Mitsotakis: Learning is a component of Greek society

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“Greeks attach great value to education. “Learning is a component of Greek society”, the Prime Minister pointed out, Kyriakos Mitsotakisin the message for the handover of its Presidency International Alliance for the Remembrance of the Holocaust (IHRA) from Greece to Sweden.

Mr. Mitsotakis underlined its importance use of internet, pointing out that “now, more than ever, we must use the Internet to defend the truth, to shield it, and to build barriers to distortion and to act against hate speech. “And we must contribute to the proper information of the users and the administrators of the platforms regarding the various manifestations of anti-Semitism on the internet”, he stated characteristically.

In detail, the message of Kyriakou Mitsotaki as follows:

“As the Greek Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance concludes and we can review our work, it is right to express our pride in the IHRA achievements but also to be aware of the challenges ahead.

Our work does not end here. As Sweden takes over the Presidency, the themes we have brought to the forefront of the Greek Presidency – promoting Holocaust education and tackling its denial and distortion on the Internet – remain relentlessly relevant.

Greeks attach great value to education. Learning is a component of Greek society. As Socrates used to say, “Only good is science, and only bad is ignorance.” Our Presidency has focused on teaching and learning, not only because we have a moral obligation to pass on knowledge from those who have lost their lives and those who have survived, but also because education is a prerequisite for understanding the past, for interpreting of the present and -most importantly- for the preservation of our democratic future.

Seven decades after the Holocaust, anti-Semitism is on the rise around the world. Although shocking and disturbing, recent studies show that large sections of the population in Europe and the United States have little or no knowledge of the Holocaust. This ignorance should serve as a reminder that there is no room for rest. We need to step up our efforts in terms of education.

Teaching the facts, motives, and behaviors that lurk behind the greatest crime of the 20th century is a vital starting point for promoting critical thinking. Above all, Holocaust education contributes to combating prejudice, highlighting the dangers of stereotypes, preventing complacency, promoting responsible political attitudes, and encouraging tolerance, empathy, protection and the promotion of human rights.

Education, however, can not be limited to classrooms. It must be extended to everyday life and especially to the fight against misinformation, denial and distortion in the digital realm.

During the pandemic, the use and abuse of digital tools, especially on the internet, gained new importance and a growing role in every aspect of our lives. That is why our Presidency has recognized as its second central objective the fight against Holocaust denial and distortion on the internet.

By justifying, degrading and falsifying the historical record of the Holocaust, spreading lies and misinformation, distortion paves the way for denial, violent anti-Semitism and extreme nationalism. We can not allow this trend to continue. We must and will tackle the phenomenon at its root, through cooperation between governments, harnessing the power of experts and working with social media companies and civil society.

Now, more than ever, we must use the Internet to stand up for the truth, to shield it, and to stand up to the distortion of events and to act against hate speech. And we must contribute to the proper information of the users and administrators of the platforms regarding the various manifestations of anti-Semitism on the internet.

As long as extremism, conspiracy theories and hate speech continue to threaten our societies, information about the “distant camps of insanity” – as described by the Greek writer George Ioannou – is vital. Because the consequences of ignorance, denial and distortion are not far off. They are real. They are present. And they must be addressed immediately and directly.

Promoting Holocaust education, research and memory empowers us to do just that. Education is the tool that allows us to ensure that such atrocities can never be repeated. We remain firmly committed to this collective effort and, on behalf of Greece, I wish the forthcoming Swedish Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance every success.

Thank you”.

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