What constitutes conspiracy ideologies? How are conspiracy ideologies related to anti-Semitism? How do they spread in the lifeworld of young people and teachers? What can be done about it? Since January 2020, the Debunk project has been exploring these questions and developing prevention offers on anti-Semitism and conspiracy ideologies in Saxony. Together with adolescents, young adults and teachers as well as people in youth or social work, various methods are being developed and tested with which conspiracy-ideological anti-Semitism can be opposed.
Conspiracy ideologies portray complex social processes as part of a “Jewish world conspiracy” and offer authoritarian solutions directed against minorities and the basic values of a free and open society. They are particularly attractive to young people: disguised as social criticism, anti-Semitism and conspiracy ideologies become a supposed expression of rebellion against authority.
Using anti-Semitic codes and staging oneself as a “good resistance fighter” is attractive to young people in the discovery phase. Both disguise the underlying anti-Semitism. A “gentle” path to radicalization is paved. Debunk’s goal is to take away the appeal of conspiracy ideologies. The project creates concrete educational offerings in the form of multimedia products.
In project days, Debunk trains teenagers, young adults and teachers to recognize anti-Semitic, conspiracy ideological and other anti-democratic content and sensitizes them to its manipulative character. The project provides information on and offline about current developments and publications on the topic.
