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Observatory onMemories EUROM

EuropeanObservatory onMemories

CONTACT

UB Solidarity Foundation

Melcior de Palau 140, 08014

Barcelona, SPAIN

_Tel.: +34 934035538

w w w. e u r o p e a n m e m o r i e s . n e t o b s e r v a t o r i . m e m o r i e s @ u b . e d u

presentation

http://www.europeanmemories.net/

http://www.europeanmemories.net/

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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Observatory onMemories

European Observatory on MemoriesUniversity of Barcelona Solidarity Foundation

INTRODUCTION:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The work on the history and memory

of the late twentieth century has experienced a growing interest in the academic field and in the sphere of

civil society; as shown by numerous projects and initiatives undertaken in

Europe and the rest of the world.

In this sense, the University of Barcelona Solidarity Foundation has

developed in recent years several projects to analyze and understand

historical processes of our recent past.

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LIST OF ACTIONS IN THE PAST:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

• In 2006 the UB Solidarity Foundation organized the international seminar

"Who has no memory, has no future" that analyzed different world conflicts of

the twentieth century.

• In 2009 it published the book "Who's responsible?" which dealt with war

crimes committed in Chechnya.

• In 2011 promoted a photo exhibition

and a documentary titled "15 years after Srebrenica" to remember the

massacre that took place in Bosnia Herzegovina in 1995.

• In 2013 it implemented a digital project (website + app for smartphones) which

proposes 10 routes to discover memory s i tes of the c i ty of Barcelona: www.memoriabcn.cat.

Today the University of Barcelona S o l i d a r i t y F o u n d a t i o n , w i t h t h e

collaboration of its international partners, is developing a challenging project which started in 2012 with European funds titled

"European Observatory on Memories".

The goal of which is to analyze, discuss

and reflect on the different remembrance

policies that are being developed in Europe and in countries from other

continents.

In 2008, the European Parliament

declared August 23rd as the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism1, the same day that

Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in

1939.

This decision, that equates responsibility of Germany and the Soviet Union in

World War II and does not focus on other European conflicts of the twentieth

century, caused some controversy.

1 Resolution P6_TA(2008)0439 for the Declaration of the European Parliament on the proclamation of 23rd August as European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism.

EUROM. European Observatory on Memories www.europeanmemories.net [email protected]

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In 2009 associations of deportees to Nazi camps comp la ined o f t h i s da te

considered unrepresentative of the overall European memory.

THE PROJECT:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

This is a project conceived to work through a transnational network on

multiple axes about memorial public policies. It is a research project but it also dea ls wi th the management and

dissemination of memorial policies related to conflicts of the twentieth century and

other historic periods that have a public influence in the XXI century.

This proposal began in 2012 with the support of the EACEA (the Education,

Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency of the European Commission) through the Europe for Citizens Program

and has evolved due to the inputs received from all parties involved:

• 2012-14: Entitled "The European democratic Memory: Beyond Nazism and Stalinism" the first part of the project

promoted a debate on the resolutions of the European Parliament on the subject of

memory, such as P6_TA (2008) 0439 that declared the 23rd of August the

"European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism".

We approached various European policies of memory as well as opinions from experts, political institutions and civil

society organizations. The approach has been fully intensive; not exhaustive. We

addressed local, regional, national and international cases.

• 2013-2015: Following this approach, we

were encouraged to create a network to analyze and share experiences under the

umbrella of universit ies, memorial organizations and associations: this is the

European Observatory on Memories


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MULTIPLICITY OF MEMORIES:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Europe has a plurality of memories that shape our current democratic system and

its present socio-political map. These various memories are different and the best way to analyze, manage and spread

them is through a transnational work.

The Observatory has this mission and has

therefore created a network to address those memories which are projected on the twenty-first century public policies:

the consequences of Nazism and Stalinism; the Spanish Civil War and the

struggle for democracy during the Franco dictatorship; the vindication of civil rights

in Northern Ireland; the pro-democratic movements in Eastern Europe during the Cold War; the resistance movements

against dictatorships in Greece and Portugal; the transitional processes in

several European countries; the conflicts related to the decolonization of the twentieth Century; the ethnic cleansing in

the Balkans; and others.

Similarly, the Observatory aims to act as a

bridge between Europe and Latin America - where memorial policies have had a very significant presence in the

political and social sphere in the past decades-, as well as countries that do not

formally belong to the European Union but are part of Europe, such as Norway,

the Balkans area countries and others.

