The future of remembrance is pluralistic. When we think about a pluralistic future of remembrance in which the diversity of our society can participate in collective remembrance, we broaden our view of experiences and events that can and must be strengthened in social remembrance. The “we” of our society is also co-determined by our memories. The CPPD wants to understand this “we” in an inclusive, diverse and dynamic way. It is not about battles for attention or space in the remembrance calendar, but about unfolding our moments of remembrance – about enrichment, about acknowledging gaps, about looking and listening. Finally, we must recognize that political demands for remembrance can only be effective if we strengthen the function of remembrance in our societies – towards the vitalization of a promise that must not become a cliché: Never Again!
How a social and pluralistic narrative of the collective “we” is told has a special significance in this remembrance calendar #future of remembrance, because: Storytelling also plays a special role in the vitalization of memory. The second and expanded edition includes contributions from members of the CPPD network and guest authors who reflect on various days of remembrance in journalistic texts, academic essays and creative formats, expanding and diversifying the cultural canon of remembrance.
From questions of confrontation and negotiation at the interfaces of cultures of remembrance and anti-semitism, ableism, racism, queer hostility to the question of how we remember the present, the contributions are an example of the impressive breadth of topics relevant to remembrance.
The remembrance calendar is based on the understanding that there are no closed processes of remembrance. Memories know neither boundaries nor a center. In the second edition of the remembrance calendar, we have deliberately filled in the blanks from last year. But the same applies this year: we ask all readers to tell us about other days of remembrance so that we can add them to the calendar and continue writing it together. Only in its openness the calendar is able to remain plural and might make a successful contribution to a #FUTUREOFREMEMBRANCE.
It can be ordered free of charge via cppd@dialogperspektiven.de with the reference “Order of CPPD Remembrance Calendar 2024” and stating your private address (due to a small number of printed editions, we can only send 1 remembrance calendar per person). We would be pleased to receive a donation for our supporting association DialoguePerspectives e.V.