| Human Rights Day, Holocaust Education, Solidarity with Ukraine |
|
 |
| |
| EDITION 12/2022 |
| |
| "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights," reads the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was adopted by the United Nations on December 10, 1948. A historic decision that came about in response to World War II and the crimes committed by the National Socialist regime. |
| |
This is all "just" history? For over 70 years now, the United Nations has been stating each year on December 10, the International Human Rights Day, that the universal and inalienable rights of the Declaration continue to be violated around the world. Still today, people are marginalized and persecuted on account of their perceived origin, gender, sexuality, religion or their political beliefs. Still today, people are forced to perform various forms of unfree labor or are even deprived of the right to life.
What does this sobering realization mean for our work? This untenable situation can only change if we consistently draw attention to injustice and stand up together for universal rights. The EVZ Foundation therefore consciously relates the remembrance of mass crimes and persecution to the commitment to human rights and understanding today.
In this newsletter, you will find some groundbreaking examples of how people are standing up for human rights and dignity even in the face of resistance!
Read how we promote learning about the Holocaust and together with our partners teach methods that prevent exclusion and discrimination in the newly launched funding program 'Holocaust Education'. We also take a look at the collected witness accounts of persecution and the deprivation of rights, a forum for social reconciliation, human rights and justice, and LGBTIQ self-organizations fighting for their rights in the face of hostility.
With this in mind: Continue to engage with us!
Dr. Andrea Despot
CEO of the EVZ Foundation |
| |
|
| THIRD-PARTY FUNDS |
|
| New Funding Program on Holocaust Education |
|
|
| |
| Seventy years after the Luxembourg Agreement, the newly established Holocaust Education funding program is conveying knowledge about the Holocaust across the world. Antisemitism, discrimination and exclusion are to be actively countered while methods of prevention need to be developed. The EVZ Foundation is involved as a partner alongside the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Jewish Claims Conference. |
|
More about the program  |
| |
|
| CIVIC COMMITMENT |
| Solidarity Budget for the Work of Civil Societies in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia |
|
| The EVZ Foundation's Board of Trustees has approved a solidarity budget of EUR 800,000 for the coming year; this amounts to 10 percent of the EVZ Foundation’s own funding volume. The Foundation will specifically support projects to strengthen the engagement of refugees, the development of exile structures and other solidarity projects. The focus will be on Ukrainian civil society and non-governmental organizations from Belarus and Russia, such as Nobel Peace Prize winner MEMORIAL. In this way, the Board of Trustees is also sending a clear signal against Russia's war of aggression, which is contrary to international law. |
|
| More about the commitment to Ukraine |
| |
| HISTORICAL RESEARCH |
| Witness Accounts of Persecution: Project on Petitions to the Pope |
|
| "I frequently go to the Vatican archives, stir up some dust, search for and find new documents, and have great fun doing detective work," says historian Sascha Hinkel of the University of Münster, describing his work for the project "Asking the Pope for help". The project is funded by the EVZ Foundation, the German Federal Foreign Office and Bayer AG. The first results of the research on the letters of supplication from Jewish people to Pope Pius XII will be presented in Munich on January 23, 2023. For January 26, 2023, the Ilse Holzapfel Foundation has initiated a staged reading of the letters at the Berliner Ensemble. |
|
| Learn more about the project |
| |
|
|
| |
| CALL FOR APPLICATIONS |
|
| Microgrants for Young Activists |
|
|
| |
| Small things can make a big difference! The MEET UP! Youth for Partnership micro projects are going into the second round. Until January 31, 2023, active young people between the ages of 18 and 35 from Germany and the Eastern Partnership countries can apply for the 2023 micro grants for their charitable and creative aspirations. The idea for the micro projects was developed by the EVZ team together with young experts from the program countries in a participatory process. Cross-border cooperations are strengthened and the exchange of experience is promoted within the bilateral projects. Note: Those selected for the grant receive up to EUR 1,000! |
|
Apply now  |
| |
|
| CULTURE OF REMEMBRANCE |
| "Cultures of Remembrance" Multimedia Website |
|
| It is especially important to maintain contacts within civil society in times of war and crisis in Europe. The YOUNG PEOPLE remember program makes an important contribution here: Within the framework of the project Cultures of Remembrance, educators from Germany, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, and Greece together have addressed the politics of memory and remembrance in their countries . In this process, they have developed a multilingual multimedia website with methods, handouts and learning materials. The results of the multimedia website demonstrate that exchange, understanding and solidarity across borders are possible – and that they are drivers for a lively, multi-perspective and active culture of remembrance! |
|
| Take a look at the website now |
| |
| ANTISEMITISM AT MEMORIAL SITES |
| Uncomfortable with History? |
|
| How does antisemitism manifest at memorial sites? What could a response to antisemitic incidents look like at places like these? The research project "Unbehagen an der Geschichte?" that the Competence Center of the Central Welfare Board of Jews in Germany is working on in cooperation with the Potsdam University of Applied Sciences deals with contemporary antisemitism and right-wing extremism at memorial sites – including qualitative group reflections with educational memorial site staff. |
|
| Read a summary in the ZRex magazine now |
| |
|
|
