The two-day, hybrid closing session of the “Changing the Chants” project in Oświęcim, Poland, was a productive and successful event.
About 50 attending guests from eleven different countries, more than 500 online participants and many interesting lectures, debates and panel discussions made the two-day, hybrid closing session of the “Changing the Chants” project in Oświęcim, Poland, a productive and successful event.
Two years ago, Borussia Dortmund joined ranks with Anne Frank House Amsterdam, Fare network and Dutch Eredivisie club Feyenoord Rotterdam to draw up guidelines for the work against antisemitism in football. The results of the EU commission-supported cooperative project were presented and debated at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and the International Youth Meeting Center in Oświęcim on August 31 and September 1.
Aside from panel discussions and lectures about the fight against antisemitic behaviour and tendencies, the conference included a visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and a guided walk through the town of Oświęcim, taking in its important historical sights.
The many nationalities of the attendees reflected the breadth and variety of the event schedule: lectures about the history of European antisemitism since 1945 and the persecution of footballers by Nazi Germany blended with an interactive workshop about restorative justice and panel discussions.
Participants from media, education, academia, football and social work set off from Spain, Hungary, Belgium, Switzerland and even the United States of America to South Poland to discuss measures for fighting antisemitism.
“In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are delighted that the CtC project was able to conclude successfully in hybrid form,” Daniel Lörcher, Head of Corporate Responsibility at Borussia Dortmund and one of the main organisers of the event, said. “We are also pleased with the conference’s impact. It brought the fight against antisemitism to the attention of many people and presented different perspectives as well as possible measures.”
Those who were not able to attend the event in person or follow the livestream at the time will shortly be able to access a recording of the entire online programme.
More information about the “Changing the Chants” project and BVB’s part in combatting antisemitism are to be found here.
