Call: European Remembrance

The general objective of the Programme is to protect and promote rights and values as enshrined in the Treaties, the Charter and the applicable international human rights conventions, in particular by supporting civil society organisations and other stakeholders active at local, regional, national and transnational level, and by encouraging civic and democratic participation, in order to sustain and further develop open, rights-based, democratic, equal and inclusive societies which are based on the rule of law.

Furthermore, the Programme shall have the following specific objectives, which correspond to strands:

1. to protect and promote Union values (Union values strand);
2. to promote rights, non-discrimination and equality, including gender equality, and to advance gender mainstreaming and the mainstreaming of non-discrimination (equality, rights and gender equality strand);
3. to promote citizens’ engagement and participation in the democratic life of the Union and exchanges between citizens of different Member States, and to raise awareness of their common European history (citizens’ engagement and participation strand);
4. to fight violence, including gender-based violence (Daphne strand).

Union values strand

The Union values strand shall focus on protecting, promoting and raising awareness of rights by providing financial support to civil society organisations which are active at local, regional, national and transnational level in promoting and cultivating those rights, thereby also strengthening the protection and promotion of Union values and respect for the rule of law and contributing to the construction of a more democratic Union, democratic dialogue, transparency and good governance.

Equality, rights and gender equality strand

The equality, rights and gender equality strand shall focus on:

1. promoting equality and preventing and combating inequalities and discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation, and respecting the principle of non-discrimination on the grounds provided for in Article 21 of the Charter;
2. supporting, advancing and implementing comprehensive policies aimed at:
   1. promoting women’s full enjoyment of rights; gender equality, including work-life balance; women’s empowerment; and gender mainstreaming;
   2. promoting non-discrimination and the mainstreaming thereof;
   3. combating racism, xenophobia and all forms of intolerance, including homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, interphobia and intolerance on the basis of gender identity, both online and offline;
   4. protecting and promoting the rights of the child;
   5. protecting and promoting the rights of persons with disabilities;
3. protecting and promoting Union citizenship rights and the right to the protection of personal data.

Citizens’ engagement and participation strand

The citizens’ engagement and participation strand shall focus on:

1. supporting projects aimed at remembering defining moments in modern European history, such as the coming to power of authoritarian and totalitarian regimes, including the causes and consequences thereof, and projects aimed at raising awareness among European citizens of their common history, culture, cultural heritage and values, thereby enhancing their understanding of the Union, of its origins, purpose, diversity and achievements and of the importance of mutual understanding and tolerance;
2. promoting citizens’ and representative associations’ participation in and contribution to the democratic and civic life of the Union by enabling them to make known and publicly exchange their views in all areas of Union action;
3. promoting exchanges between citizens of different countries, in particular through town-twinning and networks of towns, so as to afford them practical experience of the richness and diversity of the common heritage of the Union and to make them aware that such richness and diversity constitute a solid foundation for a common future.

Daphne strand

The Daphne strand shall focus on:

1. preventing and combating at all levels all forms of gender-based violence against women and girls and domestic violence, including by promoting the standards laid down in the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention);
2. preventing and combating all forms of violence against children, young people and other groups at risk, such as LGBTIQ persons and persons with disabilities;
3. supporting and protecting all direct and indirect victims of the forms of violence referred to in points (1) and (2), such as the victims of domestic violence perpetrated within the family or within intimate relationships, including children orphaned as a result of domestic crimes, and supporting and ensuring the same level of protection throughout the Union for victims of gender-based violence.

Objective:

The objective of this call for proposals is to support projects aimed at commemorating defining events in modern European history, including the causes and consequences of authoritarian and totalitarian regimes, and at raising awareness among European citizens of their common history, culture, cultural heritage and values, thereby enhancing their understanding of the Union, its origins, purpose, diversity and achievements and of the importance of mutual understanding and tolerance. The EU policy initiatives supported under this call are:

• EU Strategy on Combating Antisemitism & Fostering Jewish Life (2021-2030);
• EU Anti-racism action plan 2020-2025;
• EU Roma strategic framework on equality, inclusion and participation.

Scope:

Projects must address one (or both) of the following policy priorities set for 2022:

1. Commemoration of and research and education about crimes committed under totalitarian regimes

Crimes committed under totalitarian and authoritarian regimes impacted Europeans fundamentally during the 20th century and shaped Europe’s responsibility to never let these crimes happen again. Holocaust Remembrance Day (27 January) and the Day of Remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes (23 August) have been expressions of the EU commitment to keep the memory alive. Commemorating and teaching about these crimes, such as the Holocaust, genocide and crimes against humanity, as well as cultivating the memory of the survivors are key to shaping a common European future. Any attempt to preserve this memory must consist of thorough research, both national and transnational, and continuous education to inspire and guide new generations of Europeans in particular policymakers, opinion makers and other multipliers in defending fundamental rights, the rule of law and democracy

Holocaust remembrance, research and education will be a priority of the call. The rising trend of Holocaust denial and distortion, which appears increasingly online, is a critical threat to Holocaust memory and preventing such crimes in the future. Recent developments and events have demonstrated how historical distortion and denial is used to steer up division and hatred in societies. Holocaust distortion attacks the established understanding of history and fuels conspiracy theories, extremism, Holocaust denial, and racism and antisemitism. More than half of Europeans perceive Holocaust denial as a problem in their country.

