Course organised by Levels Training Centre, Limassol, Cyprus.
The Holocaust changed history like no other event. Many believed the lessons of war had been learned, from the final solution. However, the riddle of antisemitism can hardly be explained in such a short period or solved so easily, as its roots go back thousands of years. And as one might expect, the hate-speech so loved by fascists is increasing once again, making it necessary to understand why and how it spreads.
In this context, we focus on Thessaloniki, a city that for centuries was home to thousands of Jews who fled from the Iberian peninsula during the Alhambra decree, and who lived and flourished here before World War II, until the horrors of the concentration camps like Auschwitz.
In this course, we will start with a look at the broader history of Thessaloniki to understand the dynamics and cultures that existed. We will then focus on the city’s Jewish past and its influence within the city as well as the tragic events that unfolded.
The course will also encourage us to look at ourselves and how we look at and understand the world around us today. Above all, we plan to look at how we want future generations to develop and specifically how we can teach, approach and shape them towards the endeavour of peace, tolerance and prosperity in any given culture.
A primary role of education is to facilitate ethical and democratic citizens and teachers. Those who participate in our course will be trained in innovative approaches and alternative workshops on free speech and hate speech, aiming to clearly separate one from the other. We will also experience the city while approaching it as an open museum, our participants – and ultimately their students – will study the city’s cultural heritage and understand important events that shaped our common European history. They will also practice and strengthen important soft skills like critical thinking, decision making, and team building,
| Day 1 | Welcoming | Ice breaking activities | The theory and practice of Antisemitism | The theory and practice of hate speech |
| Day 2 | Experiential learning and teaching | Challenged based learning and teaching | Group work | Half day educational visit |
| Day 3 | Best practices against radicalisation and hate speech / Visits |
| Day 4 | The value of free speech and active citizenship | Group work |
| Day 5 | Presentations | Review and Evaluation |
