“Our funding program YOUNG PEOPLE remember international represents a transnational, European idea – to create not just communities of remembrance but also a community of shared values. A community that is strong and resilient in the face of disinformation and authoritarianism. A community that has truly learned from the past.”
Andrea Despot, CEO, EVZ Foundation

The EVZ Foundation celebrated the fifth anniversary of YOUNG PEOPLE remember international on 25 – 26 September 2025 in Berlin with around 80 participants from 16 countries. Funded by the Federal Foreign Office and implemented by the EVZ Foundation, the program enables young people from across Europe to engage critically and actively with the history of National Socialism – and to do so across borders.

One special moment in the opening was the address by Ambassador Christian Heldt, Special Representative for Relations with Jewish Organizations, Issues of Antisemitism, International Sinti and Roma Affairs, and Holocaust Remembrance at the Federal Foreign Office. His remarks highlighted the importance of the younger generation, their empathy and their commitment as a foundation for a democratic and united Europe.

Held under the motto #5YPRI – Connecting Communities of Remembrance, the two-day event focused on European perspectives on remembrance culture, learning at sites of Nazi persecution, and exploring how remembrance today can also be shaped and shared across borders in digital spaces. In presentations, panel discussions and excursions to memorial sites in Berlin and Brandenburg, project executing agencies presented the innovative formats, digital products and educational resources that have emerged in recent years, showing how they encourage young people to stand up for democracy and human rights. 

In addition, the event Vergangenheit verstehen, Verantwortung übernehmen [Understanding the past, taking responsibility] on November 12, 2025 in Weimar gives companies the opportunity to engage with their own history in the context of Nazi forced labor, find out about best practices, and discuss ways of actively assuming responsibility.

What is the role of “third places” in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine? And in spite of all the massive attacks, how does the team in Kherson manage to reach new groups and bring people together in one of the country’s most heavily targeted cities? Andrii shares his perspective in a brief interview about the situation in Kherson.

A curated program of educational film screenings for school students will be offered on the mornings of January 27 and 28: filmmakers will introduce their films in person and then discuss them with the young audiences.

The pool of movies comprises 19 films and one evening feature on the history of National Socialism and the Holocaust, selected by a jury of film experts. Teachers will receive a practical guide and educational materials relating to all the films shown. In addition, training courses will be offered on how to teach the history of National Socialism through film.

For the project team, it was especially important to reach young people in rural and economically underdeveloped areas: “Each stop was different – new landscapes, new faces, new stories – but the energy was always the same. We saw how young people opened up when they realized that Europe and big ideas could arrive right on their doorstep, if only for a day.”
At the final event in Tbilisi, the creators of the microprojects from Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan came together with the project team and other guests, and the young participants were duly spotlighted and honored for their engagement. The Road Trip across the Caucasus – the project’s subtitle – certainly left its mark on the landscape.