Memoria [EN] No 42 (03/2021) | Page 16

"IF THIS IS A MAN – EXCLUSIONS IN THE MODERN WORLD"

"The experience of Auschwitz and the Shoah has had a significant impact on people who survived. Many appealed already at the end of the war that their fate should become a warning for the next generations. Primo Levi, an Auschwitz survivor, has entitled one of his books about the Shoah "If this is a man". His words are extremely accurate in the contemporary world, which is why they are a part of the conference title," said Andrzej Kacorzyk, the director of the ICEAH.

Words of another Auschwitz survivor Marian Turski became a motto of the conference. On January 27, 2020, during the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp, he said, "Keep the commandment. The 11th commandment: thou shalt not be indifferent. Unless you do so, in the blink of an eye, another Auschwitz will suddenly fall from the sky."

"Millions of people around the world are persecuted because of their religion, skin color, gender, or sexual orientation. Our history shows that we still haven't learned the lesson of the past. It is a disgrace that today, almost 80 years after the Shoah, public antisemitic speeches, gestures or offensive attacks very often go completely unpunished. It is therefore absolutely imperative to raise awareness about our contemporary responsibility and the impact that our behavior or attitudes have on the process that can lead to a disaster," said the director of the Auschwitz Memorial,

Dr. Piotr M. A. Cywiński.

The conference will bring together people who have experienced persecution because of their religious or cultural affiliation, gender or sexual orientation. They will be joined by representatives of various religious groups, minorities, activists of both international and local organizations, who in their work raise awareness about exclusions in the modern world and provide real aid and support to those who have become victims of persecution.

There are three open-call sessions planned within the conference programme. We want to invite people engaged in combating exclusions based on different grounds and actively involved in various projects on this subject to participate. It is significant for us to show good practice on the micro-level – school, town, or community, to stress the importance of grassroots initiatives. Each speech should be based on a multimedia presentation and take up to 20 minutes.

The languages of the conference are Polish and English.

To take part in the recruitment please fill in the online application form. You can register until 30 April 2021. We will inform about the recruitment results until 10 May 2021.

In any additional questions please contact: [email protected]

Exclusions in the modern world are the topic of the International Educational Conference organized by the International Center for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust at the Auschwitz Memorial. It will take place on July 7-8, 2021, and due to the pandemic will be held only online.

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE.

REGISTRATION FOR OPEN-CALL SESSIONS.

Paweł Sawicki