Memory and dialogue across generations
"Memory as a Mission and Dialogue Across Generations" exhibition opened at the Albanian Presidential Office building on June 5th, 2023. The event was initiated by the First Lady, Armanda Begaj, in collaboration with the Institute for Democracy, Media & Culture (IDMC).
The works of high school students who participated in the annual competition "Ask Your Grandparents", were exhibited over two days. IDMC organizes the competition since 2016, inviting young people to compete in essays, multimedia and visual arts categories, giving Albanian youth an opportunity to reflect on the communist dictatorship and to sensitize the general public to the need for learning from the past. In addition to reflecting on their family memories and stories, young people influence the way we see and build a shared vision for the future.
The exhibition was greeted by the President of the Republic, His Excellency, Bajram Begaj; First Lady, Armanda Begaj; executive director of IDMC, Dr. Jonila Godole; Fatmiroshe Xhemalaj, curriculum specialist in the subject of history; Vojsava Kumbulla, president of the Albanian History Teachers' Association, and the winners of the "Ask Your Grandparents" competition.
It's nice to see how using dialogue within the family, the older generation can transmit through memories the knowledge gained in living and the positive experiences they learned, but also the lessons from the past. From this plurality of human communication the collective memory of society is kept alive, family histories and our country's are taught, we are proud of its glorious parts, we reflect on the dark parts to build the best society of the future for you, the young people.
IDMC considers this event an important collaboration between state institutions and civil society that promotes historical memory and awareness of the younger generation.