Learning from the mistakes of the past and the promise of 'never again' are built into the foundation of the Council of Europe, founded after the Second World War. Throughout the life of the Council of Europe, youth organisations and young people have played a crucial role in safeguarding the values of this organisation.

Equipping younger people to fight against disinformation and the instrumentalisation of history remains as relevant as ever. The Council of Europe Youth Sector plays a direct and strategic role in developing the competences of key multipliers in democratic citizenship and human rights education with young people, thus contributing to the implementation of the Council of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education (EDC/HRE).

 These were some of the key points from a two-day educational workshop titled "Memory, responsibility and solidarity: young people facing the lessons of the Holocaust," organised in the framework of Moldovan Presidency of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers. The event brought together up to 40 participants, young multipliers, representatives of Roma youth organisations and local youth centres who learned and reflected on Holocaust remembrance and the role of youth in combating discrimination and disinformation, including through local youth-led initiatives.

 Participants were introduced to educational policies in the Republic of Moldova, as well as European and local perspectives on Holocaust remembrance. This also included the Committee of Ministers' recommendations on incorporating the history of Roma and/or Travellers into school curricula and teaching materials, as well as on passing on the remembrance of the Holocaust and preventing crimes against humanity.

Participants learned about the persecution of Jewish and Roma communities- how to identify bias, prejudice and discrimination, and discussed the risks posed by the manipulation of history and how to respond through civic engagement.

 Being included in the agenda of Republic of Moldova’s Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the workshop reflects the Presidency’s emphasis on democratic resilience, youth participation, and education grounded in European standards and values.

The event was organised by the project "Youth for Democracy and Human Rights in the Republic of Moldova," which is part of the Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova, in cooperation with the Agency for Interethnic Relations, the National Youth Agency, both within the Ministry of Education and Research, and the Roma and Travellers Division of the Council of Europe.