As a follow-up to the activities launched during Greece’s Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), which was concluded last March, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Greek Delegation to the IHRA) and the Municipality of Ioannina are organizing an International Conference titled “Fighting Antisemitism and Holocaust Distortion and Denial on the Digital Battlefield” to be held in Ioannina from 7 to 9 October 2022.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias will address the Conference via a video-recorded message.
The conference will be attended by, among others, the Mayor of Ioannina, Dr. Moses Elisaf, the Secretary General for Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, George Kalantzis, the Ambassador of Israel to Greece Noam Katz, the President of the IHRA, Ambassador Ann Bernes (recorded message), the President of the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece, David Saltiel and the Head of the Greek Delegation to the IHRA, Georgios Polydorakis.
The proceedings of the conference will also be live-streamed through the Municipality of Ioannina’s YouTube channel, via the following links:
a) Friday 7/10 sessions
https://youtu.be/XhmtfKSh81Q (in Greek)
https://youtu.be/8ZC6ybWs3fA (in English)
b) Saturday 8/10 sessions
https://youtu.be/gKaXht4nccA (in Greek)
https://youtu.be/raSbuhaQtsI (in English)
Read Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias’ address at the Conference:
“It is with great pleasure that I address the opening of today’s conference, organized by the Greek Delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) and the Municipality of Ioannina.
This international conference is an extremely important initiative of the Greek Presidency of the IHRA. The preservation of the memory of the Holocaust in our country has long been a matter of primary concern for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Greek government in general.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has appointed a Special Envoy for Combating Anti-Semitism and Preserving Holocaust Remembrance. We have produced special publications and tangibly support the IHRA through the Greek Delegation. We supported the Greek Presidency, led by the Vice President of the Government, Mr. Pikrammenos. In addition, Greek missions abroad often undertake initiatives for the preservation of the memory of the Holocaust.
Unfortunately, anti-Semitism is a real phenomenon. Even in the world’s most advanced societies. Fake news, hate speech, and conspiracy theories are now widely disseminated via the Internet and social media.
It is our duty to put an end to this new pandemic as soon as possible. And I believe that the Ioannina Conference will contribute to this direction.
We support and aspire to be at the forefront in introducing the best practices in the fight against anti-Semitism in Greece. We will win the battle, as long as we do not rest on our laurels. We should not expect this phenomenon to disappear on its own.
In conclusion, I’d like to warmly thank the Mayor of Ioannina, Mr. Moses Elisaf, for the excellent cooperation with our Ministry, as well as the Greek Delegation to the IHRA for organizing today’s conference.
In this regard, I’d like to share a personal experience of mine. When I was in New York, a few days ago, I visited an exhibition organized by the Columbia University Library. An exhibition dedicated to the Jewish Community of Corfu. It was an emotional experience for me, and I am particularly pleased that the memory of this Community is being recognized internationally.
I wish this Conference every success.
Thank you”.