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| You are here: 2000 / Workshops, Panels and Seminars / Workshops on Education / Workshop 4 on Education, "Use and Misuse of the Internet" / Report from Workshop 4 on Education: "Use and misuse of the Internet" | |||||||||
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Participants Countries and organizations Conference documentation Conference programme 
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Report from Workshop 4 on Education: "Use and misuse of the Internet" Presentation by Mrs. Karen Jungblut Presentation by Asst. Director Mark Weitzman Presentation by Dr. Christopher Wolf Report from Workshop 4 on Education: "Use and misuse of the Internet" Report from Workshop 4 on Education Moderator: Mr. Wesley A. Fisher
Mr. Max Liljefors Presenters: Ms. Karen Jungblatt Ms. Regina G. Wyrwoll Mr. Mark Weitzman Mr. Ola Larsmo Mr. Christopher Wolf summary: Just as the Internet is a forceful tool for Holocaust education and for teaching tolerance, it also provides for the swift and broad dissemination of hate-propaganda to millions of people world wide. Accessing of information has never been easier and consequently, the risk of exposing millions of children and young people to hate-speech has never been greater. There is a need for early education at home and in school, and for teaching children about the good as well as the bad aspects of the Internet. Recognising the legal and technical difficulties, there is a need to find ways and means of attacking the misuse of the new technologies. Measures such as encouraging Internet Service Providers to introduce self-regulatory measures and codes of conduct and improved implementation of existing laws and regulations and better co-ordination and co-operation between law enforcement and Internet experts could go a long way to make it more difficult to misuse the Internet. presentations: Ms Karen Jungblatt, Director, SHOAH, Visual History Foundation Jungblatt gave a presentation of the project of digital cataloguing of testimonies from Holocaust victims and survivors. So far 150 000 hours, equivalent to some 15 years of testimonies, had been recorded, thereby giving survivors and victims the opportunities to tell their stories and also to give access to this body of information to students and researchers etc. The information could be distributed via CD-ROM , or via stand alone systems covering about 10 hours of testimonies. Another option would be the use of fibre optic cables. The Foundation is linked to various institutions. The catalogue documentation is however not available on the Internet due to the fact that there is no way of protecting and guaranteeing the safety and security of the individuals appearing in the documentation. There is, though, the Internet 2, a network made up by a number of universities. This project is the largest body of material of its kind, and provides a huge opportunity for scholars and researchers. Ms Regina G. Wyrwoll, Goethe Institute, Munich Wyrwoll gave a presentation of the formation of a database used for education on the Holocaust in schools in Germany. Based on the interaction between teachers and learners in some 50 projects, ”Leaning from history”, had been designed for and made available on CD-ROM. The Institute is currently building up a Web-site giving information on seminars, conferences, etc., to meet the needs of a forum for communications world wide. E-mail and chat-lines will also be created. An aspect raised in Wyrwoll’s presentation was the focusing on the past and the importance of connecting with future and contemporary problems. How and in what way can the new media be put to best use in educating young people about the evils of the past and the present. Internet provides such a mass of information but there is also a need for more research as how to use the new media and to evaluate its effects and impact on learners and students. A critical and analytical approach must be taught in order to increase the awareness of the good as well as the bad sides of the Internet. Mr Mark Weitzman, Assistant Director, Simon Wiesenthal Center Mr Weitzman gave an outline of the immense power of the Internet. 200 million people are ”on line”, including some 5 million children. In a few years the number of children might be 40 million. There is an enormous potential of use and misuse and the Internet is the single most powerful source of propaganda . It is inexpensive, it reaches out world wide, the user is protected. Children are the prime targets. The Internet can be used to penetrate schools and homes as no other means of communication and there is no quality control. ”It exists by itself”. Surveys show that students get ¾ of their information electronically. The number of hate-sites has increased dramatically, giving easy access to hate-pages linked to Holocaust denial and neo-nazi propaganda. To illustrate the concerns a CD-ROM entitled ”Digital Hate” was shown to the audience. Mr Ola Larsmo, Author and journalist In his presentation Larsmo challenged to some extent the notion of the Internet being an enormous place for hate-speech and hate propaganda beyond control and immune to any regulations. Surveys in Sweden had shown that the number of hate-sites were fewer than expected. Legislation, such as the Swedish law prohibiting incitement of hatred against certain groups of people, had made possible prosecution and sentencing. However, this piece of legislation could only be applied in Sweden and on sites ”domiciled” in Sweden. The effect of its application had in some cases led to the ”emigration” of web-sites to other countries. How could an international legal framework as well as international co-operation be established? Mr Christopher Wolf, Vice Chair, Anti-Defamation League Governing Board In his presentation on the legal aspects of the use and misuse of the Internet, Wolf emphasised that, despite the natural response to racist and Holocaust-denying Web Sites that ”there ought to be a law!” legislation that cannot be enforced must not be enacted. Combating on-line extremism presents enormous legal and technical difficulties. It was pointed out that legislation is just one of the tools to positively affect the Internet. Technology, education and guidance were other relevant tools. Education starting at home by parents teaching their children would go far to neutralise the effect of hate-speech. Wolf gave a presentation of the legal aspects prevailing in the US and in Germany where aggressive measures to address hate speech had been introduced. The EU-guidelines and action plan based on self-regulation and codes of conduct with the aim to address the misuse of Internet was highlighted and recommended as a valuable instrument that could be followed by others. The question of regulating the Internet Service Providers or the principal access points for the Internet was raised. 3. Recommendations In the discussions following the presentations, the following measures for action were recommended: ·Mandatory education on how the Internet can be used and misused; ·A critical and analytical approach to information provided on the Internet; ·Improved research as to the effectiveness of the Holocaust education; ·Improved co-ordination and co-operation between law enforcement authorities and Internet experts; ·Internet Service Providers should be encouraged to introduce guidelines and codes of conducts . >> Back to top |
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Introduction Opening Session: Messages and speeches Plenary Sessions: Messages and speeches Workshops, Panels and Seminars
Other Activities |
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| For information about this production and the Stockholm International Forum Conference Series please go to www.humanrights.gov.se or contact Information Rosenbad, SE-103 33 Stockholm, Sweden | |||||||||