POR: Brian Herman

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The Malmö International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism – styled as Remember-ReAct – took place October 13, 2021. 

The Malmö International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism – styled as Remember-ReAct – took place October 13, 2021. 

Participants from some 50 countries were involved – including heads of state and government, international organizations, researchers, experts, civil society representatives and social media platforms — all invited by Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven.

The programme focused on four main themes: Holocaust remembrance; Holocaust education; Antisemitism on social media platforms; and Combatting antisemitism and other forms of racism in all spheres of life.

During the conference, many concrete pledges were made to strengthen Holocaust remembrance efforts and to combat racism, a fitting outcome just as we enter Holocaust Education Month in November, in Canada and several other countries.

The Forum – postponed by one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic — originally was to take place in October, 2020, 75 years after the end of the Second World War and the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

The year 2020 also marked 20 years since the first Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust, which led to the establishment of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).

The Forum served as a catalyst for international action against the backdrop both of a dramatic rise in global antisemitism and diminishing awareness of the Holocaust, particularly among youth of the world.  In addition, it focused on steps to foster Jewish life in all regions to ensure that Jewish citizens can feel welcome in their societies, so critical in a period when Jews believe that antisemitism is being met with a sense of growing indifference by non-Jewish communities.

Participants from some 50 countries were involved – including heads of state and government, international organizations, researchers, experts, civil society representatives and social media platforms -- all invited by Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven.

A list of just some of the national pledges made at Malmo includes:

  • The United Nations senior official dealing with antisemitism, High Representative for the U.N. Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Moratinos, announced that the U.N. will develop an action plan on antisemitism, insisting that the body must eradicate antisemitism both externally and internally—within the U.N. itself—including in the U.N. Human Rights Council.
  • United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the allocation in the coming year of $1 million to counter hate speech online in the Middle East and North Africa and an additional $1 million in support of efforts against Holocaust denial and distortion.
  • France’s President Emanuel Macron, stressing the need for collective international action, announced the goal of a new national strategy for combatting antisemitism by the end of the year, an increase in resources for Holocaust memorial institutions, and efforts to proceed with national legislation against hate speech.
  • Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the role of Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism will be made permanent and supplemented by increased resources. Mr. Trudeau also promised, as part of a “common international approach”, to pursue implementation and mainstreaming of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, now a part of Canada’s anti-racism strategy; this was a focal element of Canada’s recent National Summit on Antisemitism.
That the Forum was seen relevant to the Americas region was evident by the participation of Canada, The United States, Argentina, El Salvador and Uruguay (the first three being full IHRA members, the last two being observers in the organization). All five made specific pledges at the Forum.

That the Forum was seen relevant to the Americas region was evident by the participation of Canada, The United States, Argentina, El Salvador and Uruguay (the first three being full IHRA members, the last two being observers in the organization). All five made specific pledges at the Forum.

While the Organization of the American States did not participate per se, it was made clear subsequently by OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro that dealing with antisemitism remains a priority for him.

Within two weeks of the Malmo Forum, the Secretary General emphasized his support for the new OAS Commissioner to monitor and combat antisemitism when he said “Our full support for the work of Fernando Lottenberg. Fighting the scourge of antisemitism, discrimination and hatred is critical to the future of the Americas”.

That statement followed a profile of Mr. Lottenberg and his priorities in the publication, Jewish Insider, in which Mr. Lottenberg emphasized that the OAS is not an organization that can put in place sanctions or legislation to punish people, but it can stimulate behaviors and build treaties, including encouraging the more widespread adoption of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism .

Was the Malmo Forum a success? Time will tell, as is usual with such high-level meetings. 

The Forum – postponed by one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic -- originally was to take place in October, 2020, 75 years after the end of the Second World War and the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

Certainly, the gathering highlighted the continuing problem of classic antisemitism globally, not just in Europe, and the need for greater efforts to preserve memory of the Holocaust and the lessons for contemporary society.

While national pledges are important, implementation will be key.

The pledges made by individual participants will be followed-up during the Swedish presidency of IHRA, running from March 2022, through February, 2023.

And it remains to be seen if Malmo participants will address the systematic efforts to demonize Israel, the Jewish state, which often is the main component of 21st-century antisemitism

The involvement of civil society organizations and international or intergovernmental bodies – as well as private sector actors such as Facebook (Meta), Google & YouTube, and TikTok – was also a fundamental contribution.

Their participation in Malmo underscored the message that not all action to combat antisemitism lies in the hands of governments alone. Nor, as Canada’s Prime Minister stated, is dealing with antisemitism “a problem for the Jewish community to solve alone, it is a challenge for all of us”.

Civil society will have a key role in holding governments to their pledges and, in the case of online platforms, insisting that meaningful action is taken to address online antisemitism.

The Malmo Forum emphasized that Holocaust denial and other forms of antisemitism often go hand-in-hand with homophobia, xenophobia, racism, and other forms of hatred.  It also served as a rallying cry for those who seek to tear down our democracies, which we have seen in all of our countries as often a precursor to violence.

The Malmo Forum emphasized that Holocaust denial and other forms of antisemitism often go hand-in-hand with homophobia, xenophobia, racism, and other forms of hatred.  It also served as a rallying cry for those who seek to tear down our democracies, which we have seen in all of our countries as often a precursor to violence.

Participants at Malmo agreed on the importance of honouring all the victims of the Holocaust and fostering a culture of remembrance around the world. Leaders agreed that the work of building up principles and practices incrementally, over time, would best serve to make real the promise of “Never Again”.

The shared commitment to regular dialogue underscored the desire of participants to contribute to a world in which knowledge of the Holocaust is abundant, fact-based, and serves as a foundation for tackling today’s challenges, including those that lead to the normalization of hatred that can result in demonization or persecution of those perceived as “the other.”

Malmo offered a fundamental recognition that future generations will no longer be able to benefit from personal encounters with Holocaust witnesses, considered to be a great loss. 

This was coupled with a serious undertaking to find new forms of remembrance which do not allow the stories of individuals to fade from our consciousness – a debt owed to Holocaust victims and a dwindling number of survivors.

This will be a lesson to our children and grandchildren who we want to prevent as far as we can from repeating the errors of the past.

In recent years, we have seen antisemitism and racism eating into our societies, whether in Europe or the Americas. 

Just think of the yellow star badges seen at demonstrations against COVID measures, of the torrent of antisemitic conspiracy theories on the internet, or the regular attacks on synagogues and on Jewish people living in our countries.

The Malmo Forum addressed this scourge in what is hoped will be a meaningful way. The pledges made are essential reading; all of us will have a role in ensuring concrete follow-up.

Brian Herman is an Ottawa-based public policy and international affairs advisor, currently focusing on Jewish community interests in Canada and globally. From 2017 to 2021, he was Director of Government Relations for the Jewish humanitarian and human rights organization, B’nai Brith Canada.

Before joining B’nai Brith, Brian spent 42 years as a career Canadian diplomat, with eight postings overseas – in diverse locations such as Bangladesh and Singapore and, in Europe, Austria, the United Kingdom, NATO in Brussels and Denmark. From 2004-2007 Brian was Canada’s representative in Vilnius, Lithuania.

His final posting was with the Canadian Consulate General in Chicago.

Brian has a broad background in diplomacy, public policy and strategic advocacy and has concentrated on international security challenges to Canada, its allies and partners, including those related to democracy and social cohesion.

The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of CEIM. Any content provided by our bloggers or authors are of their opinion. The content on this site does not constitute endorsement of any political affiliation and does not reflect opinions from members of the staff and board.

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noviembre 25, 2021

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