The FGYO has always supported exchange projects on history, remembrance and peace education. It is important to raise awareness among young people from Germany and France to their shared history and to encourage them to commit themselves to their future in a European context. The expansion of the FGYO's activities to other regions within and outside Europe that are characterised by wars and conflicts makes this work particularly important.
The FGYO supports remembrance work and peace education through a variety of projects. Modern formats and innovative educational methods help to make history an intercultural experience.
Closer to history
The FGYO uses the following approaches to help young people better understand their own history and that of others:
- The multi-perspective approach and intercultural learning ensure a reciprocal view of history. This enables young people to better understand their own socialisation and culture, as well as that of others, and to challenge their own points of view.
- Individual biographies and family histories help young people to understand that they are both products of history and creators of history.
- Biographies, personal accounts by contemporary witnesses and visits to historical sites make it possible to engage with history.
- The local history of the place of origin or event allows them to experience first-hand how history is linked locally, nationally and globally.
- The artistic approach allows young people to express their perceptions of historical events and their emotions, and to work on joint productions.
Projects and Educational Materials
The DFJW supports remembrance work and peace education through project funding and training programmes.
Together with partner organisations, the DFJW also develops educational materials and supports bi- and trilateral research groups, resulting in scientific publications. The aim is to share knowledge and ensure the high quality of projects.
Some examples:
- Vademecum History and memory in international youth exchange by Ludovic Fresse and Ines Grau:
- V@demecum “History and memory in international youth exchange. The use of digital tools” von Ludovic Fresse und Sarah Neis. (Online publication soon available here)
- Glossary « Parler de l'histoire et de la mémoire »
- The fourth edition of PANORAMA addresses the question of why today’s young people should think about war.
- Research project 100 years after the First World War – 100 projects for peace
- "Une-deux // Doppelpass" teaching concept on football and history as tools for civic education.
Cartorik is a digital map of 63 places in Franco-German history since 1870, which will be presented in May/June 2024.
Franco-German-Algerian training course "Peace education: How can the topic of colonisation/decolonisation be addressed in youth encounters?"
The third and final phase of the training is planned for early 2025 in Algeria. The first phases took place in France in Marseille in 2022 and in Germany near Bremen in 2023.
Youth for Peace
To commemorate the end of the First World War, the international youth meeting "Youth for Peace - 100 years after the First World War, 100 ideas for peace" brought together young people from 48 countries in Berlin from 14 to 18 November 2018. The participants came from Germany, France, EU countries, EU candidate countries and neighbouring countries in the south and east of the EU.
The Ideas for Peace, which the young people proposed to the German and French heads of state.
The follow-up project „Youth for Peace – Global tools, local action“ brought together young people from 21 countries in 2019 and 2020 to share their ideas for peace. On 8 May 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, the participants published a mosaic of videos and sent their wishes for peace and solidarity to the world. The project also resulted in 8 videos in which the young people talk about peace, history and challenges of the past and future.
Binational training courses on "History and remembrance in youth encounters" take place regularly in cooperation with the associations Rue de la Mémoire and Internationales Bildungs- und Begegnungswerk IBB-Dortmund.