It seems that there is a need to establish a network of European institutions and

organizations considering and respecting the diversity of memories, each one with

its own peculiarities.

Therefore, the Observatory defends the plurality of memories against a single

European memory promoted from some institutions and associations. National

histories are much more connected than we might think, if we accept to work respecting the multiplicity and diversity,

we will avoid getting into the game of

m e m o r i a l c o m p e t i t i o n a n d t h e competition for the victims.

It is difficult or nearly an impossible task to do this without a transnational perspective. Therefore, we propose a

transversal and multidisciplinary project.

All kinds of academic specialties are

represented: art, architecture, history, anthropology, sociology, political science, new technologies, etc. We count with a

strong network of professionals who have worked at various levels on all these

aspects in relation to memory and heritage and its transmission to society.

This work should be developed from the

analysis and the study of commemorative


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initiatives, but also the analysis of silences and omissions. The study of the

politics of memory in the twenty-first century must therefore be made from a transnational perspective. It is this

challenge that requires us to create a solid network of partners with permanent

and professional commitments.

As it was evident in the different round tables of the 1st International Colloquium

of the Observatory (held from 5 to 8 May 2014 in Barcelona), Europe has entered

the twenty-first century with a strong r e c e n t h i s t o r y, m a r k e d b y t h e catastrophes of the twentieth century.

Then, it is no surprising that the twenty-first century began with a “memorial

boom”. In most countries, memory (which is always conflicting and transgressive) is

managed by the authorities and this leads to a competition of memories or even a memorial saturation, using the terms of

authors like Ricoeur and Régine Robin. The decade 2010-2020 is certainly full of

opportunities; it is a decade for the analysis, enforcement, transnational work and learning. This is the idea that

motivated us to promote the European Observatory on Memories.


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GOALS OF THE PROJECT:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The aim of the Observatory is to address, without complexes or political pressures,

the complexity of memory in the XXI century. Then, the main goals of this project are:

1/ Identify and analyze the different memorial processes in Europe and other

continents from the point of view of experts, professionals and civil society. That is, universities, institutions and

associations are the basis of the network partners.

2 / P ro m o t e a d i s c u s s i o n f o r a representative European -or international-

memorial policy. Create a scientific committee for this purpose.

3/ Networking with all the project partners

and others which can play a temporary role.

4/ Design and implement a joint working program for the next 6 years.

5/ Find funding to develop joint projects.

6/ Make a contribution to the analysis and management of memory policies and to

the socialization of commemorative initiatives.

7/ Fostering multidisciplinary research and work on activit ies about the

construction of public memory.

8/ Encouraging the citizens' right to use and redefine memorial heritage.

9/ Promote a real connection among institutions, practitioners and researchers

from Europe and other continents, with special attention to Latin America.


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WORKING AXES & ACTIVITIES

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The work program of the Observatory

focuses on research, discussion and training: seminars and workshops in

different countries; debates; training and educational activities; and also activities that have been already scheduled by

some of the partners that are interesting to the objectives of the Observatory.

In the first phase, we would like to highlight the analysis of emerging issues of memory and to put in contact actors

who have worked on memory issues from different perspectives. Different views

might generate debate but also promote an approach from different prisms.

To accomplish the project goals and to identify different approaches, types of research, treatment of heritage and even

“troubles” with citizens and political sectors, we focus in the following working

axes for the period 2012-2020:

2012-2014: Memory and Power. The

memorial publ ic pol icies and the d e m o c r a t i c p o w e r s i n E u r o p e ; uniqueness or diversity? How do the

executive, legislative and judicial powers confront the recent past?

2014-2015: Memory and public space. An analysis of cultural heritage and collective

memory; this heritage is configured by material and immaterial remains. The

Observatory will promote a reflection on the socialization and redefinition of this heritage.

2016-2017: Memor ia l r i tua ls and commemorations, the use of the public

memory. The national public memories (we could also say the "common

European memory") are dressed in finery to celebrate the historical events. The public expression of homage and

remembrance often becomes a mere ritual.

2018-2019: Mediation and transmission, the memory targets. In Europe and elsewhere there is a current debate on

mediation and different types of visitors of sites of memory, exhibitions and original

locations. The relationship between the public, tourists and students is a key point to interpret the past as a collective

and cultural heritage of our societies.

