jewish books in 1933. Likewise, the rejection of refugees recalls the 1938 Evian Conference. Today's scapegoating of foreigners resembles the blood libels against Jews over the past centuries. The incitement and genocidal intent against minorities... all evoke Nazi propaganda and the Shoah."
 
"To avoid repetition of the darkest pages of history, education is paramount. Practical tools include the IHRA definition of antisemitism, as well as of anti-gypsyism... an essential baseline for national legislators, as also for local authorities, businesses and sport clubs. The Centre's monitoring of book fairs or social media are examples of good practices..."
 
The bootcamp delved into global issues, such as extremism, polarization and inequality... but participants also shared personal experiences of discrimination and violence. The youth discussed future campaign ideas for Mozambique, Cyprus, Moldova or Mexico...
 
Simon Wiesenthal's words often resonated, in particular on the need to "find friends near and afar to build defences against the repetition of the Holocaust."
 
Of the two young adults from Israel, one is an Indian-born law student, and a member of the Ahmadi community. He spoke of his hometown Haifa, a welcoming refuge for different religious communities persecuted in neighbouring countries. The second Israeli, raised in a Kibbutz, is a Jewish student now at Tel Aviv University. She is deeply concerned by the misrepresentation of Israel and the Jews in international media. They both attested of the diversity within Israeli society, the laws guaranteeing freedom of worship and of expression in a challenging regional context.
 
The bootcampers hope to become “mediators against discrimination” in their cities, universities or workplaces. The Wiesenthal Centre wishes its young friends success!

For further information contact Dr. Shimon Samuels at csweurope@gmail.com, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your Twitter feed.