Borussia Dortmund was invited to the Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism (GFCA) conference and is delighted to receive recognition for its consistent work in the fight against Antisemitism.
This week, the Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism (GFCA), organised by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, took place in Jerusalem for the seventh time. Borussia Dortmund was invited to the conference and is delighted to receive recognition for its consistent work in the fight against Antisemitism.
Daniel Lörcher, head of Corporate Responsibility at BVB, was in attendance to represent the club and talk about its work against Antisemitism and the programme that has been pursued for over ten years. With representatives from Chelsea FC, Ferencváros Budapest and Lord John Mann (UK Antisemitism Commissioner), Lörcher took part in the panel “The Chelsea Model – Combating Antisemitism in the Sports Arena” to talk about sport and Antisemitism.
One topic of the panel was the working definition of Antisemitism of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), which is an important working basis for clubs (BVB adopted the working definition last year.) The panel participants agreed that football can make a contribution in the fight against anti-Semitism. Lörcher presented BVB’s concept and explained the holistic approach that includes fans, staff, partners and sponsors. Another topic was the project “Changing the Chants”, in the framework of which BVB is working with partners to develop guidelines for combating anti-Semitism. In conclusion, Lord John Mann encouraged the clubs in their commitment and thanked them for their many years of dedication.
After the opening of the conference by Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday, Lörcher had already told the panel “Personal Stories” how he went from being a BVB fan to a GFCA participant. The decisive factor was an offer from the fan representatives for an away trip to Munich, during which the group visited the Dachau memorial. As a result, his interest in the Holocaust grew and Lörcher decided to organise the first multi-day educational trip to Auschwitz in 2011. Since then, a large number of lectures, workshops and more than 25 educational trips to various memorials have been organised for fans, staff and sponsors. BVB shares its knowledge and experience in the fight against Antisemitism with other clubs both at home and abroad.
