Press Release

Educating on human rights by remembering the Holocaust to be discussed at EU seminar

The two-day seminar, "Remembering for the future", on how to empower citizens and spread promising practices of human rights and Holocaust education, will take place in Copenhagen on Thursday 26 and Friday 27 April.  

"We can learn from the past to teach for the future. And this applies to human rights: Learning about the Holocaust is a solid foundation to base teaching about human rights, and the fight against racism and antisemitism today," says FRA Director, Morten Kjaerum. "The lessons from the past can help educate future generations about the need for respect, tolerance and a more inclusive society based on a sound understanding of fundamental rights and European values."

The seminar, organised jointly by the EU Commission, the Danish Institute for International Studies and the European Union for Fundamental Rights (FRA) will examine the important role that the holocaust and memorial sites can play in teaching about human rights. It will also place European memory within the context of rights and European citizenship. In addition, the seminar will be an opportunity to review promising practices, and to look critically at defining moments in modern European history in order to reflect on their relevance for EU citizens and their rights awareness.

The keynote speakers are:

  • Harald Wydra, University of Cambridge,  a history and memory expert
  • Robert Jan Van Pelt, University of Waterloo, a Holocaust expert.

Morten Kjaerum, FRA Director and Nanna Hvidt, Director at the Danish Institute for International Studies will make opening remarks.

Representatives from the European Commission, the Danish Institute for International Studies and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), together with civil society and experts on memory, remembrance, human rights education, and holocaust education will all attend.

Journalists are invited to attend the opening and plenary debates of the seminar from 10:00 to 14:00 on 26 April in the DGI-BYEN conference centre in Copenhagen.

For further information please contact the FRA Media Team
E-mail: media@fra.europa.eu
Tel.: +43 158 030 642

At Danish Institute for International Studies:
Tel: + 45 32 69 89 38

At the European Commission representation in Denmark:
Email: eu-dk@ec.europa.eu
Tel
: +45 33 14 41 40

FRA reports on the Holocaust and human rights education: