Nov. 16, 2022
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Today, on this UNESCO International Day for Tolerance, the Anne Frank House is once again drawing attention to The Bookcase for Tolerance. This app tells the stories of Anne Frank and of four young adults who are confronted with antisemitism, racism, and discrimination.
Under the slogan #DontHateEducate, the Anne Frank House aims to counter intolerance and discrimination through personal stories.
In The Bookcase for Tolerance app, you can look around the rooms of Anne Frank and those of Dalit, Kuei, Majd and Mees in augmented reality. Dalit is frequently confronted with antisemitism. As a trans person, Mees is not always accepted for who he is. As a refugee in the Netherlands, Majd often faces prejudice. And Kuei is a black woman, who is discriminated against for the colour of her skin. She says: “Acceptance is key. No matter how much you try to deny it, in the end, everyone wants to feel accepted and welcomed.” In the app, the young adults welcome you to their world and tell you about their lives, struggles, and their views of the future.
‘Let me be myself’
Ronald Leopold, the Anne Frank House executive director, explains: “‘Let me be myself’, Anne Frank wrote in her diary on 11 April 1944. On that same day, she added: ‘One day this terrible war will be over. The time will come when we’ll be people again and not just Jews!’ The bookcase, which hides the entrance to the Secret Annex where Anne Frank spent over two years in hiding, reminds us of the damage that prejudice and discrimination can do. Many young people today are dealing with these same issues. The Bookcase for Tolerance tells their stories. We want to use the impact of their personal testimonies to challenge and counter intolerance and discrimination.”
Augmented reality
In the app, Anne Frank’s room can be seen in augmented reality for the first time. The stories and videos are all in English to make the app accessible to people worldwide. The Bookcase for Tolerance is available for iOS in the App Store and for Android in the Google Play Store.
Partners and prizes
The app and campaign were conceived and created by Innocean Berlin, Media Monks, Massive Music, HAGENS PR, Johan Kramer, Ted Alkemade, Yvette de Witt, and Sven Shrader, who all volunteered their services: Dalit, Kuei, Majd and Mees also cooperated selflessly.
Since the launch of The Bookcase for Tolerance one year ago, on 16 November 2021, the app has won 43 awards, including two Webby Awards, five D&AD Awards and a Cannes Lion.
