Transition Dialogue

Since the first Transition Dialogue 2019-2021 project concept, the post-socialist transformation of Central and Eastern Europe has gone full circle. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine revealed that the idea of a transformation towards democracy and the rule of law had failed. Thirty years after the collapse of communism and the disintegration of the USSR, those who experienced the post-socialist transformation are still active in shaping society and politics, many of them in leadership positions. A generation has grown up and matured that no longer remembers the collapse of communism and the Soviet Union. Their knowledge and perception of relatively recent events is largely based on the narratives and instrumentalised discourses of the older generation. Nevertheless, young people’s trust in political institutions remains low. They are often exposed to manipulative or one-sided discourses of memory, ideas that are often later reflected in school curricula.

Today, when Europe and the whole world are facing war, an international debate on the transformation processes and experiences already undergone is not only necessary, but essential. This debate should take place in a public setting, in the context of a European dialogue. It is precisely the international approach that allows us to look more closely at the discourses of memory and to reflect them from different perspectives. Intergenerational dialogue helps to better understand our European neighbours and encourages self-reflection. The project will focus on the younger generation by developing guidelines and materials adapted to different levels of classes and non-formal education.