Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research in Argentina
The promotion and protection of human rights are an integral policy of the Argentinian Government. We feel that Holocaust remembrance and education are linked to the need to guarantee memory, truth and justice; so we reiterate our commitment to the Stockholm Declaration of 2000.
"The Argentinian Republic takes its commitment towards the ITF very seriously and several areas of the Government are involved in this important task in a permanente dialogue with the civil society."
Ambassador Alejandro Dosoretz,
Head of Delegation
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Argentina has been a full member of the ITF since 2000. Since then we have implemented policies and programmes to support Holocaust education, remembrance and research. The Argentinian delegation that attends the plenary meetings includes representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Education, Justice, Security and Human Rights , together with representatives of NGOs. |
*Update* Generations of the Shoah in Argentina: Retrospective 1997-2009, a video
A selection of photos with members of the organization, survivors, descendants of survivors, and some of the activities held during the 13 years of existence of Generations of the Shoah in Argentina, as well as some of the present projects.
Argentina and the ITF: the local chapter
"I wish to reiterate our strong commitment to fight Holocaust denial. I believe that it is through Holocaust education, remembrance and investigation that civil society will understand what happened and together say 'never again'"
Jorge Taiana, Minister of Foreign Affairs,
International Commerce and Worship
Our Holocaust-related programmes and activities are developed through a Permanent Consultative National Board formed by three Ministries and several Non Governmental Organisations. The Presidency of this Board is organised through a rotation system among the Government areas involved. The President has the task of coordinating the meetings where the Board organises Argentina's activities.
Currently, the local chapter of the ITF is composed of the above-mentioned three State organisations working in collaboration with the following organisations:
- the Mutual Israelite Argentine Association (AMIA)
- the B'nai B'rith
- the Simon Wiesenthal Centre
- the Argentine Judeo Christian Confraternity
- Superior Council of Catholic Education Argentine Episcopal Conference
- the Delegation of Israelite Argentine Associations (DAIA)
- the Holocaust Museum of Buenos Aires
- Generations of the Shoah Argentina
- the Coordinating Meeting of Associations of Private Education
- the New Rights of Man Association
- the Israelite Survivors' of the Nazi Persecution Association, Sherit Hapleitah.
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Argentina, as the only Latin-American country in the ITF, has the responsibility to generate conscience for the progressive inclusion of the topic of the Shoah in the discussions among the MERCOSUR and Associates countries. Indeed this would enable the ITF to enlarge its work and influence beyond the ITF member countries, in accordance with the United Nations Resolution on Holocaust, passed in 2005. Accordingly, Argentina has submitted and co-sponsored resolutions on the topic of the Holocaust at the different international fora. |
Education
Educating remembrance means teaching respect for human rights, and struggling against discrimination and intolerance. Therefore, the Ministry of Education has set up April 19th, the Day of remembrance of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, as the Day of Cultural Diversity.
The first cooperation project in the framework of the ITF, involving the National Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Secretariat of Human Rights and the NGO members of the local ITF chapter took place on August 8th and 9th 2007.
The Seminar: "The Shoah as a key event of the XXth Century: Contributions for an educational agenda of the present time" was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and the Buenos Aires Shoah Museum.
Its goal was to promote the progressive inclusion of the topic of the Holocaust in the teaching of the world's and of our own country's recent history. It was addressed to government officers in charge of the design of the curricula of the 23 Argentinian provinces and teachers, working both at Teachers' Training Institutes and at the Curriculum area of Social Sciences. Moreover, representatives of the Ministries of Education of the Mercosur and Spain attended as special guests.
The local chapter of the ITF is currently working on a proposal for the Federal Education Council which entails the production of materials, the construction of a national network of governmental and non governmental institutions working on the Shoah, and the development of training programmes for teachers.
The National Ministry of Education works through the Federal Council of Education, which includes the Ministries of Education of all Argentinian provinces, in order to distribute materials on the Shoah.
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"Teaching the Holocaust is a fundamental element to help new generations learn how to live together" Juan Carlos Tedesco, National Ministry of Education |
Remembrance
It is the responsibility of the constitutional institutions of the Republic to carry out the collective exercise of remembrance to teach current and future generations the consequences of illegal violence and terror. Therefore, every year there are several Holocaust remembrance activities organised by the Federal and Local governments and by civil society organisations.
In compliance with General Assembly Resolution 60/7, since 2006 the National Government has organised a central remembrance act. The event is organized by National authorities, such as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Justice, Security and Human Rights, the Minister of Education and the National Secretary of Human Rights, together with foreign ambassadors, civil society organisations and Holocaust survivors.
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"Survivors teach us the importance of giving testimony so that future generations know the history and preserve the memory" Anibal Fernández Minister of Justice, |
Research
By a 1992 National Decree, Argentina declassified all documentation related to Nazi war criminals. Currently the archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Commerce and Worship allows access to those documents without any restriction.
The documentation related to the Second World War period that can be found in this archive consists of diplomatic reports of national and international German policies, visa and immigration records, extradition requests and seizure of German property. The Archive can be contacted by e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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"The constant presence of the Holocaust in our spirits is necessary to continue the endeavours to find the necessary weapons for our struggle to preserve the human condition" Eduardo Luis Duhalde, |
