Project Designation: DECONSTRUCT: Digital Education and Campaign to Stand Up and Counter Holocaust Distortion and Misinformation (SEP-210949884)
Principal Researcher: Andrea Szőnyi
Co-responsible: Zsófia Gombár
Research Unit: RG6
Partners: Zachor Foundation for Social Remembrance, Hétfa Research Institute, University of Florence, Institute for Educational Technology (CNR-ITD) Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Duration: 2024-2026
Funding: The project is funded through the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV), with a total funding of 278,843 EUR and 26,122 EUR for FLUL.
Website: https://deconstuct.letras.ulisboa.pt (under construction)
Overall description:
Recent years have witnessed a shocking surge in attempts within international public and political discourse to downplay the impact of the Holocaust and minimise the crimes committed by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. Holocaust distortion is not confined to national boundaries, nor is it limited to a single language. International cooperation and developing media literacy skills are crucial in combating this form of hatred. Through this program, a transnational consortium of organisations dedicated to countering hate and discrimination will work together to combat racism and intolerance through research, education, and public programming, specifically addressing antisemitism and Holocaust distortion. The program will deliver research findings, online educational resources, and an innovative public awareness campaign to engage educators, students, decision-makers, and policymakers, equipping them with the necessary resources and training to combat antisemitism and Holocaust distortion while fostering the development of media literacy skills. The learning resources will initially be developed in English and then localised by the partners for use in different local languages and contexts. The consortium aims to establish a continuous cycle of education and engagement rooted in research and evaluation, empowering beneficiaries to progress from learning to understanding and creating virtual spaces where individuals can mobilise their collective and individual power to take action.
Main activities in the project
- Baseline study: The project partners conduct a baseline study on teachers’ and secondary-level students’ knowledge, understanding, and perception of Holocaust distortion.
- Localisation of the ‘#ProtectTheFacts’ campaign and IHRA’s Toolkit against Holocaust distortion materials
- Upskilling partners for testimony-based learning module development, in particular developing their understanding of how to do historical research and research in digital archives and databases, content and methodological development of localised IWitness learning modules
- Developing new content for IWitness digital learning modules
- Piloting developed IWitness activities with teachers
- Providing immersive, participatory learning experience for students through participating in pilot events and creating video essays
- Providing an opportunity for stakeholders, decision- and policymakers to be informed about project outputs
