HOLOCAUST EDUCATION: ITALY PASSES ITC GAVEL TO

UNCLAS ROME 001018 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/OHI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PO IT SUBJECT: HOLOCAUST EDUCATION: ITALY PASSES ITC GAVEL TO POLAND ¶1. On March 15, Italy formally passed the chairmanship of the International Task Force for Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research (ITF) to Poland. Attendees at the ceremony included the Polish Ambassador, representatives of the Italian Jewish communities in Rome and Milan, and academics specializing in the Shoah. Italian Chair Ambassador Franchetti Pardo outlined Italy's major accomplishments this past year, which included expanding ITF membership to twenty countries, funding 30 education projects, and expanding distribution of holocaust education materials to schools in Europe. Following the ceremony, the MFA released a statement at a press conference announcing the handover. At a March 17 lunch hosted by the Ambassador for visiting members of the American Jewish Committee, Pardo told the group that he was very proud of Italy's accomplishments and was confident in Poland's ability to carry on ITF activities. ¶2. During the ceremony, the new chairperson of the ITF for Poland, Professor Daria Nalecz said she looked forward to the challenge of chairing ITF during a year with so many World War II anniversaries. She noted that Poland itself had lost three of the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust and said the six were part of ten million people overall killed by the Nazis. She planned to continue Italy's work, especially in supporting education projects for children, and outlined plans for ITF meetings June 27-30 and November 14-17 as well as an international conference at some point next year. ¶3. Karel Fracapane, who has been coordinating ITF activities, confirmed that he has now moved to Warsaw and will continue working with Dr. Nalecz. He has been an excellent Embassy contact and post recommends that Embassy Warsaw contact him to continue efforts to monitor ITF activities. SEMBLER NNNN 2005ROME01018 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED