New Born Memory II

The history of the communist regimes and totalitarianism in central Europe and the east front is still present and creates different scenarios on the concepts of Collective Memory and dealing with the past. The importance to be informed and transmit to young generations the values of what history offers, especially the elements to keep clearly in mind to have the full control on acting in order to continue keeping and building a free and peaceful society. This proposal aims to put together youth workers and to consider collective memory like e instrument and a good issue to .go through and reach young people, inform them and give the basis to create different campaigns and activities on collective memory and peace building.
Dealing with the past is the main topic of the project-proposal of the URA Centre. Opening the doors of this unknown part of history will definitely contribute to youth education. In Albania youth has not much information about this part of the history, even though it is crucial to be known that there has been a time (not too far away, just 28 years ago) when you could get punished if you dared to freely speak your mind.
During the communist regime period in Albania 17.900 people were imprisioned for political reasons (445 women), 952 people died in prision, 5.157 people were executed during the regime (91 women), 9.322 people were deported in 48 deportation camps, 23 special prisions were built for the political imprisoners.
This project, through the capacity-building and mobility activities like trainings, workshops and conferences, as well as through cultural exchanges will help youth understand that all the young people of the same age, regardless the countries where they come from, need to know this dark side of the past, as this is part of the history of everyone’s country that can neither be denied nor repeated. By being aware of the past history of your country, you feel more responsible for the present and more dedicated to the future.
We believe that the real emancipation of a society is fulfilled when this society is capable to compare two different realities or historical periods - the past and the present. This project will help create the collective memory by comparing the two realities - totalitarism of the past and democracy of the present - as well as by comparing different countries. Unfortunately in Albania this collective memory has not started to create yet, while more and more we face models that for decades have created their own collective memory. A well-emancipated society needs well-informed people about the past of their country’s history.
This project will promote the human values of the global society in European level. Knowing the history and its negative aspects will serve evaluate the present and build a European future for all the countries. We aspire to be part of the future, but we do not want the future to impose us a false past.