Facing Up to the Far Right: What Can We Learn?
A virtual conversation
The rise of the far right and neo-Nazi groups in both Europe and the United States has brought a wave of disinformation fueled by prejudice and hate. Countering this wave requires not only courage and hard work, but creative approaches to help convey the lessons of history and the importance of democratic values.
Join us for a conversation with innovators from two organizations, one in the U.S. and one in Germany, that use effective grassroots methods to change the narrative in local communities. Both organizations have found that educating people about the history and present dangers of racism and anti-Semitism can provide a powerful counterweight to hate. But their tactics differ. We will discuss what hate groups and the activists who oppose them on both sides of the Atlantic have in common, and examine effective approaches that can be adapted for broader use.
Conversation date: May 11, 2021
Panelists
Raimund Grafe, Leipzig, Germany; Chairman of the Association of Erich Zeigner House. Leipzig is located in Saxony, an area in the former East Germany that is rife with far-right groups and politics. The organization often works in an atmosphere of opposition and threats. A core of the Erich Zeigner House’s work is a year-long program for high school students that gets them personally involved in researching local Jewish history and examples of resistance. This in-depth approach creates leaders and influencers in the ongoing fight against prejudice and revisionism.
Kate Bitz, Spokane, Washington; Program Director for Western States Center. Like the Erich Zeigner House, the Western States Center works to strengthen inclusive democracy. Its programs focus on community organizing, with an emphasis on racial and gender justice, as well as developing leaders committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and using culture as a basis for creating social change. Kate Bitz focuses on countering white nationalism with community organizing, research, and local leadership development in the Pacific Northwest.