2019-2020: Memory and counterpower.

Memory is conflict and transgression; the civil society organizations can develop

the right to accede memory as a social counterpower.

Public convictions, the relatives of

victims, memorial associations, artists, and o the r g roups can ac t as a

counterpower reaching the objectives that policies do not.


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Since 2012, several activities have already been undertaken, such as

recorded interviews in different regions of Europe; the publication of the first volume of a collective work which includes

articles from different Observatory partners; and a new website to spread

t h e g o a l s a n d a c t i v i t i e s o f t h e Observatory, which is also useful for networking as each partner has its own

section where to pour digital resources, scheduled activities, documents for

reflection, etc.

These are some of the figures about the undertaken activities:

• 7 discussion workshops and meetings with international partners in Barcelona,

Lyon, Derry, Berlin, Tallinn, Prague and Brussels.

• 17 recorded interviews with experts,

witnesses, artists and youngsters

• A new website for the Observatory:

www.europeanmemories.net

• An international symposium held in Barcelona on May 6-8, 2014: “Memory

and Power, a transnational perspective”

• A publication entitled “Memory and

Power” with open debate texts on different European and Latin America memories

• The objectives of the Observatory have been designed to be developed on a

schedule for the coming years. These are some of the activities that are planned to conduct with all partners in

the following years:

• Contest for the Observatory logo

• A scientific dictionary of the uses on the past

• Seminars and colloquiums about

specific and genera l topics, to encourage discussions and deep

workshop

• Exchange of researchers and students among the partners

• Documentary film festival in different countries

• Recording new interviews with experts, witnesses and youngsters

• In-situ pedagogical activities with

young people in sites of memory

“THE DEVASTED FIELDS ARE NOT STERILE, AND

I, SHUTING UP IN SILENCE, I’LL TALK.”

JOAQUIM AMAT-PINIELLA


http://www.europeanmemories.net

http://www.europeanmemories.net

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THE NETWORK - PARTNERS

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Observatory is the tool to develop

and manage this work on memory. It is promoted by the University of Barcelona

Solidarity Foundation but it has a strong network of partners2 organized in three levels:

The institutions managing the project: The UB Solidarity Foundation with the

support of the European Commission and the Advisory and Scientific Committee.

Members of the network: public or private institutions, research centers, universities and associations that adhere

to the Observatory by an agreement of collaboration and sharing common goals

with other members.

Indirect partners: professional bodies or institutions involved through one of the

network partners, who perform a specific activity on research or dissemination.

These members can sign specific agreements.

• IC MEMO - International Committee of

Memorial Museums for Remembrance

(ICOM-UNESCO);

• Bloody Sunday Trust, Museum of

Free Derry (Northern Ireland);

• La Maison d'Izieu. Mémorial des

enfants juifs exterminés (France);

• Finnish-Russian Citizens' Forum

(Finland) ;

• Istituto nazionale per la storia del

movimento di liberazione (Italy);

• Stiftung Topographie des Terrors

(Germany);

• A s s o c i a c i ó C o n è i x e r H i s t ò r i a

(Catalonia, Spain);

• K Z - G e d e n k s t ä t t e M a u t h a u s e n

(Austria);

• T h e M u s e u m o f O c c u p a t i o n s

(Estonia);

• Gedenkstätte Wewelsburg 1933-1945

(Germany);

• CRHISM-Université du Perpignan Via

Domitia (France);

• Grup de Recerca Memòria i Societat

– UB (Catalonia, Spain);

• Histagra-Universidad de Santiago de

Compostela (Spain);

• Cátedra Memoria Historica del Siglo

XX-Universidad Complutense de

Madrid (Spain);

• ISOCAC-Universitat Rovira i Virgili

(Catalonia, Spain);

• Centre for Memory and Testimony

Studies-Laurier University (Canada);

• Kistler-Ritso Eesti SA (Estonia);

• Foundation of Local democracy

(Bosnia and Herzegovina);

• Tallin University (Estonia);

• NGO "SNC-Pirin TV" (Bulgary);

• Faculdade de Ciencias Sociais e

Humanas da Universidade Nova de

Lisboa, (Portuga);

• Univerza Vljubljani (Slovenia);

• Inst i tut fuer Konf l ikt forschung

(Austria);


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