Laureats of Ralph Goldman Award take part in leaders forum in Brussels

The German Marshal Fund recently convened the fourth Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders (TILN) workshop in Brussels. For the first time participants representing World Jewish Congress joined TILN. Philip Rosenberg from the UK and Igor Ujhazi from Serbia were among the 22 young leaders joining the workshop. The two were the first winners of the Ralph Goldman Award, a joint program of the German Marshal Fund and the World Jewish Congress.

The Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network is a growing body of young diverse elected and civil society leaders from across Europe and the United States.

On the eve of the International Day Against Racism, the young leaders met together with high-level decision makers in a focus group to lay the groundwork for an informal, ongoing transatlantic minority political leaders' caucus.  

Philip Rosenberg, who serves as public affairs director at the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: "Sadly, all the people in the room had experienced prejudice, hate - and some even violence - because of who they were. But this led to a powerful, common sense of resolve to tackle racism and hate in all their forms.

"The Jewish experience of anti-Semitism was a matter for immense empathy, and I found the expressions of solidarity and support from Muslim participants especially hopeful. A number of them had already been involved in initiatives to support their local Jewish communities over the summer - from peace rings around synagogues in Norway to joint social action in the USA - and were all keen to continue the conversation in to the future about what more they could do.
 
"For my part, I was keen to explore ways that our community could help to confront Islamophobia, homophobia, Romaphobia and other forms of prejudice. We came up with a series of ideas which I hope to put in to practice over the coming months and years, including sharing best-practice with Muslim communities on fighting xenophobia; coordinating action on protecting religious freedoms like kosher and Halal slaughter; and connecting with Roma leaders to gain concrete examples of prejudice they are facing to raise when the Board of Deputies meets with different embassies on Jewish issues," said Rosenberg, who is an elected councilor in the London Borough of Camden.

"It is important to note that the members of the Muslim community on both sides of the Atlantic, the Roma community, LGBTQI community, participants of different nationalities and race with whom we had spent the whole program, in practical terms, have faced with the similar problems as the Jews worldwide. Inability to exercise civil liberties and fundamental human rights are generally present in the majority of intolerant environments.

"It is on us to try to minimize the effects of societies that without rational reasoning in the 21st century do not have the strength to recognize their citizens human dignity and the need for egalitarianism and equal opportunities for all," Igor Ujhazi, who is chairmain of the Serbian All Together civil movement and a Jewish political activist in the Balkans, concluded.