Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA

International Conference “The Holocaust: Remembrance and Lessons”

4 - 5 July 2006 Riga, Latvia

Conference Mission Statement

This conference, convened under the patronage of the president of Latvia, Mrs. Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, seeks to address issues relating to the awareness and remembrance of the unique tragedy of the Holocaust. We intend to create a meeting place for an exchange of knowledge and perspectives among experts and practitioners from the Commission of Historians of Latvia, from Western countries, and from our neighbors in Central and Eastern Europe to share thoughts on current problems regarding Holocaust remembrance and antisemitism. We hope that this conference will lay the foundation for strengthening appropriate Holocaust commemoration and consolidating the values of tolerance and respect for others in Latvian society.

Venue of the Conference

The conference will be held on Wednesday, 5 July, at the Reval Hotel Latvija http://www.revalhotels.com/eng/latvija/? Elizabetes St. 55, Riga LV-1010, Latvia Tel.: (+371) 777.2222./Fax: (+371) 777.2221./e-mail: [email protected]

Information:

Linda Trence /Latvian Transatlantic Organization (LATO) Rupniecibas str. 10, Riga, LV – 1010/ Latvia/ Mob.: (+371)26.518.255 /Fax: (+371) 7.106.214. /E-mail: [email protected]

-1- TUESDAY, 4 JULY Latvia's National Holocaust Memorial Day 12:00 The annual mourning meeting at the memorial place by the destroyed synagogue. 13:00 Optional Afternoon Programme Lunch- 13:20 (Reval Hotel Latvija) - Guided visit to the Riga ghetto and to Rumbula Forest (http://www.rumbula.org/rumbula_homepage.htm) OR - Jewish Community house & museum and documentation centre “Jews in Latvia” /Skolas iela 6/ - Movie screening “Melodies of Riga’s Ghetto” - Excursion in the Old Town with Mr. Ojārs Kalniņš (Director, The Latvian Institute)

19:00 Latvian University, Big Hall - Artis Pabriks Opening statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia - Yehuda Bauer Evening lecture “The Holocaust in its European Context” - Evening Reception (with invitations)- Hotel Ridzene Restaurant “Piramida”

WEDNESDAY, 5 JULY Languages of the conference: Latvian, English, & Russian During the conference there will be an exhibition “Latvia’s Jewish Community: History, Tragedy and Revival”

8:30 - 9:30 Registration of participants Reval Hotel Latvija, Elizabetes St. 55 9:30 - 10:20 Opening ceremony Gints Jegermanis, Head of the Policy Planning Unit, Ambassador at large, MFA or Latvia. Followed by Rabbi Andrew Baker, Director of International Jewish Affairs, American Jewish Committee, who will address the Conference and introduce the opening speech by the

- President of Latvia Vaira-Vīķe Freiberga - Madam Simone Veil, Présidente de la Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah. 10:20 – 10:50 Coffee break 10:50 - 14:00 Opening Session: "The Holocaust Remembrance and Lessons"

During the opening session the keynote speakers are expected to open the debate on the importance of preserving both historically accurate awareness and remembrance of the unique tragedy of the Holocaust. The emphasis will be on the moral imperative of teaching young people about the central importance of passing on to future generations a profound understanding of the consequences of the Holocaust and a sense of responsibility to the human community. This session will be followed by 3 simultaneous sessions on Holocaust education, Holocaust research and antisemitism in the afternoon. Toms Baumanis, Chairman, Latvian Transatlantic Organization (LATO), addresses the Conference. Moderator:  Paul Raudseps, Editorial Page Editor of the Latvian daily newspaper “Diena” Panellists:  Lord Janner of Braunstone, Q.C., Chairman, Holocaust Educational Trust  Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the European Jewish Congress, President of the Russian Jewish Congress  David Silberklang, Senior Researcher, Editor of Yad Vashem Studies  Daniel S. Mariashin, Executive Vice President of B'nai B'rith International  Elie Valk, Chairman of the Association of Latvian and Estonian Jews in Israel, Director General of the Society for Research on Jewish Communities Q&A Discussion Moderator:  Ilze Brands-Kehre, Director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights Panellists:  Jonathan Webber, (BA (UCL), DPhil (Oxon), UNESCO Professor of Jewish and Interfaith Studies, Chair of the European Association for Holocaust Studies  Dina Porat, Professor of Jewish History at Tel Aviv University and Director of the Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and Racism  Vladimir Novickij, Head of the Moscow Bureau for Human Rights  Andrievs Ezergailis, Professor, Ithaca College, New York Q&A Discussion -2- 14:00 - 15:00 Buffet Lunch

