“Without courage, all other virtues are useless.”
Edward Abbey

Helpers and rescuers in National Socialism appear in a wide variety of forms and with highly differing motives; they come from all social milieus, have the widest variety of political and religious views, are women or men, act alone, in twos or as part of larger networks. The only obvious thing they have in common is that they see opportunities to take action where others see none. One central task for civic education and pedagogy is to highlight these opportunities to take action, to sensitise perceptions and thereby to promote moral courage in the present day, too.

The practice forum, “Learning Moral Courage” will be taking place after the close of the 3rd International Conference on Holocaust research, “Helpers, Rescuers and Networkers of Resistance” (27/28 January 2011 in Berlin) on 29 January. Both German and European case studies in civic education will be presented here. The aim of the practice forum will be to render visible the significance of pro-social behaviour in the present day, to highlight opportunities to take action and to promote awareness of these. Examples will be provided to show how moral courage can be promoted and expressed today. Different spheres of activity on the topic of moral courage will be discussed at the practice forum in the context of civic education’s tasks.

Call for contestants

The Federal Agency for Civic Education (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung/bpb), the Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities, Essen (Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut Essen) and the German Resistance Memorial Center (Gedenkstätte Deutscher Widerstand) are calling for outstanding educational projects to take part in a Europe-wide contest; these projects will be dealing in pedagogical practice either with the topics “Helpers, Rescuers and Resistance in National Socialism” or with the learning of “Moral Courage Today.” The deadline for sending in entries is 20 December 2010; the winning contributions will be presented on 29 January 2011 at dbb forum berlin, Friedrichstraße 169/170 in Berlin as part of the practice forum, “Learning Moral Courage”.

Wanted

Projects that are as innovative as possible (exhibitions, film productions, teaching materials, brochures, trainings etc.) that either promote moral courage in the present day and/or those that are able to produce a link to helpers and rescuers during National Socialism. These can be all curricular and extra-curricular youth and adult education measures that comprise methods from different fields such as, for example, memorial site pedagogy, film school studies, cultural education and similar. Wanted in particular are projects that build a connection between dealing with the Holocaust and developing moral courage today.

The winners

The most outstanding projects will be invited to introduce themselves to a wide expert audience at one of the topical workshops or to put up posters about themselves. Project managers’ travel and accommodation costs will be assumed for the nominated projects.

Terms and conditions of participation

Institutes, educational establishments, organisations, initiatives, memorial sites and private individuals from Europe that have conducted corresponding projects or compiled material are invited to participate. Projects that are at the development stage or are not yet completed can apply, too.

Application via the enclosed questionnaire only. Supplementary material, such as documents or information brochures etc., is requested. The project description must make clear the methodical, didactic and/or artistic elements that distinguish the outstanding nature and educational value of the project or approach while teaching moral courage in pedagogical practice.

The deadline for submissions is 20 December 2010.

Please send the completed questionnaire by fax, mail or e-mail to the organising agency:

Call for paper and questionnaire (Word version)

Call for paper and questionnaire (pdf version)

Registration for the conference and/or the practice forum