Call for participants School on European Memories 2026

Fourth Edition of the School on European Memories

May 4 - 7, 2026.

Jean Monnet House, Bazoches-sur-Guyonne & Paris, France 

Organisers: Jean Monnet House – European Parliament, the European Observatory on Memories (EUROM), the Young European Federalists (JEF Europe), Istituto di Studi Federalisti Altiero Spinelli. Co-funded by the European Commission (CERV programme) and the commemoration programme Spain in Freedom. 50 years.

"Rewriting History: Who owns the Past?"

This edition addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing European democracies: the growing influence of pseudo-historical revisionism and the instrumentalisation of the past for political purposes. Under the guiding question “Who owns the past?”, the School will explore how history is written, transmitted, appropriated, and sometimes distorted in contemporary public discourse.

The programme seeks to:

• Examine the mechanisms and actors behind revisionist and manipulative uses of history
• Analyse the impact of social media ecosystems on the transmission of historical knowledge
• Critically assess the uses and abuses of the recent past by illiberal movements
• Strengthen strategies of resistance grounded in academic research, critical pedagogy, and responsible public communication
• Promote active citizenship as a response to memory manipulation

By fostering rigorous debate and interdisciplinary exchange, the School reinforces the idea that democratic memory is not merely about preserving the past, but about safeguarding democratic culture in the present.

Information for participants

The programme brings together 25 highly motivated young participants for an intensive three-day experience combining academic sessions, interactive workshops, and round tables with scholars and public voices. Discussions will be held in English and will focus on:

• Competing European memory narratives
• The role of social media in shaping historical knowledge
• Strategies of resistance through research, critical education, and responsible public communication
• Active citizenship and democratic resilience

Participants will collaboratively produce new episodes of Talking Memories, the School’s podcast. Through a guided editorial and hands-on production workshop, they will work in small teams to transform the debates and insights emerging during the School into accessible, well-structured, and high-quality public content. This process is designed to strengthen their ability to communicate complex and contested historical issues with clarity, rigour, and a strong sense of public responsibility.

To apply for this project, please fill in the following questionnaire by the 20th of March 2026 : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdEUezvaCf4YGZR3GFc5_f2HjSSOHZ…