15:00 – 18:00 PARALLEL SESSIONS:

Session 1: "Holocaust Education" This session examines the effectiveness of and practical issues in Holocaust education. The work of teachers who have been actively encouraging research and teaching of the Holocaust in Latvian schools will be discussed along with the work of guest speakers. The panellists will discuss problems that arise when teaching the Holocaust to a culturally diverse group of students and young children, and how to deal with Holocaust denial. The main aim of this session is to arrive at some understanding of what constitutes good educational strategies and models, which would strengthen the values of tolerance and respect for others. Moderators:  Dzintra Liepiņa, Chair of the Latvian History Teachers Board  Christer Mattsson, Living History Forum, International Task Force, Sweden Panellists:  Baiba Rivža, Minister of Education of Latvia  Aija Tuna, Director of the programme coordination (Education Development Centre)  Kathrin Meyer, Advisor on Antisemitism Issues, Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Programme, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights  Geoffrey Short, Reader in Educational Research (University of Hertfordshire)  Martin Šmok, Senior Program Consultant, Central and Eastern Europe, Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education College of Letters, Arts & Sciences, Leavey Library University of Southern California  Rolandas Račinskas, Executive Director International Commission for the Evaluation of the Crimes of the Nazi and Soviet Occupational Regimes in Lithuania  Tamara Zitcere, NGO Latvijas dialogi

Session 2: "Antisemitism" This session will address antisemitism beginning with an overview of its historic roots, new forms of the late 20th century and contemporary antisemitism. Participants in this session are encouraged to address the ongoing questions and concerns about antisemitism. In addition, participants can discuss possible measures that could be adopted to define, discover, quantify, study and eradicate antisemitism, and all forms of ethnic and religious intolerance and violence. Moderator:  Nils Muižnieks, former Society Integration Minister of Latvia Panellists:  Yehuda Bauer, Academic Adviser, International Centre for Holocaust Studies, Yad Vashem  Beate Winkler, Director, European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia  Leo Dribins, Head of the Philosophy and Science Faculty, University of Latvia  Ms. Eva Smith Asmussen, Chair, European Commission against Racism and Intolerance  Alla Gerber, President, All-Russia “Holocaust” Foundation  Alexander Verkhovsky, Director, SOVA Center for Information and Analysis, Russia  Shimon Samuel, Simon Wiesenthal Centre, Director for International Relations, France  Anatoly Podolsky, Director, Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies

Session 3: "Holocaust Research" This session will examine the progress and results of the Commission of the Historians of Latvia, which addresses issues of Holocaust history. The session will inform the audience about the work that the Commission of the Historians of Latvia has been doing since 1998. The main task of the Commission is to study “Crimes against Humanity Committed in the Territory of Latvia under Two Occupations, 1940 - 1991”, as well as to produce reports on specific themes. The commission has thus far issued 16 volumes, and would like to share its findings with the audience. The participants of this session are encouraged to examine effective means for historical investigation and researching the enduring impact of the Holocaust. Moderator:  Andrew Baker, Director of International Jewish Affairs (American Jewish Committee) Panellists:  Aivars Stranga, Head of Holocaust studies at the Latvian History Commission and Latvian History Department, University of Latvia  Marģers Vestermanis, Director of the museum “Jews in Latvia”  Rudīte Vīksne, Researcher, University of Latvia, the Commission of Historians of Latvia  George D. Schwab, Ph.D. President National Committee on American Foreign Policy  Max Jakobson, Minister, Chairman of the Estonian International Commission for the Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity  Emanuelis Zingeris, Member of Lithuanian Parliament, Chair of the Commission of Historians of Lithuania 18:00 - 19:00 Closing Session: Concluding statements by the moderators & conference reporter 19:00 - 21:00 CLOSING RECEPTION at the White Hall of Museum of History of Riga and Navigation