Johanna Sokoließ, specialist advisor and head of the project "Informed, courageous, committed! A joint initiative against antisemitism"

The project "Informed, courageous, committed!" addresses the problem of antisemitism in society as a whole and starts where thousands of people from a wide variety of backgrounds meet every day: the workplace. In what format is the educational offer designed? 

The continuing education program "Informed, courageous, committed" is designed in the form of a blended learning format. That means: Workshops and digital self-learning phases alternate. On the one hand, this has the advantage that participants can organize their time flexibly during the self-study phases and choose from a selection of multimedia learning opportunities. The materials are available to participants on a user-friendly learning platform, the EVZ Academy. The nice thing about this approach is that it allows for both asynchronous and interest-driven learning.

On the other hand, the content developed in the self-study phases can be deepened in workshops, which take place both digitally and in person, applied in practical methods and discussed together. This also ensures the so important exchange amongst people, as well as joint reflection on the situation at one's own workplace. The approach makes it possible to combine the benefits of digital learning and workshops.

Were experts and representatives from Jewish self-organizations involved in shaping the content?

Yes, it was essential for us to hear as many voices and as much interdisciplinary expertise as possible already in the conception phase and to undertake a critical review of our considerations and concepts time and again. For this reason, we have appointed a project-accompanying sounding board in which experts from science and education, representatives of Jewish self-organizations as well as a representative from the target group work together. The regular meetings are an important sounding board for us, allowing us to consider diverse a range of perspectives and to discuss contentious issues. Which can sometimes be a bit controversial – but it's always extremely helpful and appropriate.

By the way, we also conducted surveys of the target group and guided question-based interviews beforehand in order to design the offering to fit precisely. After all, it's the employees of the companies that we want to inspire with our offer. 

Can other interested companies and businesses become part of the project? Where can you register?

We are currently in the pilot phase of the project. In specific terms, this means that we will be implementing our first blended learning course between May and June. We hope to gain many helpful insights from this first run: What works well, where does a method still require further adaptation? Which text is too long or incomprehensible? Where do we need more background information for contextualization? Based on a detailed evaluation, we want to find answers to these and other questions and develop the content accordingly. We are planning further runs in the second half of the year and we look forward to receiving inquiries from interested businesses! Companies can benefit from the project on several levels: The spread of conspiracy myths and the blanket devaluation of those who think differently have a negative impact on the working atmosphere, collegial interaction and the motivation of individuals. A sharpened eye for antisemitic attitudes and actions, the ability to act and speak out, on the other hand, are basic prerequisites for a respectful and appreciative working environment and successful corporate communication – both internally and externally. The commitment to work against antisemitism also sends a strong signal for the perception of social responsibility and for respect for human rights.

It is very simple to register using the contact details on our project page. Incidentally, the offer is free of charge for participating companies. The employees' working hours alone have an impact. But that's time well spent!