2. CERV-2024-CITIZENS-REM-HOLOCAUST - Strengthening the remembrance of the Holocaust, genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity to reinforce democracy in the EU
Europe's 20th century was marked by horrific crimes such as the Holocaust and crimes committed by authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. The legacy of these crimes requires continuous sharing and remembering as well as research to curb distortion. Education targeting all generations on the importance of safeguarding democracy and fundamental rights should draw on the lessons from these crimes.
Young people should be empowered to become ambassadors of this memory, to recall the story of survivors both offline and online, to raise awareness about their tragedy and connect with memorial sites and museums. The testimonies of the witnesses of these crimes are particularly valuable in educating young people, especially since there are fewer and fewer of these witnesses. This also implies countering distortion, denial and trivialisation of the historical facts. In upholding EU values, the memory of these crimes, teaching about fundamental rights and the active engagement of people to learn from them are necessary, particularly for actors in the frontline of defending rights such as fundamental right-defenders, civil servants, members of the judiciary, law enforcement officials and policymakers.
Moreover, suppressing fundamental
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