The Lantos Foundation and the Tom Lantos Institute Take the Lead in Fighting Anti-Semitism

More than 50 Countries Represented at Conference by Ambassadors and Political Leaders

Budapest, Hungary—More than 550 people from around the world, including Ambassadors representing more than 50 countries gathered today at the opening of "Jewish Life and Anti-Semitism in Contemporary Europe," a conference to address the alarming resurgence of anti-Semitism.

Representatives from Greece, Austria, Georgia, and Germany were among the participants. Israeli Minister of Finance Yair Lapid, and Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Tibor Navracsics opened the two day conference in Budapest, Hungary.

“We are encouraged that many world leaders and policy makers have joined us today to discuss the important issue of anti-Semitism. We hope it will be the beginning of a greater dialogue aimed at solving this problem. Anti-Semitism is everyone’s issue, and we must come together to find a solution.” said Dr. Anna-Mária Bíró, Director of the Tom Lantos Institute.

“The conference today was not intended to be a stand-alone event. Our aim is to be the preeminent organization fighting anti-Semitism in Europe, and this conference is just part of a broader strategy for addressing the issues of anti-Semitism,” continued Dr. Bíró.

Katrina Lantos Swett, daughter of Congressman Tom Lantos, President of the Lantos Foundation, and Co-chair of the Executive Committee of the Tom Lantos Institute announced a Solidarity Sabbath scheduled for the Spring of 2014, which will bring world leaders together to stand in solidarity against anti-Semitism in their countries. “My father, Tom Lantos, a proud Hungarian- American once said “The veneer of civilization is paper thin. We are its guardians, and we can never rest” This important conference exemplifies the vigilance my father was speaking about and I know he would be proud to see the Institute that bears his name, taking the lead on these vital issues.

The Tom Lantos Institute

The Tom Lantos Institute is an independent human and minority rights organization with a particular focus on Jewish and Roma communities and other transnational minorities. This conference is part of the Institute’s work focusing on Jewish communities. The Institute was named after Tom Lantos, the Hungarian-born American political leader, and the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the United States Congress.  Throughout his political career Congressman Lantos was a global leader in the struggle to advance human rights.  He was the Co-Founder of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, and the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Jewish Life and Anti-Semitism in Contemporary Europe

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Israeli Minister of Finance Yair Lapid inaugurate an international conference organized by the Tom Lantos Institute in Budapest

The high-profile event is sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary, the American Lantos Foundation and the Appeal of Conscience Foundation. The conference will examine resurgent anti-Semitism in Europe; its causes and means of combating it.  It will also focus on the more encouraging story of the revival of Jewish life in Europe.

A number of prominent figures of the international political scene, distinguished experts on the topic, academics and representatives of the non-profit sector will participate in the conference. Hungary and the State of Israel will be represented at the opening ceremony, which will include speeches by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán; Israeli Minister of Finance Yair Lapid; Foreign Minister János Martonyi; Annette Lantos, widow of the late Hungarian- American Congressman, Tom Lantos; and Anna-Mária Bíró, Director of the Tom Lantos Institute.

The event will also be attended by Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zsolt Németh, Israeli Ambassador to Hungary Ilan Mor, and Cardinal Péter Erdő, who is also a trustee of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation. Chairman of International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Mario Silva will also be present, together with Sir Andrew Burns, United Kingdom Envoy for Post-Holocaust issues.

After the opening ceremony, the conference will continue with panels addressing the gathering’s two main topics. International experts will hold thematic presentations on the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe, as well as on other key issues affecting Jewish communities. The panels will examine ways of combating anti-Semitism and discuss topics such as Jewish identity, advocacy, education and culture.

“Clearly this event is one that has significant relevance from a political perspective. However, as an international research, education and human rights organization, the primary objective of the Tom Lantos Institute is to approach these challenging topics in a manner that brings all the tools of social science and honest academic inquiry to these difficult discussions.   We wish to provide a platform where top experts in the field, academics, NGOs and decision-makers can meaningfully discuss the key issues affecting Jewish communities in Europe. We believe this approach can help illuminate and inform the choices that political leaders must make. To that end, following the conference, concrete recommendations will be presented to decision-makers with the involvement of participating international experts,” Dr. Anna-Mária Bíró, Director of the Tom Lantos Institute emphasized. “While the protection of fundamental human rights, is partly, though not exclusively, the task of political leaders, these essential rights must never be politicized. These basic rights speak to our deepest values and principles, and the Tom Lantos Institute believes that the shared defense of human rights should be a unifying force in society” the director added.

The Tom Lantos Institute

The Tom Lantos Institute is an independent human and minority rights organization with a particular focus on Jewish and Roma communities and other transnational minorities. The conference is part of the Institute’s work focusing on Jewish communities. The Institute was named after Tom Lantos, the Hungarian-born American political leader, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the United States Congress.  Throughout his political career Congressman Lantos was a global leader in the struggle to advance human rights.  He was the Co-Founder of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus and the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

HER MAJESTY QUEEN SOFÍA OF SPAIN ACCEPTS INTERNATIONAL DISABILITY RIGHTS AWARD

NEW YORK – September 9, 2013 – “If you don’t like something, change it. If something bothers you, confront it.”  These powerful words from a Spanish public service announcement represent the efforts the Kingdom of Spain has made toward improving the human rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities in their country. The public service announcement was shown as part of today’s award ceremony honoring Spain’s efforts.

At the ceremony Her Majesty Queen Sofía of Spain accepted the Franklin D. Roosevelt International Disability Rights Award on behalf of the Kingdom of Spain.  David B. Roosevelt, grandson of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, presented the award to Her Majesty.  Also in attendance were Ivan Šimonović,UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Annette Lantos, wife of the late Congressman Tom Lantos, and other dignitaries.

Sponsored by the Lantos Foundation and the Roosevelt Institute, the award recognizes the significant progress Spain has made in advancing the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities in all societal areas.  

Susan B. Parker, Senior Advisor & Lead Judge for the award said, “Spain has taken the time to establish broad reaching legislation and implement that same legislation at the national level, at the regional level, and at the local level…They don’t just talk about it; they do it.”

The award is presented to a nation for noteworthy progress in upholding the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) to encourage effective, long-term, positive progress by nation states toward inclusion, equal rights, and quality of life for their citizens with disabilities

The award consists of a bronze bust of Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd president of the United States, who contracted polio at the age of 39, and although a paraplegic, unable to walk or stand again unassisted, was four times elected by the American people. Additionally, a $50,000 cash award is given to a non-governmental organization working on behalf of persons with disabilities within the winning nation. 

The Spanish Committee of Representatives of Persons with Disabilities (CERMI) received this year’s cash award.  CERMI’s mission is to guarantee equal opportunities for women, men, and children with disabilities and to protect their human rights, ensuring they are fully included in society.

For more information about the award please visit our website.

Statement on President Obama Questioning President Putin on the Fate of Holocaust Hero, Raoul Wallenberg

The Wallenberg Family’s announcement that President Obama has agreed to raise the question of Raoul Wallenberg’s fate with Russian President Putin is welcome news to the Lantos Family and to the untold thousands who were rescued due to his heroism during World War II. Without Wallenberg’s extraordinary efforts, neither of my parents would have survived the Holocaust. They both dedicated their lives to seeking his freedom from the Russian gulag and, subsequently, to honoring Raoul’s memory and emulating his commitment to human rights. In fact, my mother, Mrs. Annette Lantos first brought up Wallenberg’s fate with another American President, Jimmy Carter, during a public radio call-in show in the 1970s. My father’s first act as a newly elected member of Congress was to introduce legislation which made Raoul Wallenberg an honorary American citizen - only the second individual so honored in our nation’s history. Today the Lantos Foundation continues their commitment to this remarkable humanitarian and diplomat by working to preserve Raoul Wallenberg’s memory and his rightful place in history as one of the greatest heroes of the Holocaust.

We are gratified by this news that the US government is going to reengage on Wallenberg’s fate after he disappeared in the Russian Gulag in 1945. The Wallenberg family richly deserves the answers they have been waiting nearly 70 years to hear.

Queen Sofía of Spain to Receive International Disability Rights Award at United Nations

WHAT: The Kingdom of Spain will be honored at the United Nations as the 2013 recipient of the Franklin D. Roosevelt International Disability Rights Award.  The award encourages United Nations member states to work toward full and equal participation of persons with disabilities in all societal areas in keeping with United Nations Standards set forth in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

The award is sponsored by the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice and the Roosevelt Institute.

The Spanish Committee of Representatives of Persons with Disabilities (CERMI) has been chosen as the recipient of a $50,000 cash grant.

WHO: Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain will accept the award presented by David B. Roosevelt, in the presence of Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights Ivan Šimonović and other dignitaries.

WHEN: Monday, Sept. 9, 2013, 10:45 am to 12:00 noon

WHERE: Trusteeship Council Chamber, United Nations, New York, NY (47th Street and 1st Avenue entrance)

CONTACT: Denise Perron, Lantos Foundation, (603) 226-3636, (603) 290-1067, or deniseperron@lantosfoundation.org     

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  www. fdr-disability-rights-award.org

Note: Media who do not already have United Nations credentials should contact the Spanish Mission at pressoffice@spainun.org, no later than 12pm on Friday September 6th with their full name, ID, date of birth, affiliation and position (photo journalist, writer, video operator, etc.). Media who are credentialed should also contact pressoffice@spainun.org to indicate they will be attending.

An Update From Our 2012 Lantos Prize Recipient - Chen Guangcheng

2012 Lantos Human Rights Prize recipient & human rights activist, Chen Guangcheng, asked that the following information be shared with Lantos Foundation supporters:

Last Sunday, Chen Guangcheng heard from his older brother, Chen Guangfu, who lives in China, reporting that there were police surrounding their village. For four days, at every entrance to the village, a police car and 4 uniformed police as well as plain-clothed men were stationed 24 hours a day, watching and following whoever entered or left the village. As far as we know, as of this posting no one has been questioned or prevented from moving about, but there is concern about what this means and where it will lead.

The Chinese government continues to use intimidation tactics against anyone they perceive as a threat to their oppressive political control over the Chinese people and Chen’s family remains a particular target of the government. As we receive more information we will pass it along.

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City announced this week the creation of the 2009 Rep. Tom Lantos International Studies Scholarship

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City announced this week the creation of the 2009 Representative Tom Lantos International Studies Scholarship. The $10,000 scholarship, which will be administered through FIT's Department of International Trade and Marketing, is being funded by Computer Generated Solutions, Inc. (CGS). Phil Friedman, President & CEO of CGS, was a close personal friend of Congressman Lantos and has decided to give an annual scholarship honoring him and promoting his humanitarian values and global views among future generations. Paul Magel, Senior Vice President of CGS, who also serves in the ITM Advisory Board, invited ITM to establish this scholarship.

The scholarship will be awarded to a full-time ITM student with a strong academic record and excellent written and oral skills, as well as a desire to participate in global issues during their career. The recipient is expected to speak at CGS' annual conference in Las Vegas on Monday, 27 October, 2008 with travel expenses paid by the company. In addition, the recipient will be eligible for a summer internship with the company with possible permanent career opportunities there. 

Interested students can learn more here