Against Forgetting - For peace and solidarity in Europe
Against Forgetting sets the focus on the social and political developments that led to the Holocaust, genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. With this international project led by partners from civil society and history education from all over Europe, we aim to enable young people to draw parallels between events of the past and current trends, and to better recognise the mechanisms of racism, antisemitism and discrimination today.
Through different events such as our peace congress in Berlin, several youth exchanges in European countries and photo exhibitions the project recalls the common values of the European Union by dealing with human rights violations in the past until today. Against Forgetting aims to empower more young Europeans to take an active role in preserving European values and protecting democracy.
Aims of the project
The aim of the project Against Forgetting is to enable young Europeans aged 15 – 30 to take a critical look at the impact of war crimes on European societies throughout the 20th century and beyond. Against Forgetting wants to raise awareness among young people of the tangible effects of hatred, intolerance and dehumanisation on individuals by focusing on specific life stories of victims, witnesses, but also perpetrators of 20th century war crimes in Europe. To protect and preserve the common European values, young people must be given the opportunity to deal with the past in a multifaceted way, so that they can learn from it and realise how worthy of protection our common values are.
Events of the project
Over a period of 18 months, Against Forgetting will involve a series of transnational events.
The peace congress from May 9-11 2025 in Berlin on the weekend after the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, will focus on Holocaust and war crimes of the 20th century, their mechanisms and effects.
Between June and September 2025, six international youth events will take place in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo), France (Aix-en-Provence), Germany (Nuremberg), Hungary (Budapest), Poland (Krakow, Wroclaw) and Slovenia (Maribor and Celja). Participants will focus on specific war crimes and crimes against humanity related to these places. During the exchanges, the young people will produce podcasts and create a photo exhibition about war crimes in Europe. The historic mediation through the eyes of young Europeans and the reflection of their experiences through podcasts will allow young people to share their thoughts and perspectives with a wide audience. In 2026, the exhibition, accompanied by youth activities, will be shown in all the partner countries and in the Netherlands.
Alumni network of the project
At the closing event in Ysselsteyn, the Netherlands, in autumn 2026, Against Forgetting wants to form an alumni network to ensure a long-lasting impact of the project. The Youth Ambassadors Against Forgetting wants to activate young people in a network and to enable them to share their knowledge from the project and to raise awareness of the impact of hatred, intolerance and disinformation among youths all over Europe.
Youth Exchanges for participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina
Against forgetting - Remembering Srebrenica (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
28.06.2025 – 07.07.2025
2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre. This international youth exchange in Sarajevo will shed light on the Srebrenica genocide and the historical and cultural context of the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Young people from Bosnia-Herzegovina, France, Germany and Slovenia, will analyse important historical events in workshops, visits and discussions. We will trace the development from the assassination of the Habsburg heir to the throne Franz Ferdinand, which led to the First World War, to the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s. The programme includes a visit to the Srebrenica memorial site, interactive workshops on the topic of remembrance and the joint design of a memorial monument.
This programme offers a unique opportunity to engage in reconciliation, collective memory and peace-building while reflecting with international peers on the role of the past in shaping a peaceful future.
The programme is funded by the CERV programme (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values) of the European Commission and the French-German Youth Office.
Against forgetting - Faces of resistance from WWII in Slovenia (Slovenia)
18.07.2025 – 26.07.2025
Slovenia is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe: crystal clear streams run down mountain slopes of the Julic alps; the country’s numerous river valleys slowly transform from snow-covered mountaineous terrain over gentle, orchard-covered hills to the mediterranean sea. This pittoresque landscape hides a dark history, however, since Slovenia was a battle ground in both World Wars.
This project focuses on the history of resistance against occupation in World War II, where the country was occupied and divided between fascist Germany, Italy, Croatia and Hungary.
Our project blends these two sides of Slovenia – the beautiful landscape as well as its tragic history. In an international group of 25 young people, we will hike through the path of remembrance, visit ‘Stari Pisker’, a former Gestapo prison and torture site in Celje, as well as mass graves in Kocevje, and the Museum of National Liberation in Maribor. In memorial sites, museums, workshops and discussion rounds, we will explore this history in depth and discuss it from different perspectives. We will develop a part of an international exhibition about war crimes and will create a podcast together.
