On 29th October in Bucharest, the UK Presidency of the
International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)
co-sponsored a conference on current and emerging challenges in
Holocaust distortion and education, alongside Romania, the United
States, and the OSCE's
ODIHR.
Examining the impact of emerging technologies on Holocaust denial
and distortion is a key priority of the UK's IHRA
Presidency, and this conference followed a commitment made at the
most recent IHRA
plenary meeting hosted by the UK presidency in Glasgow in June,
to step up action and build greater expertise on this subject.
In introductory remarks, Lord Pickles, UK Special Envoy on
Post-Holocaust Issues, noted the appositeness of the conference
being held in Bucharest, where the IHRA
Working Definition of Antisemitism was negotiated and adopted. He
paid tribute to the late Ambassador Mihnea Constantinescu, who
was vital in achieving this adoption.
Read Lord
Pickles' full speech
The power of generative AI, and its potential capacity to both
facilitate and counter Holocaust distortion, was a key focus of
the day. Delegates explored the use of AI in interactive
Holocaust testimony projects and the possibility of broadening
the audience for these projects through AI language dubs, while
acknowledging the ethical concerns of dubbing the testimony of
survivors who are no longer with us. Panellists also discussed
instances of generative AI models being oversensitive to
Holocaust distortion, refusing to depict the Holocaust in any
form and thereby potentially rendering it invisible.
Educators from a wide range of backgrounds and institutions,
including
UNESCO and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, shared
their approaches to making Holocaust education as engaging and
relevant as possible to their respective audiences. Ligia Deca,
Romanian Minister of Education, offered reflections on Romania's
compulsory secondary education module ‘History of the Jews – The
Holocaust', taught for the first time in the 2023 academic year,
and delegates agreed on the importance of having educators
situate the Holocaust within the wider context of Jewish life and
history. The conference also provided an opportunity for
educators to discuss the impact of the 7 October 2023 Hamas
terror attack against Israel and the Israeli military operation
in Gaza on Holocaust education, and to share best practice on
navigating the challenges that have subsequently emerged.
The outcomes of this conference will provide a foundation for
further discussions on the role of emerging technologies in
Holocaust distortion and education at the next IHRA
plenary meeting hosted by the UK Presidency in December
