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Explore a wide range of valuable resources on GCED to deepen your understanding and enhance your research, advocacy, teaching, and learning.
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Why Teach about the Holocaust? Year of publication: 2014 Corporate author: UNESCO The Holocaust was a turning point in human history. Understanding the genocide of the Jewish people and other crimes perpetrated by the Nazi regime remains of great signi cance in the modern world.Regardless of where we live or who we are, learning about this universal history can help engage students in a critical re action about the roots of genocide and the necessity to nurture peace and human rights to prevent such atrocities in the future.This short introduction provides an essential overview on education about the Holocaust that can support policymakers, educators and students alike in their understanding of genocide and why it is vital that we continue to teach about the Holocaust today. 
Holocaust Education in a Global Context: Report Year of publication: 2013 Corporate author: UNESCO Teaching and learning about the Holocaust, which until this point had largely been a matter of regional interest, for Europeans, as well as North Americans and Israelis, became officially an issue of universal concern. Other countries are now invited to teach about the Holocaust even if they do not have a direct link to the event. This raises many issues concerning the pedagogical implications of this global perspective on Holocaust education. Why and how is the Holocaust taught in countries that have no connections with the genocide and the history of the Jewish people? How does this history connect and resonate with the preoccupations of these countries? Generally speaking, what could be the purposes and the benefits of teaching about the Holocaust globally?In order to address these issues, UNESCO organized an experts-meeting on 27 April 2012, in partnership with the Topography of Terror Foundation (Berlin, Germany). The purpose was specifically to clarify the following questions: What are the current trends of Holocaust education worldwide? How can the Holocaust be studied in a comparative fashion in the classroom? In which ways does Holocaust education contribute to the prevention of genocide? Furthermore, how is it taught in a human rights education perspective? Can the Holocaust provide a suitable framework to address other traumatic events of the past? 
UNESCO Regional consultation in sub-saharan Africa: Why teach about genocide? The example of the Holocaust, 10-11 Septembre 2012, Cape Town, South Africa: report Year of publication: 2013 Corporate author: UNESCO The rst UNESCO consultation on « Why Teach about Genocide? The Example of the Holocaust » was organized following the UNESCO General Conference resolution 34C/61 on Holocaust Remembrance. The consultation of Member States is part of a series of initiatives launched by UNESCO to promote education about the Holocaust and other genocides, in particular with a view to contributing to the prevention of genocide and mass atrocities and promoting education for peace.The consultation took place in Cape Town, South Africa, on 10-11 September 2012 in the presence of senior representatives from the Ministries of Education of 14 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The following countries were represented: BENIN, BURUNDI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, CÔTE D’IVOIRE, ETHIOPIA, REPUBLIC OF MAURITIUS, NAMIBIA, KENYA, RWANDA, SENEGAL, SOUTH AFRICA, TANZANIA, TOGO and ZAMBIA. Experts in Holocaust and genocide studies from various countries and institutions were invited to present key issues throughout the consultation and participate in the discussions. The consultation was supervised by the Education Sector of UNESCO/Division of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development/Section of Education for Peace and Human Rights and UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in Africa (BREDA, Dakar, Senegal)The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss how the history of the Holocaust, and more generally the history of genocide, could be included in the curricula of participating countries. The meeting also clari ed various conceptual and pedagogical issues, and paved the way for further cooperation between UNESCO and participating Ministries of Education on how to launch new educational programmes in interested countries. 
The 1994 Genocide as Taught in Rwanda’s Classrooms Year of publication: 2017 This blog looks at how textbook and curricula reforms in Rwanda have worked to cover the 1994 Genocide and instill the ideals of tolerance, unity and reconciliation in students. It is part of a series of blogs on this site published to encourage debates around a new GEM Report Policy Paper: Between the Lines, which looks at the content of textbooks and how it reflects some of the key concepts in Target 4.7 in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).by Jean-Damascene Gasanabo, PhD, Director-General, Research and Documentation Center on Genocide, National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG), Kigali, Rwanda. The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi saw the slaughter of more than one million people over the span of three months, and placed Rwanda at the forefront of the world’s political consciousness. Almost 23 years later, Rwanda has rebuilt and become a modern hub of progress and development, putting in place social, political and economic systems that are grounded in national unity and reconciliation – with education reforms playing a central role.The large-scale participation of children and adolescents in perpetrating acts of genocide made it clear that an education system that fails to integrate basic human values, will also inevitably fail the nation. Education was used prior to the Genocide to inculcate fear, intolerance and hatred; and so too is it being utilized by the current Government to foster peace and inclusivity, and combat genocide ideology. Post-genocide Rwanda has used education as a main tool to correct biased perceptions of its socio-political history, and to provide accurate representations of the root causes of the genocide, and preventative measures.With over 60% of Rwandans under the age of 24, the formal education system needs to instill the ideals of tolerance, unity and reconciliation in the next generation. With this realization, the Rwanda Education Board and the