This project is organized by our partner, the national youth council of Slovenia.
The project is partially funded by EU‘s CERV programme (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values).
Against forgetting - The Heritage of the Nuremberg Trials (Germany)
25.08.2025 – 03.09.2025
A war is over – and what happens then? Under the title ‘Against forgetting’, this international youth exchange programme looks at the Nuremberg Trials and their significance for the prosecution of war crimes to this day.
80 years ago, in November 1945, the war crimes tribunal began in Nuremberg. Leading National Socialists had to answer for their actions under Nazi rule – for the systematic persecution and extermination of Jews and other minorities, for unleashing a war of aggression and for other crimes against humanity. The trials revealed the extent and cruelty of the National Socialist reign of terror. For the first time, a community of states, the Allies at the time, took the leading war criminals of the defeated state to court. The Nuremberg Trials are thus regarded as the beginning of international criminal law and as a precursor to the International Criminal Court.
During our project, we will learn more about the historical background of the trials and their influence on international criminal justice. We will look at the convicted war criminals and their behaviour during the trials. Based on this, we will look at what leads to war crimes and crimes against humanity, how they are prosecuted and punished today, and what threatens international criminal law today.
We will visit the historic courtroom 600, local places of remembrance and the documentation centre of the Nazi party rally grounds. During our project, we will also produce a contribution to an international exhibition on war crimes and a podcast. The working language is English.
The project is partially funded by EU‘s CERV programme (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values).
Against forgetting - Camp des Milles (France)
31.08.2025 – 09.09.2025
In the south of France, we will meet up with participants from France, Bosnia and Slovenia and will focus on the topic of “War Crimes and Remembrance”. A visit to the “Camp des Milles” memorial site – a former internment camp – is central to the programme.
Many people who were considered “enemy subjects” by the French troops were imprisoned in this brickworks between Aix and Marseille. Many of them were Jews, European intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winners, politicians, journalists and artists who had already fled the German Reich in 1933. Their experiences of imprisonment and deprivation gave rise to a strong movement that used art to fight against the programmatic dehumanisation.
We are creating a travelling exhibition with photographs inspired by the stories and experiences of Holocaust victims. We are also creating a podcast in which we document our own memories and experiences. The working language is English, but through language animations we experience interactions in French, German, Bosnian and Slovenian.
Our focus is on peer learning, where young people from different backgrounds are encouraged to share their perspectives, participate in discussions and learn from others’ interpretations of history. By visiting local historical sites together and learning about personal stories, we develop our critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of history commemoration and responsibility.
The programme is funded by the CERV programme (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values) of the European Commission and the French-German Youth Office.
Against forgetting - The Ukrainian & Lemko experience of deportations in postwar Poland (Poland)
04.09.2025 – 14.09.2025
The Second World War is arguably the most impactful and traumatic event in modern European history, especially for South-Eastern Poland. What has once been a multicultural, intricate mosaic of culture and ethnicity would be thoroughly destroyed by policies of ethnic cleansing, most importantly the Holocaust.
We are tracing this history as well as the difficult attempts at preserving memory of the past with the example of Lemko and Ukrainian communities, both of which endured significant political repression in postwar Poland. This exchange program invites you to immerse yourself in the songs of Ukrainian and Lemko communities. As part of the program, we will journey through the Nadsanie and Lemkowyna regions, exploring the history of postwar deportations and connecting with individuals and organizations dedicated to preserving the multicultural heritage of southeastern Poland.
This exchange program invites you to immerse yourself in the songs of Ukrainian and Lemko communities. Don’t worry if you’re unsure about your singing skills! Traditional singing is about coming together as a community and sharing cultural heritage. If singing isn’t your focus, you can join a team responsible for creating a podcast that will document the stories of the people and initiatives we encounter.
The project is partially funded by EU‘s CERV programme (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values).
Partners and Sponsors
