Most of us see hatred as having the face of an adult, or perhaps a teen-ager. ADL looks further ­ back to the child who learned all the

Much of our work takes place behind the scenes and away from the media spotlight, through long-range programs, in partnership with government officials, community leaders, schools, businesses and other agencies.

wrong lessons, or was never taught the right ones.

For prejudice is learned, and it can be unlearned. The more a child experiences the fundamental values of understanding, respect for human dignity and diversity, the less likely he or she is to become a bigoted adult. This is the vision behind ADL's educational programs, which range from local school initiatives to national and international group projects. The object: to bring diverse groups of young people together in a spirit of community. The concept: while continuing to fight the symptoms of hatred, we also work to get at the core of the problem and vaccinate against the disease.

But the League looks beyond the schoolhouse ­ and childhood ­ in our educational work. ADL's Education Division sees education as a lifetime project, one that need not stop at the classroom door. Our anti-bias training programs reach onto the campus, into the halls of business, into the streets of towns and cities throughout America and abroad. And throughout 1998, ADL continued to work to bring them to an even wider audience. Working closely with schools of all academic grade levels, national, regional and local educational organizations, community groups and corporate entities, we strive to educate people to value diversity, to remember and learn from the Holocaust, and to eradicate anti-Semitism, racism and bigotry of all kinds.