The RAA North Rhine-Westphalia organizes advanced training courses for teachers and students in order to fight anti-Semitism and Islamophobia at the same time.  This special focus is due to the Middle East conflict, which plays a significant role for many of the participants, especially in schools with a high percentage of Muslim students.  Moreover, the project develops strategies to counter all other facets of bigotry and hatred as well.


The project of the RAA in North Rhine-Westphalia is set up to promote and implement democracy in everyday life.  In the space of twelve months the aim is to develop the “Audit for Recognition”, a method to help assess the various forms of bigotry and hatred.  Moreover, it helps the participants to develop systematic processes to focus on the strengthening of a culture of mutual recognition and living equality of all people.  The project will be realized with the help of partners from various municipalities; these partners have different professional, social, economical and educational backgrounds.  The “Audit for Recognition” consists of a questionnaire based on different criteria and is used to identify deficient areas and to improve equal job opportunities.  In order to achieve this aim, members of the municipalities are being connected to act jointly and make a difference by improving the local conditions.  At the same time young people are given the chance to get involved in trend-setting decision processes.

The focus of the project lies on promoting democracy in schools by offering further education about anti-Semitism and Islamophobia to “equality trainers” and students.  Extreme acts of violence, terrorism and religious fanaticism - as for example the Middle East conflict - can also affect everyday life in schools.  In order to successfully establish a climate of equality and democracy in schools, it is vitally important for students and teachers to actively engage in conflicts and to be able to defuse these conflicts.  This especially applies to multicultural communities with children from different religious or ethnic backgrounds.

The project “Islamophobia and anti-Semitism – bigotry and hatred in schools” deals with these conflicts, showing the similarities between two phenomena which up to now have been treated separately.  In order to avert potential conflicts as early as possible, there will be an “Audit for Recognition” taking place at the National Pupils Conference in Münster, with roughly 100 mediators (students, teachers and educators) participating.

The “Audit for Recognition” consists of four steps:

1. evaluating the situation at present;
2. identifying equality deficits and defining the common aims;
3. developing and implementing measures to reach these aims;
4. assessing the new situation after the improvements have been made.


Antonia Oettingen

You want to make a change by supporting young and committed initiatives to stand against racism and neo-Nazism? Why not make a donation to the Amadeu Antonio Foundation?