Elie Wiesel Study Tour

We are currently living in times of war, insecurity, rising antisemitism and intolerance towards minorities at the height of a migration crisis such as the world has not seen since WWII. In order to avoid repeating the same errors of the past, young people need to understand parallel circumstances in history and how each one of us is responsible for contributing to the future, to establishing peace in the world, and for promoting human rights. The 4th edition of Elie Wiesel Study Tour, which is an awarded program at the Romanian Youth Gala (the cultural section), will provide students with the opportunity to understand the political, social and cultural forces which created and perpetuated the Holocaust; it will allow them to see the horrors of Auschwitz first hand; and aims to increase participant comprehension of non-democratic regimes. Throughout this process and through reflective exercises led by the program’s coordinators, students will gain a greater appreciation for democratic values, for the significance of open and responsible government, and for the merits of increasing diversity and open-mindedness in each of our communities.

During the Elie Wiesel Study Tour, students will receive advanced reading material on the Holocaust, they will visit Auschwitz and Birkenau, learning about the destruction of Jews and other groups targeted for elimination by the Nazi regime. Jewish Quarters in Krakow, Bardejov and Budapest will be visited in order to gain a deeper understanding of the Nazi repression and its social implications. Throughout each stage of this learning experience, students will be guided by specialists in these fields and will be engaged in activities to engender reflection on the past and how this can be applied to the future.

Due to the current situation in the world relating to the COVID-19 Pandemic, we have made changes to this year’s edition. We are happy to announce that we are actually going to provide a more in depth experience to this year’s participants. In 2020, the Elie Wiesel Study Tour will have two phases. In Phase 1, participants will take part in an Online Course created and curated by Alexis Herr, PhD, Professor in Genocide Studies at the University of San Francisco. Phase 1 will last three weeks (17 August – 04th of September) and will consist of online classes, webinars and study time once every few days. Phase 2 will consist of the physical Study Tour which will take place between 21st of January 2021 – 05th of February 2021. This year we are also expanding to another country, and the Romanian participants will be able to meet and connect with 5 participants from the Republic of Moldova and 5 participants from Hungary. We expect all participants to take part in all of the programmed activities, including the Online Phase and the Physical Study Tour, which are obligatory once participant status has been confirmed.

After the Study Tour, and under the supervision of the program director, all participants will be involved in initiating dissemination activities in their home communities. Activities will be various and will include public presentations, organized discussions with their peers and/or teachers, and the writing of articles for newspapers, school magazines, and university journals.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

• ROMANIA
The 4th edition of the Elie Wiesel Study Tour Explore the past. Shape the future! is addressed to university students, aged 18 to 26, from all across Romania, studying in all domains, enrolled in University (BA program, master or PhD), with knowledge about the Holocaust and a strong motivation to study more on this topic. They can be students either in Romania or at an international University. Eligible applications should also demonstrate a strong interest in better understanding critical days in our past in order to positively influence the days of tomorrow. There will be 20 participants from Romania.
• REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
Participants should be between 18-26 years old, from all across the Republic of Moldova. They must be a Moldovan citizen and must be a student at a University in Moldova or Romania only (BA Program, Master or PhD) at the time of application, in any domain of study. They must have knowledge about the Holocaust and a strong motivation to study more on this topic. Eligible applications should also demonstrate a strong interest in better understanding critical days in our past in order to positively influence the days of tomorrow. There will be 5 participants from the Republic of Moldova.
• HUNGARY
To be specified.

IMPORTANT:
All applicants must be at least 18 and maximum 26 years old on the first Study Tour day (August 17th; applicants are eligible if they turn 26 during the program but they are not eligible if they turn 18 later than August 17th).
All applicants must be enrolled as a student at University before the first day of the Online Phase (17th of August), and they cannot apply if they will not still be a student by the time the Physical Study Tour starts (27th of January 2021).
If you are an applicant who holds dual citizenship (for example, you are a citizen of both Romania and the Republic of Moldova), you must only send in your application once to the form of your choice. Applying to both forms will not increase your chances of getting selected, as only one of them will be taken into consideration.
Students interested in applying for the Study Tour must show a significant interest in the Holocaust, while demonstrating a willingness to organize dissemination activities for their colleagues and/or peers after the program is complete.
If you are eligible and wish to participate, fill in the application appropriate for your country (Romania, Republic of Moldova or Hungary) on the APPLY page. Selection will be made based on the quality and complexity of your answers, your interest in the program, your dissemination plans, level of English and knowledge towards the topic. Applications will be evaluated by a team of recruiters from the US Embassy in Bucharest, INSHR & American Councils.
The student group will be accompanied, throughout the tour, by a teacher with strong general background in history, especially on the Holocaust. The teachers will offer extra information to participants, create discussions with them and help them better understand the knowledge they gain during the study tour. Participants will also watch films and read books related to the themes, and these will be followed by reflective group discussions.

APPLICATION FOR THE 2020 EDITION IS CLOSED

Additional Information

Funding provided by the United States Government.

The project’s Romanian page can be found HERE

The project’s Hungarian page can be found HERE

Contact the Moldovan project staff at amarciuc@americancouncils.org