The official opening ceremony for the week-long display of the “No Discriminarás” (“Thou Shall Not Discriminate”) traveling art exhibit in Panama City, Panama, was held at the Panamá Viejo Museum on Tuesday night.
The event — co-organized by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), Anti-Defamation Commission of the B’nai B’rith Panama (CAD), and Israeli Embassy in Panama — drew a distinguished group of 70 guests, including government officials, diplomats, judges, and leaders of the local Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities.
Two deputy Panamanian government ministers, a representative of the Organization of American States (OAS), and the ambassadors to Panama of Mexico, Brazil, Belgium, Kosovo, Germany, Morocco, and Israel, as well as embassy officials from Guatemala, the United Kingdom, and Canada, were among those in attendance.
The “No Discriminarás” exhibit — created by Argentine artist Adrián Franco, known as “Pati,” and sponsored by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) — features a set of sketched vignettes portraying different manifestations of contemporary Jew-hatred, ranging from negative stereotyping of Jews to Holocaust denial, based on the the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism’s 11 examples.
We are excited to partner with @IsraelinPanama and @CadPanama to present “No Discriminarás” (“Thou Shall Not Discriminate”), a unique art exhibit using cartoon humor to highlight the importance of the fighting different manifestations of antisemitic hatred and discrimination. https://t.co/glgmF9DPDC
— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) August 9, 2023
It was previously displayed at the Metropolitan Cultural Center in the Ecuadorian capital of Quito in April.
“The objective of the exhibition is to raise public awareness about the importance of fighting against different expressions of hate and discrimination,” CAM Director of Hispanic Outreach Shay Salamon said. “At CAM, we seek to continue denouncing antisemitism, and educating and inspiring more people to build bridges in the midst of differences.”
At Tuesday’s ceremony, Salamon presented Deputy Panamanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Franco Sousa with a special recognition, initiated by CAM and signed by more than 100 other groups, thanking Panama for its recent adoption of the IHRA antisemitism definition.
“At a time of rising antisemitism worldwide, we hope more countries, both in Latin America and across the globe, will emulate this vital step you have taken to stand against bigotry and prejudice and promote social tolerance and harmony,” the letter said. “Panama has proven time and again its deep allyship and solidarity with the Jewish people.”
The “No Discriminarás” exhibit is open to the public at the Panamá Viejo Museum until next Tuesday, August 15, and more than 5,000 visitors are expected, including many Panamanian schoolchildren in tours coordinated by the museum and the Ministry of Education.
