'What is the reaction of societies and nations to genocide and murders? The world looks on and protests but does not counteract. This evil around us, which is continuously developing, is accepted by our passivity' said Anna Ziółkowska.
'In spite of the well-known history and millions of visitors to Auschwitz and other memorial sites we do not hear the voice of protests. The Burmese situation is entirely incomprehensible, given that a Nobel Peace Prize winner is the head of state. We, as think thanks should strengthen the message and remind people how the world strayed when there was no one to say no, said, Piotr Tarnowski
'We ought to inform and sensitise visitors. We should also cooperate with other organisations because as memorial sites we cannot change the world by ourselves. However, we ought to find a way to make the voices from memorial sites not only a story about history but about our education urging people to assume an active and responsible attitude,' stressed, Bartosz Bartyzel
Prof.Marek Kucia and Dr Katarzyna Stec from the Jagiellonian University discussed education about Auschwitz and other former camps in the perspective of sociological research conducted to date.
The day ended with a panel devoted to how the context of authentic places of remembrance affects the subject and educational opportunities. It was attended by Magdalena Wolak of Camp des Milles memorial, dr. Alicja Bartuś from the Oświęcim Institute of Human Rights and dr. Joanna Podolska of the Mark Edelman Centre for Dialogue in Łódz.
On the second day, the entire part of the project was presented in detail. The first part contained teacher exchanges between Poland and the Netherlands. As part of meetings at the Auschwitz Memorial, and in Cracow, the participants learned and presented examples of good practices in teaching about the Holocaust and II World War in both countries. Particular emphasis was placed on education in the memorial sites, preparation and summary of visits, educational travelling exhibitions and innovative teaching solutions used in teaching about the Holocaust, such as peer education or work with on-line lessons.
However, during the stay in Holland, the educators visited among others, the Anne Frank House and other Amsterdam institutions, such as the National Holocaust Museum, Jewish Museum, Portuguese Synagogue and the Dutch Resistance Museum. During the stay in Rotterdam, they visited among others Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, where they had the opportunity to participate in discussions with young educators about their prospects for teaching about World War II. The seminar students also got acquainted with the activities of the Feyenoord football club and the Giovanni van Bronckhorst Foundation operating at the club, whose educators conduct activities on anti-discrimination education. In turn, during the stay in Vught, they visited the Memorial located on the premises of the former German Naziconcentration camp Herzogenbusch and acquainting themselves with its educational mission.
The second part of the project was a study visit by 16 guides and educators of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum to Holland, who visited Amsterdam and the Westerbork memorial, from where over 90,000 Dutch Jews were deported in 1942-44, mainly to Auschwitz and Sobibor. The guides could visit both the premises of the former Westerbork transit camp, explore the museum’s exhibition and learn more about the work of the Museum, the specifics and expectations of the Dutch groups. Presentations devoted to new educational techniques were particularly impressive, among others, the use of Virtual Reality technology.
The third component of the project is the program for Young Leaders. Its primary assumption was to create a group of young educators, tasked with actively supporting and promoting educational programmes for the Auschwitz Museum, Anne Frank house, and their own circles.