Background

The seminar “Remembrance and Learning from the Second World War” has been held annually since 2014 as part of the framework programme of cooperation between the Council of Europe and the Russian Federation in the field of youth policy.

During the last six years, the activity was held in different formats – from an expert seminar to a capacity building activity for youth workers.

The seminar took place in Strasbourg - European Youth Centre and in the Russian Federation – in Moscow and Volgograd.

Throughout all these years, the seminar has brought together participants who work with young people on the topics such as Human Rights-Remembrance - Reconciliation - Intercultural Dialogue - Democratic Participation: youth leaders and youth activist, workers and education advisors from museums and memorial sites, history teachers, youth workers and educators, young diplomats and politicians.

Many joint initiatives and activities were developed as a result of the seminar: from joint exhibitions and youth camps to writing books on the subject.

 The Seminar in 2020

Remembrance is obviously relevant for young people also, and probably especially, outside the classroom, not the least because non-formal and informal education play an important role in the forging of memories.

Youth work and human rights education play an important role in this respect by allowing young people to learn together and address topics that may be sensitive but cannot be avoided. Remembrance and learning from the past are important when working in intercultural learning activities, especially with respect to such topics as human rights, promoting peace, and counteracting discrimination and violence among young people.

Discussing these topics with young people can give context and meaning, can empower them to become critical thinkers, responsible and active global citizens who value human dignity and respect for all, who reject antisemitism, racism and other forms of prejudice that can lead to violence and genocide.

The training seminar in 2020 is built upon experience accumulated during previous editions of the seminar since its inception in 2014, and the Guidelines on Remembrance activities for and with young people, prepared during a workshop held in December 2019 at the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg.

The activity is a part of the 2020 Action plan of the Framework Programme on cooperation between the Council of Europe and the Russian Federation in the field of youth policy as a contribution to implementing one of the objectives of the Framework Programme – promoting intercultural dialogue, peacebuilding and cultural diversity.

The situation with the COVID-19 pandemic has made the residential training-seminar impossible to be held. However, the need and opportunity for this this event as a space for dialogue and discussion at the occasion 75 years of the end of the Second World War and of the 70th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights remain intact.

The Council of Europe and the partner from the Russian Federation took a decision to transfer the activity to an on-line event which will be held from 14-18 December 2020 at the Zoom platform with the e-learning phase prior and after the activity.