9 Apr 2024Online
Workshop: Uniting against antisemitism; empowering transatlantic civil society responses across Latin America

In April, ISD, together with UNESCO, the World Jewish Congress, the Latin American Jewish Congress and B’nai B’rith International delivered an online capacity-building workshop for civil society to address the rise of online antisemitism in Latin America.
In his keynote remarks, Ambassador Federico Villegas, former Permanent Representative of Argentina to International Organisations in Geneva and former President of the UN Human Rights Council, underscored the intrinsic link between the advocacy for human rights and the fight against antisemitism, saying “neither can one speak nor defend human rights without fighting against antisemitism, it’s as simple as that.”
Ambassador Villegas highlighted three critical strategies to fight antisemitism: leveraging technology for Holocaust education, reinforcing the commitment to the principles established by the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and initiating key discussions on the impact of social media and AI on society.
In a panel hosted by ISD Digital Research Analyst Oscar Portillo-Meza, Commissioner for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism at the Organization of American States (OAS) Fernando Lottenberg emphasised the importance of education in combating antisemitism.
“It is imperative that as societies we commit ourselves to combating antisemitism in all its forms,” Lottenberg said.
The event also examined artificial intelligence’s potential role in disseminating and combating bigotry and delved into the complexities of artificial intelligence and misinformation.
The gathering included a panel discussion with a diverse group of speakers, each contributing deep insights into the fight against antisemitism. Participants included Ariel Seidler of the Latin American Jewish Congress; Ana Cristina Ruelas, UNESCO’s advocate for freedom of expression and journalist safety; and Ravit Dotan, CEO of BetterTech.
After the plenary sessions, participants were divided into breakout groups to discuss the core issues surrounding antisemitism and explore potential solutions. The discussions emphasised education and coalition building as crucial strategies in addressing and mitigating the issue.