SERIES OF ONLINE MEETINGS ‘THE HOLOCAUST, GENOCIDE DISTORTION, AND INTERFAITH DIALOGUE’
10 August – 2 September 2021
Please join a series of online meetings ‘The Holocaust, genocide distortion, and interfaith dialogue’, organised by the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association and its regional partners.
The meetings are part of the project ‘Identifying and Countering Holocaust Distortion. Lessons for and from Southeast Asia’ supported by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). The project's objective is to identify narratives around the Holocaust, develop counter-arguments and strategies against its distortion in the region, and inspire critical memory discourses in dealing with the past and the legacy of regional instances of genocide and conflict.
The lectures in this series will introduce the Holocaust, provide insights into the identities of Jewish people and Judaism, as well as to interfaith dialogue as a tool to deal with incitement to violence and towards reconciliation. Overall, the series of online meetings will explore the connection between interfaith dialogue and genocide prevention.
Learning objectives include increasing sensitivity to the importance of interfaith dialogue in understanding the Holocaust and hatred against Jewish people and other minorities, referring to local instances of violent atrocities, identifying examples of genocide distortion, elaborating counter-arguments and strategies in the framework of interfaith dialogue.
Please register HERE to receive the Zoom link.
Session 1:
10 August, Tuesday, 16:00-17:30 (BKK GMT +7)
Introductory lecture about Jews and Judaism: the religious aspects of the Jewish people from the Hebrew Bible to today
Session 2:
17 August, Tuesday, 16:00-17:30 (BKK GMT +7)
The Holocaust, genocide, and interfaith dialogue
Session 3:
24 August, Tuesday, 20:00-21:30 (BKK GMT +7)
The Holocaust through Buddhist Eyes
Session 4:
2 September, Thursday, 16:00-17:30 (BKK GMT +7)
An interactive workshop on identifying Holocaust and genocide distortion in the region and developing counter-arguments and strategies in the framework of interfaith dialogue
Speakers:
Jeremy Jones is Director of International and of Community Affairs for the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council and Senior Contributing Editor for the Australia Israel Review. An Honorary Life Member and Former President of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, he is a Human Rights advocate who has lectured and participated in high level conferences on human rights in more than 30 countries, represented the Australian government and the World Jewish Congress at a number of intergovernmental forums and chairs formal Interfaith Dialogues in Australia while participating in international interfaith activity as a member of the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations. Amongst his honours, he has been conferred membership of the Order of Australia, was the 2007 winner of the Australian Human Rights Medal and the 2016 winner of the State of New South Wales highest Award for Community Harmony. Born in Melbourne, he is a graduate of Sydney University of History and Government.
Ellen Korman Mains was authorized as a Senior Buddhist Meditation Teacher by Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche in 1975 and served as Practice and Education Director at his U.S. headquarters. She teaches within his lineage in both Europe and North America. For years, she also practiced and taught the Japanese art of Kyudo (zen archery). The daughter of Polish Jews who survived the Holocaust, she began researching her family legacy in Poland in 2006 to reconcile this history with her spiritual training. Her award-winning memoir, ‘Buried Rivers: A Spiritual Journey into the Holocaust’ (West Lake Books, 2018) recounts this journey through the eyes of a Jewish descendant and Buddhist practitioner, intimately exploring family, religious, and cultural boundaries. As a Holocaust educator and professional Focusing Guide, Ms. Mains is committed to promoting dialog, deep listening, and compassionate self-awareness.
Moderator:
Venerable Lablu Barua (Thirasattho) is PhD candidate in Peace Studies at Buddhist Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University (Thailand) and a mindfulness meditation expert, Ambassador of the Institute for Economics and Peace (2019), engaged in interfaith dialogue in Asia and worldwide.
