Strengthening the remembrance of the Holocaust, genocides, war crimes and crimes against humanity to reinforce democracy in the EU

3. CERV-2025-CITIZENS-REM-GENCRIME - Strengthening the remembrance of the Holocaust, genocides, war crimes and crimes against humanity to reinforce democracy in the EU

Projects under this topic should focus on the non-Jewish victims of the Holocaust, including Roma and LGBTIQ people, as well as other genocides, war crimes and crimes against humanity of the 20^th century’s Europe.

Projects under this topic should NOT address the Holocaust against Jewish people which is covered by Topic 2.

The European Union is founded on the principles of human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, and the rule of law. Europe’s 20th century was marked by horrific crimes, genocides including Holocaust, war crimes and crimes against humanity as well as the crimes committed under authoritarian and totalitarian regimes, including those of communist and fascist dictatorships. The remembrance of these gravest crimes committed on European soil plays a critical role in upholding these values.

Strengthening collective memory of such crimes contributes not only to preventing their recurrence but also to reinforcing democratic resilience, fostering civic engagement, and building a common European culture of remembrance.

The legacy of these crimes requires continuous sharing, remembering, teaching as well as research. Education targeting all generations, in particular young people on the importance of safeguarding democracy and fundamental rights should draw on the lessons from these crimes. This also implies countering distortion, denial and trivialisation of the historical facts.

Among these atrocities, the Roma Holocaust—often overlooked or insufficiently acknowledged—requires dedicated attention. Remembering the Roma Holocaust (Porajmos) and other genocides is essential not only to honour the victims and survivors but also to address its lasting impact on the situation of Roma today who are significantly lagging behind in all areas of life. The continued presence of antigypsyism and structural discrimination underscores the urgent need to integrate Roma history and memory into broader European narratives. The importance of initiatives raising awareness on the Roma genocide, advancing reconciliation efforts, helping to challenge prejudice is recalled by the EU Roma Strategic Framework and its aligned Council Recommendation.

During the Holocaust, amongst other minorities, LGBTIQ people were also persecuted by the Nazi regime, and were often imprisoned in concentration camps. In addition, many LGBTIQ people suffered severe abuse and forced labour, facing marginalization both during and after the war, with their experiences largely unrecognized for decades. As a result, the history of LGBTIQ persons in Europe is marked by both struggle and resilience, shaped by periods of persecution as well as progress toward equality. The preservation and recognition of LGBTIQ history and memory are essential to building an inclusive European identity rooted in dignity, diversity, and human rights, thus acknowledging their vital role in Europe's democratic and cultural legacy.

Projects under this topic could focus on:

• Addressing how genocides, including Holocaust, war crimes and crimes against humanity were organised, which actors were involved and how they were committed, the roles of collaborators, perpetrators and bystanders.
• Finding new ways of remembering, educating and teaching about these crimes to protect society against resurging threats of hatred, such as racism, xenophobia, antigypsyism and LGBTIQ phobia. They can include artistic work on Holocaust-related memory projects, as well as stimulating memory activism. These new methods should be inclusive, where applicable participatory and create an enabling learning environment.
• Countering historical falsification and memory competition related to the genocide of the Roma and other genocides, war crimes and crimes against humanity, especially among Europeans that shared a common history but have divergent views on their common past.
• Countering denial, distortion, trivialization, and especially on false comparisons.
• Addressing divergent and opposite national historical narratives, on regional basis, of these darkest hours of Europe history and other negative common shared historical events.
• Promoting memory activism by supporting grassroot commemorative work.
• digitalising historical material and testimonies of witnesses for education and training purposes.
• Fostering intergenerational dialogue by involving young people and older generations in transmitting the memory and understanding.
• Engaging newcomers and migrants and teach about Europe’s history of genocides, including Holocaust, war crimes and crimes against humanity, contributing to a shared understanding of the values underpinning the European Union.
• Foster awareness raising, mutual learning or training activities that accurately reflect the persecution of Roma, LGBTIQ people, and other minorities during the Holocaust and other times in the history.

For further information about the call and its conditions, please see the Call document.