| |
| SUPPORT FOR SURVIVORS OF NATIONAL SOCIALIST PERSECUTION |
|
| Responsibility and Care: The EVZ Foundation's Commitment to Survivors of NS Injustice |
|
|
| |
| For over 20 years, the EVZ Foundation has been committed to support survivors of National Socialist persecution: A total of EUR 51.6 million has been made available for 1,179 projects in 12 countries. The dossier looks back on encounters with historical eyewitnesses and cooperation with partners from civil society. What emergency relief has the Foundation been able to provide during the pandemic and in the face of the war in Ukraine? In the future, how can the Foundation continue to support survivors in living their lives with dignity? The dossier provides answers to these questions – with the perspectives of partners on site. |
|
Read the Thematic Dossier now  |
| |
|
| PUBLICATION |
| Antisemitism, Racism and their Critics |
|
| We all must face and counter Antisemitism and racism together! This should be a simple matter, right? But it isn't. Clearly, there are disputes, mutual accusations and relativizations between opponents of both misanthropic ideologies. Experts explain the reason for this and what can be done to address it in the third volume of the edition of "Frenemies - Antisemitismus, Rassismus und ihre Kritiker:innen" by the Anne Frank Educational Center. The publication also collects responses to supposedly simple questions in an FAQ. |
|
| Read "Frenemies" |
| |
| LGBTIQ SELF-ORGANIZATIONS |
| Shaping the World to Come |
|
| The annual conference of ILGA-Europe took place in Sofia from October 19 to 22. ILGA stands for International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. Unter the theme "Shaping the World to Come", the main topics were the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, right-wing governments gaining strength, the anti-gender movement and the consequences for the LGBTIQ movement in Europe. More than 350 activists from all over Europe attended the conference, which provided an opportunity for networking, exchange and the development of new alliances. But the meeting was also a place to draw new strength and courage for the movement. |
|
| Browse the photo and meeting reports now |
| |
|
|
| |
| COOPERATION |
|
| Exchange on Human Rights, Cultures of Remembrance, Justice and Compensation |
|
|
| |
In many regions of the world, societies have experienced massive human rights violations. They have destroyed social cohesion, left victims and perpetrators in their wake and undermined trust in state institutions. Overcoming these legacies is difficult and requires us to combine various social efforts: Establishing truth, compensating victims, restoring justice, reforming institutions, remembering and educating – summarized as "transitional justice." There are countless experiences, approaches and processes of change that have varying degrees of success around the world for coming to terms with the history of violent crimes. Germany is part of these global experiences.
On account of its expertise in the field of culture of remembrance and reparations, the EVZ Foundation is taking part in a Berghof Foundation initiative; the aim of its Global Learning Hub for Transitional Justice and Reconciliation is to stimulate a productive exchange on "transitional justice" across national borders. Together with organizations from Africa, Asia and Latin America as well as with the Federal Foundation for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Eastern Germany, the participants render the concrete challenges of transitional justice visible from the perspective of their respective societies. This international exchange, participants can draw inspiration from other players and enhance their own commitment. |
|
| Learn more about the project |
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
Only 15 prisoners of war from World War II are still alive in Ukraine, according to the organization Kontakte-Kontakty which is concerned with the victims of National Socialism. Most of them have no mobility or only limited mobility and need help to cope with everyday life. How are they doing today in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine? Journalist Lesya Kharchenko met 99-year-old Oleksandr Pavlovych Khomenko for an interview for the EVZ Foundation.
|
|
Read the interview with Oleksandr Pavlovych Khomenko 
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Annegret Wulff, managing director of the Berlin-based association MitOst e.V., which organizes and supports cultural exchanges as well as active citizenship in Europe and its neighboring regions
|
| |
Ms. Wulff, you have been working for MitOst for over 20 years. To what extent has the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine changed your cooperation with central and eastern European partners?
Since February 24, when Russia attacked Ukraine, we have been in close contact with our long-standing partners in Ukraine, providing support where we can and where it is needed. We felt the strength of our large MitOst network when we launched a fundraising campaign immediately, and more than 1.2 million euros were collected in a very short period. We made use of this mainly to help in the humanitarian sphere: evacuation, medical and protective equipment. Our partners on site also worked to evacuate and protect art works – we are glad that we were able to provide financial support for that. In the border region in Poland and the Republic of Moldova and also in Germany, people from our network are active and have taken in people who have been forced to flee.
|
|
|
Read the whole interview
|
| |
|
|
JÜDISCHE ALLGEMEINE
|
|
|
Campaign Against Antisemitism on TikTok
|
|
|
The Jüdische Allgemeine publication reported that the campaign "#GemeinsamgegenAntisemitismus" by the Anne Frank Educational Center helps young TikTok users to recognize antisemitism and take a stand against antisemitic hate speech. In this way, the growing potential of TikTok as a learning platform for educational work and imparting knowledge is being exploited. After the launch of the campaign, its relevance and reach became apparent: In addition to acclaim and recognition, there are huge amounts of antisemitic insults against the employees of the Anne Frank Educational Center.
