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Greece — National plan against Racism and Intolerance (2020–2023)

Greece adopted the working definitions of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance
on Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial on November 8, 2019.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 24.4.2019 has appointed a Special Envoy to Monitor and
Combat Antisemitism and the defense of the Memory of the Holocaust.

In addition, in 2021 Greece will hold the Presidency of the International Alliance for the
Remembrance of the Holocaust (IHRA).

The target groups of the National Action Plan can be divided into two categories, namely a) target groups who are potential victims of racism and intolerance and b) target groups whose role is crucial to combat these phenomena.

Category A :

  • Asylum seekers / Beneficiaries of International Protection;
  • Third country nationals with a migration profile;
  • Roma;
  • People with disabilities and/or chronic condition;
  • LGBTQI+;

Category B :

  • Civil servants;
  • Teachers – School community: in view of the creation of an inclusive education system and, therefore, the adoption of modern educational policies and actions to raise awareness of student youth against Antisemitism, intolerance, racism and xenophobia, it is necessary to inform and provide training to teachers at all levels of the educational system about human rights issues. Furthermore, teachers should be able to cope, at all stages of the education system, with the phenomenon of school dropout among vulnerable social groups as well as issues of conflict management, bullying, domestic violence, matters related to the presence of refugees or immigrants, people with disabilities and/or chronic condition.
  • Police;
  • Judicial staff;
  • Members of Parliament;

Actions

Under the responsability of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs.

Thematic Axis: Discrimination, Stereotypes and Prejudice (Bias)

Student competition – educational program for the teaching of Holocaust Remembrance in Greece

Current situation and description of Action :

In view of the need to adopt modern educational policies and actions to raise the awareness of student youth against Antisemitism, intolerance, racism and xenophobia, from the school year 2014-15 onwards video creation competitions for high school students, on the subject of the Holocaust are organized by the General Secretariat of Religions (GGT) in
collaboration with the Jewish Museum of Greece and the Youth and Lifelong
Learning Foundation. The students, whose works are distinguished by an award or an honorary commendation, will pay an educational visit to the State Monument and Museum of Auschwitz in Poland, accompanied by teachers. This is a competition for the creation of a short video, which is announced at the beginning of each school year and is addressed to students of A’ and B’ grade of Lyceum, in specific educational regions of Greece, and mainly where the Jewish Museum of Greece conducts teacher training seminars for teaching the Holocaust. The creators of the awarded videos will participate, accompanied by teachers, in a free educational visit to the “State Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau” in Poland.


Start/end date: Continuous action

Expected results:

Through participation in the competition, students will have the opportunity, with the support of the supervising teachers:

  • to research sources and local historical archives and to better comprehend the history of the Second World War and the Holocaust in Europe and in Greece,
  • to seek and collect testimonies of Holocaust survivors,
  • to understand, reflect on and identify the various dimensions of racism and intolerance, focusing on the consequences of Antisemitism,
  • to express themselves freely through the creation of a video on the subject of the Holocaust,
  • to recognize the individual responsibility of the members of a society,
  • to pay, if awarded, an educational visit to the largest memorial site of the Holocaust and one of the most emblematic memorials of mankind.

Funding sources :

Own resources of the Jewish Museum of Greece and annual grant up to the amount of twenty thousand euros (20,000 €), not including VAT, from the regular budget of the General Secretariat of Religions.

Cooperating bodies:

General Secretariat of Religions, Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs / Department of Religious Education and Interreligious Relations / Department of Religious Freedom and Interreligious Relations Jewish Museum of Greece Youth and Lifelong Learning Foundation.

Thematic Axis: Awareness Raising – Information

Seminars under the auspices of the Ministry of Education for the training of primary and secondary school teachers on the subject of Holocaust teaching.

Current situation and description of Action :

In view of the need to adopt modern educational policies and actions to raise the awareness of student youth against Antisemitism, intolerance, racism and xenophobia, in recent years the General Secretariat of Religions has been developing collaborations with research and educational institutions on the teaching of the Holocaust and teaching of Human Rights. Specifically, since the school year 2012-2013, the Jewish Museum of Greece, the Jewish Historical Institute CENTROPA, and the Ministry of Education are co-organizing training seminars and workshops on the Holocaust, which are aimed at teachers and are placed under the auspices of the Ministry of Education with the parallel approval of special leaves to facilitate the participating teachers. Also, in the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding from 26 January 2017 between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Israeli Holocaust Foundation “Yad Vashem” and the Jewish Museum of Greece, summer seminars for Greek teachers are held at the International School for Holocaust Studies of Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, in collaboration with the Jewish Museum of Greece. Carrying out short training seminars for Teachers and Education Executives for Holocaust Teaching, under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, with the provision of special leaves and care for those interested. Participants watch specialized speakers and work in groups in workshops and discussion circles. The transmission and exchange of experiences, and proven teaching practices, as well as the discussion about theoretical tools, difficulties and solutions takes a clear priority, without omitting the historical approach and information on the subject.

Start / End Date: Continuous action

Expected Results:

The aim of the seminars is to provide theoretical and practical knowledge, relevant teaching materials, and methodological tools to teachers, to support the teaching of Holocaust issues, the fight against Antisemitism, and the defense of human rights.

Funding sources:

Own Resources of the Jewish Museum of Greece, Sponsorships – Donations of educational – cultural Institutions.

Cooperating bodies :

  • General Secretariat of Religions of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs / Directorate of Religious Education and Interreligious Relations / Department of Religious Freedom and Interreligious Relations
  • General Directorate of Primary and Secondary Education
  • Jewish Museum of Greece
  • CENTROPA
  • YAD VASHEM
  • MEMORIAL DE LA SHOAH
  • THE OLGA LENGYEL INSTITUTE (TOLI)

Seminars on Antisemitism and the Holocaust in the Security Forces

Current situation and description of Action:

Holding seminars for members of the Security Forces to combat Antisemitism, racism and intolerance

Start Date: 2019

End Date: 2022

Expected Results:

Training of Security Forces and awareness raising on Racism, Antisemitism and Intolerance

Funding sources:

Regular budget of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs

Cooperating bodies :

  • General Secretariat of Religions
  • Jewish Museum of Greece
  • Ministry of Civil protection

Seminars for the Clergy of the Eastern Orthodox Church of Christ on the Holocaust and Antisemitism

Current situation and description of Action:

Holding seminars for the Clergy of the Eastern Orthodox Church of Christ to combat the phenomena of Antisemitism, racism and intolerance

Start Date: 2019

End Date: 2022

Expected Results:

Training of the Clergy and raising awareness on issues of racism, Antisemitism and intolerance

Funding sources: Regular budget of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs

Cooperating bodies :

  • YAD VASHEM
  • Academy of Theological Studies of Volos