In the fabric of 20th-century European history, resistance poetry stands as a beacon of memory and a call to action. Within the framework of the Poetry of Resistance project, we aimed is to promote European Remembrance and the active participation of today’s youth by studying and reflecting on the role played by resistance movements in combating 20th-century dictatorships.
In contemporary Western society, there is a decrease in political participation, especially among young people (Sveningsson, 2015). In Europe, there is evidence of a decline in the connection of young people with traditional political processes (Youth Participation Strategy, SALTO 2020). Faced with this reality, it is proposed that preserving the memory of resistance movements across Europe may be an effective and attractive way to engage young people in civic and political life, reversing the described trends and creating opportunities for new democratic achievements based on European common history.
However, we are facing a growing problem. In recent years, we have observed across Europe the emergence of several threats to democracy due to the increasing extremist and xenophobic political forces that resort to “distortion of historical facts and employ symbolism and rhetoric that echoes aspects of totalitarian propaganda, including racism, anti-Semitism, and hatred towards sexual and other minorities” (European Parliament, 2019). It seems that the suffering endured during the 20th century, due to the atrocities committed by totalitarian and autocratic regimes that ravaged Europe, is somehow being forgotten.
It is in this context that resistance poetry emerges as a living testimony to the struggle for freedom, justice, and human rights. The words of poets, woven with pain and hope, remind us of the price paid for freedom and urge us not to forget. Resistance poetry challenges us to confront the injustices of the past and present and inspires us to work for a fairer and more equitable future.
Preserving the memory of resistance movements through poetry is crucial in the fight against forgetting and the resurgence of authoritarian ideologies. By remembering and honoring the sacrifice of those who fought for democracy, we can strengthen our own commitments to democratic values and the defense of human rights.
Moreover, resistance poetry has the power to connect generations, to transmit lived experience through words. In a world where history tends to be distorted or ignored, resistance poetry acts as a bridge between the past and the present, between those who fought and those who still fight today for a better world.
Therefore, it is crucial that we continue to promote resistance poetry as a tool for civic participation and the preservation of historical memory. We must foster spaces for dialogue and reflection where young people can learn from the past and engage in building a more democratic and just future.
At a time when democratic values are being questioned and threatened, resistance poetry reminds us that the struggle for freedom and justice is an ongoing commitment. Let us move forward, with words as our weapons and memory as our guide.