Ministry of Education have integrated genocide studies in the curricula of its primary, secondary and higher education institutions so that they are better able to lead a nation that is cognizant of its past. Instead of highlighting difference, the national curriculum of post-genocide Rwanda has been reconfigured to emphasize the politics of inclusion and to encourage a spirit of critical thinking that pursues peace, social cohesion and harmony above all else.Prior to the Genocide, educational resources were used as a tool by the genocidal regime to promote ethnic division, discrimination and propaganda. The biased curricula and teaching methods cemented ethnic segregation within classrooms and fostered genocide ideology. The students who were not expelled from primary and secondary school due to the ethnic and regional quota system were forced to identify themselves as being Tutsi – inherently separate to those who were Hutu or Twa. The pre-1994 curriculum lacked “the essentials of human emotion, attitudes, values and skills” as it continued to promote discriminatory and divisive ideologies that were “imparted through formalized rote learning in history, civic education, religious and moral education and languages.”Post-Genocide Rwanda faced the herculean task of rebuilding its dismantled institutions. With a profound lack of qualified teachers, a huge pool of orphaned children, insufficient funds and inaccurate textbooks following the genocide, many education challenges lay ahead. In early 1995, a moratorium was placed on history textbooks which disseminated biased information, as the country grappled with how and to what extent the nation’s past could be incorporated constructively in the education system, without causing pain or resurfacing conflicts.Rwanda chose a gradual, yet comprehensive, approach. In the years immediately following the Genocide, the history curriculum lightly touched on the subject so as to protect students from their recent past, and prevent division in classrooms based on differing family experiences. Classrooms promoted knowledge based on the essential ideas of unity, peace, tolerance and justice. In 2008 the National Curriculum Development Centre within the Ministry of Education published the new history curriculum which incorporated the Genocide against the Tutsi, coinciding with the renewed emphasis on the unifying and inclusive qualities of nationality, citizenship and patriotism, instead of ethnicity.The current national curriculum was formulated by the Rwanda Education Board in conjunction with varying public institutions, UN agencies and nongovernmental organizations. It incorporates the Genocide into the curriculum of every grade level, and discusses it in various contexts suited to the student’s particular stage in learning. Eyewitness accounts and the presence of elders in the classroom allow for a “multi-generational opportunity” for learning. In understanding how violent conflict erupts in society, it is possible to prevent future atrocities from beginning. Teaching the Genocide in present-day Rwanda aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of the event by using primary sources, encouraging class discussions on genocide denial, the persistence of genocide ideology, and the reconciliation efforts embarked on after the Genocide.Moreover, this change in the curriculum has been supplemented by a shift to transform learning from one based on standard rote memorization to one that encourages discussion and a spirit of critical thinking and analysis. This approach identifies the student as an active participant in the learning experience, not merely a silent recipient of history as “evangelical speech.” By promoting an environment that encourages spirited, objective discussions, the Ministry of Education seeks to redress the biases taught by the genocidal regime, as well as prepare young people to thoughtfully and constructively enter the workforce.Genocide education nevertheless faces some challenges ahead. With genocide denial still present, not only are ongoing revisions of educational resources required, but teacher training is also necessary to ensure that revisions to the curriculum are well presented by teachers.The way conflict and genocide has been taught through textbooks in Rwanda has evolved over time. For Rwandans, learning about the 1994 Genocide is not only vital in understanding the history of their country, but also in developing critical thinking skills that help young people become informed citizens in today’s globalized society. Peace education, as well as tools for conflict resolution and genocide prevention, are now heavily featured. Indeed the initiatives embarked on by the education sector signal a promising start to the continuous pursuit of truth through knowledge of the past.In comprehensively integrating the study of genocide into the national curriculum and by empowering students to become agents of their own learning process, Rwanda offers an ambitious recipe for successfully teaching one’s own history for the better. 
Education about the Holocaust and Preventing Genocide: A Policy Guide Year of publication: 2017 Corporate author: UNESCO This Guide provides policy-makers with solutions to introduce education about the Holocaust, and possibly broader education about genocide and mass atrocities, into education systems and curricula. It is the first of its kind, focusing on matters that are relevant to policy, rather than on teaching practices alone.The publication addresses a wide range of essential questions, including: Why teach about the Holocaust? What learning outcomes can be expected from such educational endeavours? How do they relate to global education priorities? How to introduce the subject in the curriculum, train teachers, promote the most relevant pedagogies, and work with the non-formal sector of education?Based on UNESCO’s Global Citizenship Education work, the Guide draws on years of research and experience in the fields of Holocaust and genocide education. Numerous academics, educators and other experts offered insights and suggestions throughout the process. Multiple Holocaust and genocide related organizations – including the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum – contributed to the content. This creation benefited from the time and expertise of many. This Guide raises challenging questions for education stakeholders. It also provides concrete solutions regarding how educators can deal with deeply troubling histories, to build a better future for all. 
