Courage to Care Australia warmly applauds the Special Envoy’s Plan to Combat Antisemitism and its recommendations for addressing the critical threat that antisemitism poses to Australian society.
The Plan’s recognition that “education is essential to preventing and tackling antisemitism” and that “we must prevent the normalisation of antisemitism within the education system” reflects our shared understanding that education is a vital tool in turning the tide on hate.
As an organisation that has spent thirty years educating and empowering school students to be Upstanders against all forms of discrimination, Courage to Care wholeheartedly supports the Plan’s emphasis on education as the cornerstone of prevention.
We are aligned in our mission to make all racism, antisemitism and discrimination a thing of the past.
The Plan’s key educational recommendations directly support and complement our existing Upstander Programs:
- Targeted interventions for younger Australians aligns closely with C2C’s focus on reaching students in both middle and senior years (5-10), creating a generation of Upstanders against hate.
- Embedding Holocaust and antisemitism education in national and state school curricula aligns with C2C’s learning framework. The Holocaust offers an extreme real-life example of the consequences of racism and discrimination. Students who examine the tools that were used to dehumanise and pave the road to genocide are encouraged to question ideas before embracing them. Our treasured Holocaust Survivor Speakers share their stories of survival, demonstrating the importance of having the courage to care and the power each individual holds to make a difference.
Courage to Care welcomes the Plan’s recommendations that educational reform must be immediate, comprehensive, and scalable. Only through sustained educational efforts can we prevent the threat of antisemitism from becoming intergenerational.
We stand ready to support implementation of the Plan by delivering more Courage to Care programs. With our proven track record of scalable Upstander Programs delivered to students across VIC, NSW, QLD, ACT and WA, our evidence-based approach, and our commitment to creating Upstanders against hate, Courage to Care is positioned to be a key partner in delivering the educational initiatives outlined in this vital Plan.
There can be little debate that antisemitism is on the rise all over Australia. It is going to take sincere, sustained and significant efforts from all areas of the community to turn this disturbing trend around. We encourage all levels of government and educational institutions to fully support and implement these crucial educational recommendations – ensuring every student has the opportunity to learn the dangers of hate, and is equipped with the tools to stand up against discrimination in all its forms.