Haaretz
Last update – 21:46 23/10/2007

UNESCO announces plan to battle Holocaust denial, raise awareness

By Barak Ravid

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) announced on Tuesday it would launch a program to promote
awareness of the Holocaust by means of battling every form of
Holocaust denial and formulating educational curriculums.

Over recent months, extensive political efforts have been made to
recruit international support for the program, initiated by Israel.
With the aid of the U.S., Russia, Australia and Canada, Israel
successfully garnered the support of an additional 70 countries for
the program.

UNESCO unanimously adopted the initiative, despite initial concerns
that Arab nations would attempt to torpedo the move.

Under the guidelines of the new program, UNESCO will now be able to
prepare educational and instructional curriculums on Holocaust
remembrance, and promote the incorporation of such studies in core
curriculums, conferences and research worldwide. These activities will
be carried out in tandem with the Holocaust remembrance programs
currently being developed at the United Nations headquarters in New
York.

In addition, a permanent exhibit on the Holocaust is set to open at
the UN headquarters in New York, to be displayed along the path taken
by tourists and visitors on guided tours of the building. The exhibit,
a result of extensive efforts made by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, aims
to balance out the permanent exhibit on Palestinian refugees, also
displayed on site.

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