Blog # 8: Funds for Global Holocaust Education Cut Off Over US Congress Fight With Palestine

The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) helps to develop Holocaust education curriculum and runs training seminars for teachers around the world to impart the lessons of the Shoah to school children. The USA has cut off all funding to UNESCO because of an old law that prohibits American funds for any UN entities that accepts Palestine as a member. UNESCO’s membership voted last fall to admit Palestine as a member of the organization. This vote triggered early 1990s-vintage legislation forcing the USA to immediately stop paying its UNESCO membership dues. The UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova states that the Holocaust education was affected by the cuts. She talks about how the cuts have impacted her daily organization work. $78 million dollars of owed funds to the organization and its current membership dues was held back by the USA which accounts for about 20% of UNESCO’s general funding. Bokova states that with these cuts it has hurt several UNESCO program areas such as literacy programs, girls education, projects that help develop access to freshwater and sanitation in poor communities, and even its flagship world heritage program. In response to the US cut-off, other donors have pledged an emergency fund of about $40 million to help cover some of the shortfall. International Atomic Energy Agency, World Health Organization, and World Food Program also received funding cut-off. The Obama administration seeks a waiver to this legislation that would allow the government to continue funding agencies if it were deemed in the national interest to do so.  But with this election season it’s unclear if congress is aware of legislation. This is a global issue because the UNESCO is being denied funds to help develop Holocaust education curriculum for children. It’s sad to see this agency being denied funds to help develop an education curriculum to better our children. Hopefully the Obama’s administrations will waiver this legislation, so that funds can be given to the UNESCO to help develop an education curriculum.

http://www.undispatch.com/funds-for-global-holocaust-education-cut-off-over-us-congress-fight-with-palestine