Tokyo, 29 January, /AJMEDIA/
To mark the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, government officials, diplomats, researchers, as well as representatives of civil society and the media in Azerbaijan have come together at ADA University to discuss actions on combating Antisemitism, hate speech, xenophobia and racism.
The event was organized by the United Nations Office in Azerbaijan, the Embassy of the State of Israel, the Centre of Analysis of International Relations of Azerbaijan, ADA University and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Following the opening remarks, the participants listened to the story of the Holocaust survivor, Mr. Lev Zakharovich Shvartz, who is originally from Ukraine and lives today in Baku. Mr. Shvarz told the story of his small community of about 3,000 Jews, which was completely destroyed by Nazi Germany. His family faced the horror of the Holocaust but miraculously escaped from death.
A panel discussion with the participation of experts from the government think-tank, Parliament and civil society focused on the dangers of Antisemitism, xenophobia and racist trends, exchange views on possible actions to counter these detrimental phenomena, including the acceptance of IHRA’s working definition of antisemitism.
The event concluded with the adoption of the “Guardians of Remembrance” initiative and the introduction of people who will serve as guardians to commemorate the story of Mr. Shvartz.