The Swedish Committee Against Antisemitism (SCAA) works to prevent and counter antisemitism and other forms of racism through information and education.
The organisation is independent of all political and religious groups. With the exception of one-off grants for educational initiatives, SCAA receives no continuous government support: our operations are financed almost exclusively through the generosity of our donors and supporters.
Information and Advocacy
SCAA continuously monitors public debate and the media in order to report on and challenge antisemitic and racist commentary. Our homepage, Facebook page, Twitter account and newsletter are key sources of information on contemporary antisemitism and we are often the first port of call for journalists covering related topics.
SCAA also works through education and advocacy, providing information, expert lecturers, and teaching resources for use by teachers, students, the media, political organisations, and other interested parties.
Training
Since the early 1990s, SCAA has organised regular training courses on antisemitism and other forms of racism, as well as on Nazism and the Holocaust. These courses draw together a number of Sweden’s leading researchers, experts and educators in the field.
SCAA also organises study trips to Poland, Ukraine, and the Baltic countries for teachers, pupils, and other groups with the aim of deepening their knowledge about the Holocaust.
To date, thousands of teachers, youth leaders, politicians, journalists, and students have participated in SCAA’s extensive and nationwide training courses and seminars.
Memorial services
Each year, SCAA organizes memorial services to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January (the anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation) as well as the November Pogroms in Nazi Germany (Kristallnacht) that occurred on 9 November 1938.
Publications
SKMA produces and distributes publications and books on antisemitism, racism, Nazism, and the Holocaust.
ELSA prize
The prestigious ELSA Prize is an annual award that was instituted by SCAA to highlight the efforts of young people who, via social media or other forms of activism, have campaigned against antisemitism and other forms of prejudice. The ELSA Prize consists of a diploma and the sum of 20 000 SEK and is awarded in conjunction with the annual memorial service commemorating the November Pogroms.
Newsletter
SCAA’s newsletter is published quarterly and contains information about SCAA’s activities as well as articles covering public debate in Swedish and internationally, research, education and policy on issues relating to antisemitism, racism, and the Holocaust.
Partnerships
SCAA works continuously with the governmental Living History Forum as well as the democratic anti-racist Expo Foundation. SCAA also works in collaboration with leading national and international educational and research centers, such as:
- Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, Israel
- The Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, Netherlands
- The ODIHR / OSCE in Warsaw, Poland
- The Center for Humanistic Education at the Ghetto Fighters’ Kibbutz, Israel
- The Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies in Kiev, Ukraine
- The Zachor Foundation in Budapest, Hungary
- The Hugo Valentin Centre at Uppsala University, Sweden
- The Department for Teacher Education at Karlstad University, Sweden
- The City of Malmö, Sweden
Our history
The Swedish Committee Against Antisemitism (SCAA) was formed in 1983 in the wake of the surge of antisemitism that occurred in the early 1980s.
During the late 1980s, SCAA disclosed anti-Jewish propaganda spread by the community radio station Radio Islam. SCAA’s report to Sweden’s Attorney General resulted in charges being brought against Radio Islam’s controller who was later convicted of several counts of inciting race hate. Since 1996, Radio Islam has been spreading hatred of Jews through the internet with almost the same antisemitic message as before, something that SCAA as many times drawn attention to.
In the 1990s, Sweden experienced a stark antisemitic surge in connection with the increase in extremist far-right activity. Through advocacy, training and reports, SCAA highlighted the proliferation of Holocaust-denial propaganda and the dissemination of racist white power music.
SCAA played an important role in the implementation of the Government’s Living History information campaign (1997-2003), and today continues to works closely with the governmental Living History Forum.
In recent years, antisemitism has become more visible both in Europe and globally; a development that has also left its mark on Sweden. Through its articles, newsletters and training seminars, SCAA continues to highlight and combat anti-Jewish hate crimes and anti-Semitic propaganda.