Testimony in Context

The article explores how video-testimony can be effectively harnessed for education in various contexts: classroom, and public remembrance spaces including museums, in a localized manner to develop empathy, critical thinking, and civic engagement in students and the methodological culture of educators. The article focuses on the testimonies of the USC Shoah Foundation and the possibilities testimony-based materials offer for education in general and Holocaust education in particular, based on educational evaluation research results and decades of practice. Localization and student-engagement are approached through Hungarian case studies via the work of local educational NGO Zachor Foundation. The article argues for the importance of local contexts and localized educational materials and underscores the power of video testimonies as multimedia sources in delving into and dissecting historical, social, and psychological processes, revealing their intricate nuances and how they can be used by to educate youth toward a more informed and compassionate global citizenry.