News

On 23 March in Prague, Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Asta Skaisgirytė Liauškienė is representing Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis at the conference “Confronting Anti-Semitism in Public Discourse”.The conference is organized by Lithuania’s OSCE Chairmanship in cooperation with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Seimas (Parliament) Emanuelis Zingeris and Professor from Vytautas Magnus University Šarūnas Liekis are delivering speeches at the conference.

The main goal of the conference is to draw public attention to the manifestations of anti-Semitism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance in public, as well as to discuss means for the promotion of tolerance.

The conference, which takes place on 23-24 March, is attended by academicians, representatives from Jewish communities, media and public institutions from the OSCE participating States.

In Prague, the Vice-Minister is also to open an exhibition “The Jewish World of Yesterday, the Hope of Today: Pictures and Stories from the Centropa Interviews in Lithuania”.

The exhibition consists of fragmented memories and photos of the Lithuanian Jews who survived Holocaust and acquaints its viewers with the Jewish community life in interwar Lithuania, their traditions, leisure activities and education.

The conference and exhibition in Prague continue the cycle of events that are initiated by Lithuania and are dedicated to promote tolerance through education. The promotion of tolerance through education is among the priorities of Lithuania’s OSCE Chairmanship in the sphere of human dimension. In summer 2011, this exhibition will be displayed at the Tolerance Center in Vilnius.

Lithuania’s Seimas (Parliament) has declared 2011 as Year of Remembrance for the Victims of the Holocaust in Lithuania.