Sweden on Thursday said it wants as many young people as possible to visit Holocaust memorial sites to tackle antisemitism in the Nordic nation, where neo-Nazi activities have been intensifying in recent years.
The government said it would invest 15 million kronor ($1.5 million euros) on projects over three years to raise awareness about Nazi crimes against Jews, Roma communities, and other groups.
“Nazism and racism are growing and spreading. We are therefore launching this investment so that more youth can be equipped with the knowledge to tackle the anti-democratic forces that are growing in Sweden,” Culture Minister Alice Bah Kuhnke said in a statement.
The Swedish Committee Against Antisemitism will receive 12.8 million kronor to organise trips to Holocaust remembrance sites, and the Living History Forum, a public authority, is to offer educational tools and resources.
Sweden, which boasts a long tradition of welcoming refugees and persecuted groups, is experiencing a creeping rise in neo-Nazi activities in the public and on social media.
A 1997 study found that 66 percent of Swedish secondary school students were unsure whether the Holocaust actually happened.
The Living History Forum, which was established in 2003 to provide accurate information in schools about the Holocaust, recently launched a similar study, the results of which will be released later this year.
