Holocaust

Tolerance and the Holocaust

On 12 October in Uzhgorod at Transcarpathian Pedagogical Postgraduate Studies Institute a regional seminar for history teachers. It was dedicated to the Holocaust history and Tolerance issues. The seminar took place owing to the support of the Department for Press, Education, and Culture of the USA Embassy in Ukraine. It was organised by the Uzhgorod State Community “Centre for Romology” and personally Ms. Y.Navrotska – teacher of Roma history and culture. She presented a most interesting book “White Stone from black Torture Room”, comprising the memories of the Roma, who survived Paraimos. The seminar was opened by the Professor M.Makara of Carpathian Studies Chair of the Transcarpathian National University. His report was “Place of the Holocaust in the Network of Contemporary National Conflicts: accident or regularity?” Research associate of the Ukrainian Centre for Holocaust Studies A. Fredekind had a lecture on “The History of the Holocaust and Modern Ukraine” and presented the Romology Centre with the books on Holocaust history. K.Popadiuk (graduate of American civic education programmes) stressed on “Educating Tolerance as One of the Aspects of Civic Education”. O.Maisiuk (of Nova Doba) considered the “Issues of Interethnic Tolerance. Experience of Ukrainian Education System”.
It is noteworthy that since the very beginning of the seminar the teachers took active part in the discussions about Holocaust issues, Roma history, Ukrainian history. The tragedies of the Holocaust and Paraimos, Holodomor and GULAG, xenophobia in the modern Ukraine are only a few topics broached on the seminar. O.Maisuik supplied the teachers with the free Internet line (support of the American Embassy).
We hope that alike seminars will help the tolerant society of Uzhgorod and Transcarpathians realise their tough history.