From the 17th to the 25th October, we had the pleasure of hosting an Erasmus+ mobility of youth workers from all around Europe entitled "Democracy Matters: youth work addressing authoritarian discourse". This training programme, supported by the European Union, aimed primarily to provide participants with basic knowledge of democracy and authoritarian discourse, as well as to foster critical thinking and the exchange of ideas, experiences and social realities from the various participating countries.
One of the topics that generated the most interest was that of democratic memory and remembrance, explored through an edutainment activity (detective game) developed by AHEAD. This activity, conceived within the framework of non-formal education, involved solving a series of clues that led the participating groups to uncover hidden stories from Europe's past. The uncovered plots were real accounts linked to the Holocaust and the rise of fascism in Europe. In total, four groups were formed, each reconstructing a different but interconnected story, creating a mosaic of memories that helped to better understand this historical period.
Through this innovative learning method, known as edutainment (a combination of education and entertainment), participants were able to learn about Europe's authoritarian past and real stories of resistance and resilience in a dynamic, participatory and emotionally meaningful way. After the game, a space was opened for collective reflection where participants shared their impressions, analysed the lessons learned and compared different perspectives on democratic memory in their home countries. This exchange greatly enriched the debate and allowed for parallels to be drawn between diverse historical and social contexts.
Reserving a slot in the programme to address the Holocaust was essential if we wanted to talk about democracy in Europe; learning from the past so as not to repeat it is fundamental. One of the things observed was that many of the stories that came to light were unknown to the vast majority, despite having a significant impact on European history and on who we are today. One of the reflections made was that, in basic education, these topics are often only dealt with superficially, and that this has a direct impact on young people, who are often not aware of the gravity of this historical event.
The democratic memory game is just one of the educational projects that AHEAD develops to promote human rights in schools and within the youth sector. Building on this example and other activities carried out during the week, participants were encouraged to design their own proposals to foster democracy, critical thinking and active participation in their local communities.