|
|
|
Read the article
|
| |
|
|
BAYERISCHER RUNDFUNK
|
|
|
History is Future: Stereotype and Scapegoat
|
|
|
The second episode of the documentary series "Geschichte ist Zukunft" looks at the mechanisms and stages of exclusion right up to the level of genocide. At the same time, the BR documentary shows measures to prevent exclusion and mass violence. The documentary also looks at antisemitism in modern and ancient times. Professor Andreas Zick, who is also part of the team around the EVZ-funded MEMO study and head of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Conflict and Violence (IKG) at Bielefeld University, works as an expert here.
|
|
|
Watch the documentary
|
| |
|
|
FRANKFURTER RUNDSCHAU
|
|
|
From National Socialists in Frankfurt
|
|
|
Many institutions and individuals in Frankfurt have been actively engaged in a critical examination of the National Socialist era for decades. The Frankfurter Rundschau reports that the EVZ-funded digital project "Frankfurt and National Socialism - A Memory Platform" now combines offers, sources and information for different target groups in a single platform. The participative orientation plays a special role here – all users have an opportunity to shape the platform.
|
|
|
Read the article
|
| |
|
|
DECEMBER 7, COLOGNE
|
| |
|
Excursion: Bringing the past back to light – Communication in and around the Holocaust
|
| |
|
The aim of the "Sichtbar Machen" [Bringing the past back to light] project is to make the hope and despair of Cologne's Jewish population during the National Socialist era visible. For this purpose, large projections bring the history of the National Socialist era back into the city of Cologne. On the anniversary of the deportations to Riga in 1941, another projection is planned from the Rheinhallen to the central deportation station in Deutz. For those who will not be able to join on site: The project's extensive web portal is going online with innovative 3D visualizations!
|
| |
|
Explore „Sichtbar machen“
|
| |
| |
|
|
DECEMBER 9, FRANKFURT AM MAIN
|
| |
|
Premiere: "Unter uns. Unsichtbar?" [Invisible in our Midst?] at Schauspiel Frankfurt
|
| |
|
In 1944, approximately 50,000 people from all over Europe had to carry out forced labor for industry, the city as well as craft enterprises in Frankfurt. There was a concentration camp in the Adler plant in the Gallus district – nearly half the prisoners did not survive these horrible events. What do young people in Frankfurt do with the memory of these crimes? For ten young people, the "Adler plant historical place" is the starting point in their search for connections between forced labor, National Socialist ideology and their own experiences today.
|
| |
|
Secure your tickets now
|
| |
| |
|
|
MARCH 29 TO APRIL 1, 2023, KREISAU
|
| |
|
Save the Date: East-West European Memorial Seminar
|
| |
|
The Kreisau Foundation for European Understanding will be issuing invitations in 2023 for an exchange among experts. For the new calendar: The East-West European Memorial Conference in Kreisau will take place from March 29 to April 1, 2023. On the 20th anniversary of the memorial seminar, the changes in memory culture of the opposition, of resistance and protest will come into focus. Furthermore, the success of social upheavals and the overcoming of dictatorship in Europe will be commemorated.
|
| |
|
Wait here for more info
|
| |
| |
|
| NEWSLETTER 01/2023 |
|
| Our next edition will be published at the beginning of January! |
|
|
| |
| In 2023, we will be back with the next newsletter on the Education Agenda NS-Injustice: We will take a look at the newly launched projects and report on their work. Stay posted! |
|
| All editions at a glance |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stiftung Erinnerung,
Verantwortung und Zukunft
Friedrichstraße 200
10117 Berlin, Germany
T +49 (30) 25 92 97-0
F +49 (30) 25 92 97-11
Website |
| |
|
|
|
Responsible:
Dr. Andrea Despot
Editorial:
Hanna Komornitzyk, Katrin Kowark, Thomas Stein, Sophie Ziegler
Image credits:
Mascha Wilke/ Stiftung EVZ, Gio Matchavariani, Lesya Kharchenko, Julia Depis/ Berghof Foundation Operations gGmbH, Lesya Kharchenko, MitOst e.V. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The editorial team welcomes your opinion on the newsletter and will be happy to answer any questions. We also help with any issues you might encounter: newsletter@stiftung-evz.deYou are receiving this e-mail because you have subscribed to the newsletter of the EVZ Foundation. You can unsubscribe from this information service at any time. To unsubscribe, click here. |
|
| If you are unable to click the link, please forward this newsletter to newsletter@stiftung-evz.de with the subject line "Unsubscribe". |
|
|
|
| © Stiftung Erinnerung, Verantwortung und Zukunft, 2022 |
|
|
|
|
