International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism

On Wednesday 09^th of November, an historical day in two ways, the European Foundation of Human Rights (EFHR) held a small conference about the prevention of fascism, hatred and discrimination. The event was held due to the International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism and it took place at the Contemporary Art Center (CAC) in Vilnius.

The Event, organized by Maximilian Gallo, an intern of the EFHR, was opened by his presentation concerning with the reconnection of Human Rights and Human Thinking and its connection to issues of repressive discrimination. The presentation created the guideline for a rethinking of the “Awareness Making Process” in the practice of Non-Governmental-Human Rights-Organizations and governmental Institutions. The main point of this rethinking being the collaboration between Organizations focussing an equal topic, the discussion later on focussed on the question of how to reasonably connect human rights organisations in their working practice.

The second presentation was held by Tomas Vytautas Raskevičius, the Policy Coordniator of the Lithuanian Gay League (LGL), featuring legal problems of LGBTI individuals in Lithuania, stating that Lithuania is the country with the lowest legal freedom for LGBTI individuals in the European Union.

The Presentations were followed by a discussion round in which Mark Adam Harold, a member of the City Council of Vilnius and Amit Belaité, the chair of the Lithuanian Jewish Student Union and the before going participants got together and initiated a discussion about contemporary forms of Anti-Semitism. These being expressed by the neglect of Lithuania’s history, and leading to the topic of “discrimination by avoiding”.

The Event was rounded up by a performance of the Rakija Klezmer Orkestar, a Jewish Klezmer band, which actively engages in the preservation and the development of Traditional Jewish Music.

EFHR