TURNING WORDS INTO ACTION TO ADDRESS ANTISEMITISM | Page 13

opportunities, and resistance that the organizations may face when combatting anti-Semitism.
Ms. Sclafani noted that there are certain actors who prefer to see civil society divided.

Panel on sharing best practices and challenges in building coalitions in the OSCE region

Viviane Teitelbaum (President of the European Women’s Lobby) opened by stating that as
President of the European Women’s Lobby she advocated for the rights of women - a
majority, which had been treated as a minority. Ms. Teitelbaum further noted that the
“enemy” was any kind of extremism. She further pointed out that Europe after World War II
was the greatest coalition ever built. She explained that coalitions needed a purpose and
needed to maintain strong positions on key issues (i.e. abolition of prostitution, violence
against women) and stick to these without reopening the debate. She further noted that
coalition building requires commitment, decision-making, communication and purpose that is
positive rather than constructed in opposition to something.
Ilja Sichrovsky (Secretary General, Muslim Jewish Conference (MJC)) explained that the
rise of the far-right stems from fear and the media play a role in fuelling negative emotions.
He stated that more logic and reason was required to discuss complex issues such as the
refugee crisis, for example. He also underscored the issue of resources and the difficulty of
securing funding for civil society initiatives. The lack of resources coupled with negative
attitudes from family members, the community or even society at large towards the nature of
the not-for-profit work, pushes many talented young people to choose the private sector
instead. He also shared his personal experience of encountering many difficulties and
disapproval due to the nature of his work. Ilja Sichrovsky further noted that youth should feel
empowered and have safe spaces, where they could discuss issues freely. This would allow
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