The CPPD and its network members call for strengthening and sustainably securing their work toward a democratic, pluralist culture of remembrance.
Plurality remains the structural principle of our societies—despite the rise of the far-right and fascist AfD in Germany, the electoral successes of right-wing and far-right forces across Europe, and ongoing wars and violent conflicts in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon. The CPPD creates unique spaces for plurality through its activities and event formats, allowing for dialogue and fostering concrete action.
To do justice to the plurality of our societies, resources, and spaces are needed to enable thematic exchange and spaces that publicly highlight the complexities and contradictions of various perspectives. These spaces are challenging and emerge only through a commitment to plurality. They can help contextualize the interconnections between present actions and the future of our societies, reduce polarization, and promote democracy.
As a unique collaborative network with over 200 partners, the CPPD develops artistic, civil society, and educational concepts for a pluralistic culture of remembrance. These include activities from the “Memory Matters” festival series, which took place across six locations in Germany and Europe and concluded in Berlin on October 18 and 19, 2024.
During the public event “What Next? – Remembering the Present: February 24, October 7, and June 9,” organized in cooperation with the Academy of Arts, more than 150 interested individuals from civil society, as well as professionals from the field of remembrance policy, joined CPPD network members. Three panels highlighted the diverse aspects, the simultaneities and interconnections of wars, right-wing violence, and the significance of pluralistic cultures of remembrance.
Journalist Olesya Yaremchuk, Marina Chernivsky (Executive Director of OFEK e.V.), and Igor Mitchnik (activist and Executive Director of Austausch e.V.) addressed the devastating impacts of Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine with a human-centered approach: What are the effects of the war on those affected and their families? How does it influence democracies in Europe? What is the way forward in terms of the remembrance policy?
Dinah Riese, journalist and section editor at taz, discussed the war in Israel and Gaza with Hanna Veiler, President of the Jewish Student Union of Germany, and Ahmad Dakhnous, activist and political advisor, examining its significance for Germany and Europe, and the role a pluralist culture of remembrance could play. This controversial and emotionally charged panel created space for plural perspectives and demonstrated how respectful engagement with diverse positions can be achieved.
Peggy Piesche, head of the “Political Education and Plural Democracy” division at the Federal Agency for Civic Education, and Kristina Lunz, co-founder of the Center for Feminist Foreign Policy, spoke about this year’s European elections and the consequences of polarization for Germany and Europe. They outlined actionable steps and the role of empathy, collective memory, and collaboration in shaping our democracies. Diplomat Anja Fahlenkamp underscored the need to understand intersectionality as a critical concept for addressing present-day challenges.
Over two days, the closing festival “Memory Matters” brought together actors in remembrance and educational policy from various institutions, organizations, and initiatives, along with members of the CPPD network for the CPPD’s network partner meeting. In two working sessions, participants addressed remembrance-specific topics and developed foundations for innovative memory policy measures to promote diversity, inclusion, and historical accuracy. The network partner meeting, a unique space for exchange among civil society organizations, was supported by the expertise of Vatan Ukaj and Alexandra Perlowa from the “Wertansich(t)” collective.
Despite the acute crises, our societies possess an inherent potential for shaping the future – as demonstrated by the CPPD’s “Memory Matters” closing festival. For this, spaces must be created, strengthened, and sustainably secured in which pluralistic discourse on remembrance culture is possible.
We thank all participants and civil society actors and look forward to continuing our work in 2025.