Recommendations for Teaching and Learning about the Holocaust Year of publication: 2019 Corporate author: International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) These recommendations, written by a group of international experts, are crafted to help educators with fact-based and educationally sound techniques for teaching the complex and nuanced history of the Holocaust. These recommendations will allow you to: Explain why teaching and learning about the Holocaust matters. The guidelines provide compelling reasons for covering the Holocaust in classroom curricula, so that students have a deeper understanding of the past and how it shapes the present. Find appropriate sources for the classroom. Covering this subject in a way which is both sensitive and accurate can be difficult; these recommendations include practical guidance on how to make your choices. Bring curricula up to date with latest research. There’s a huge range of recent research in this field; we’ve made it easy to incorporate these findings into your classroom. 
Enseigner l'histoire et la prévention des génocides - Peut on prévenir les crimes contre l'humanité ? The question of barbarism dominates remembrance issues. The study of the prevention of crimes against humanity constitutes another major challenge. But these sensitive and complex debates are problematic. All fields are concerned : history, memory, law, philosophy, politics. How can schools tackle them ? Two solutions : opting for a comparative study of genocides, particularly the Holocaust and the Tutsis in Rwanda; and using the "universal/particular" dialectic, institutions and individuals. Recollections of the past and edification of the future, this book gives meaning to education and presents a sensitive reflection of the challenges of history and the contemporary world. (By the author - Translation) Perceptions of the Holocaust in Europe and Muslim communities : Sources, Comparisons and Educational challenges Year of publication: 2012 Author: Gunther Jikeli | Joëlle Allouche-Benayoun The way people think about the Holocaust is changing. The particular nature of the transformation depends on people’s historical perspectives and how they position themselves and their nation or community vis-à-vis the tragedy. Understandably, European Muslims perceive the Holocaust as less central to their history than do other Europeans. Yet while the acknowledgement and commemoration of the horrors of the Holocaust are increasingly important in Europe, Holocaust denial and biased views on the Holocaust are widespread in European Muslims’ countries of origin. In this book, a number of distinguished scholars and educators of various backgrounds discuss views of the Holocaust. Problematic views are often influenced by a persistent attitude of Holocaust denial, which is derived, in part, from discourses in the Muslim communities in their countries of origin. The essays collected here explore the backgrounds of these perceptions and highlight positive approaches and developments. Many of the contributions were written by people working in the field and reflecting on their experiences. This collection also reveals that problematic views of the Holocaust are not limited to Muslim communities. (By the publisher) Authentic Pedagogy and the Holocaust: A Critical Review of State Sponsored Holocaust Curricula Year of publication: 2005 Author: Samuel Totten | Karen L. Riley Over the past decade and a half, states in all regions of the United States have formed Holocaust councils, advisory groups, and other agencies for the purpose of developing educational programs in response to a growing interest in the Holocaust. Some states have called upon educators and Holocaust agencies within the state to develop curricula and/or resource materials for use in social studies and English classrooms. Furthermore, many states now either strongly recommend the teaching of the Holocaust or mandate that it be taught in their public schools. In the present paper, we present a critical analysis of the instructional strategies advocated in state–sponsored Holocaust curricula. We ground our evaluation within the framework of authentic pedagogy—particularly the work of Fred Newmann. More than an attempt to simply criticize these works, we offer constructive alternatives to inadequate and/or poorly designed instructional strategies. Fundamental to the intent of this paper is its usefulness as a guide for evaluating instructional activities designed to support the teaching of content knowledge about the Holocaust. (By the author) The Coverage of the Holocaust in High School History textbooks Year of publication: 2009 Author: David H. Lindquist The Holocaust is now a regular part of high school history curricula throughout the United States and, as a result, coverage of the Holocaust has become a standard feature of high school textbooks. As with any major event, it is important for textbooks to provide a rigorously accurate and valid historical account. In dealing with the Holocaust, however, textbook authors face particular challenges. The Holocaust had complex causes, both immediate and long-term; different groups played roles in perpetrating or assisting it; and the meticulous accuracy required in detailing its occurrence imposes many demands on authors. Unlike many other events listed in history textbooks, students have often heard of the Holocaust and may bring considerable prior conceptions of it to the classroom but many of these impressions may come from sources for whom historical accuracy is of little concern. Textbooks are often the first recourse for teachers and students interested in dispelling inaccurate notions and seeking to acquire valid knowledge. In addition, the existence of Holocaust denial makes it crucial that textbook narratives should be completely accurate because deniers often contend that the presence of any error calls into question the actual occurrence of the Holocaust. This article presents the results of a study the author conducted of the treatment of the Holocaust in major history textbooks. While the textbooks provide substantial coverage of the Holocaust, there are also problems in the coverage that can foster inaccurate perspectives about the event. The author recommends that substantive changes be made in future editions of these textbooks to ensure that accurate, comprehensive Holocaust units are presented to students. (By the author)