The Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain (FCJE) and the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) launched the Simone Veil Extraordinary Chair for the prevention of Racism, Antisemitism and the promotion of interculturality at an event on 29 June 2022 in Madrid.
Among the speakers at the event were Isaac Benzaquen, FCJE President, Pierre Francois Veil, Lawyer and Son of Simone Veil, and distinguished members of academia and the public sector.
In addition, Katharina von Schnurbein, European Commission Coordinator coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life sent a video message in support of the new Chair.
The Simone Veil Chair will be directed by Gonzalo Jover Olmeda, Dean of the Faculty of Education and Teacher Training of the Complutense University of Madrid and Tamar Shuali, Director of the European Institute of Education for Democratic Culture of the Catholic University of Valencia.
The aim of the Chair is to promote freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, through research, scientific dissemination and training.
Moreover, it will serve as a platform for debate, reflection and teacher training on these issues with special emphasis on antisemitism, a serious problem that, far from diminishing, is on the rise around the world.
The Chair will develop studies and actions to improve the educational and social response to hate speech, antisemitism, prejudice and rejection of otherness, including the teaching of the Shoah and Intercultural and Human Rights Education.
This objective is therefore articulated around three priority lines of action: Holocaust studies and democratic memory, hate speech and intercultural education.