76 years after the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Nazi death camps, public knowledge about the Holocaust is steadily declining. According to a recent study, a third of Europeans know "just a little or nothing at all" about the Holocaust while one European in 20 has never heard of the Holocaust. The decreasing number of eyewitnesses makes it is essential to find new ways of remembering and educating about the Holocaust to harness society against resurging threats of hatred, discrimination and all forms of antisemitism. That aligns with the views of two-thirds of Europeans who are convinced that commemorating the Holocaust helps ensure that such atrocities will never happen again.

Projects under this priority should:

• consider the European and transnational dimension of the Holocaust, its root causes and consequences, and the implications for today;
• and/or consider to transform research, memorial sites and testimonies of Holocaust survivors into practical educational tools for all parts of society in particular multipliers such as policymakers, state officials and societal leaders;
• and/or pay particular attention to tackle the challenge of Holocaust denial and distortion, offline and online.

In line with the EU Roma strategic framework on equality, inclusion and participation, projects should also pay attention to the specificities of the Roma victims of the Holocaust and their struggle for recognition.

The EU Strategy on Combating Antisemitism & Fostering Jewish Life (2021-2030) should be considered by projects during their implementation.

In the context of Holocaust remembrance, the European Union has acquired permanent international partner status with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and implemented activities that can serve as guidance such as the campaign #ProtectTheFacts, which pushes back against Holocaust distortion. Applicants are invited to make use of International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance resources on countering distortion and denial.

2. Resistance, democratic transition and democratic consolidation in the EU

Resistance played a key role in fighting occupation, overthrowing totalitarian regimes, and paving the way for democratic transitions in Europe. The violations of fundamental freedoms under totalitarian or other regimes have been repeatedly challenged by different parts of society. It remains crucial to celebrate and educate about these instances, actors and groups as examples for today and the future to defend fundamental freedoms.

Projects under this priority should:

• analyse and highlight resistance and/or organised opposition;
• and/or highlight the democratic transition including attempts providing justice for victims;
• and/or focus on how the EU accession influenced democratic standards and practices of the new democracies throughout the accession process.

While taking stock of the enlargements accomplished in the last decades, the projects could also offer the opportunity to discuss future enlargements based on common European history.

Expected Impact:

To raise enhanced awareness of European historical memory and remembrance, including through the development of activities linking remembrance with civic education, participation and democracy in the broadest sense.

• In the area of projects relating to the Holocaust, to allow for an exchange crossing national boundaries and promoting a European approach to history as well as digitalise testimonies of survivors to preserve the memory.
• To add a European dimension to relevant debates on important historical events and moments of recent European history.
• To contribute to create lasting changes in participants’ attitudes towards Europe’s history, its values and its culture.
• To counter Holocaust denial and distortion.
• To identify, safeguard and make available (including online), archival material, testimonies and authentic sites for education purposes, commemoration and research.
• To anchor a common culture of respecting fundamental rights and EU values in the target audience.

• be legal entities (public or private bodies)
• be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
  • EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
  • non-EU countries: EEA countries and countries associated to the CERV Programme or countries which are in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement and where the agreement enters into force before grant signature

• Natural persons are NOT eligible (with the exception of self-employed persons, i.e. sole traders, where the company does not have legal personality separate from that of the natural person).
• EU bodies (with the exception of the European Commission Joint Research Centre) can NOT be part of the consortium.

• Application Form Part A — contains administrative information about the participants  and the summarised budget for the project (to be filled in directly online)
• Application Form Part B — contains the technical description of the project (to be downloaded from the Portal Submission System, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded)
• Part C (to be filled in directly online) containing additional project data including mandatory indicators
• mandatory annexes and supporting documents (to be uploaded):
  • list of previous projects (key projects for the last 4 years)
  • for participants with activities involving children: their child protection policy covering the four areas described in the Keeping Children Safe Child Safeguarding Standards
  • lump sum calculator

Technical Secretariat

For the  strands "Union Values" and "Citizens’ engagement and participation": Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).
Email: EACEA-CERV@ec.europa.eu

For the strands "Equality, rights and gender equality" and "Daphne": Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers of the European Commission.
Email: EC-CERV-CALLS@ec.europa