Let us not forget

Let us not Forget

Il Progetto Europeo "Let Us non Forget" (Non dimentichiamo) ha visto unite Italia, Malta, Lituania e Lettonia nel condurre delle delegazioni europee lungo i percorsi più significativi per la storia della Seconda Guerra Mondiale di ciascun paese partecipante. Lo scopo del progetto è stato di aumentare la consapevolezza del ricordo, della storia e dei valori scaturiti dalla seconda Guerra Mondiale. Portando i cittadini dell'Unione europea dei quattro Stati membri sui luoghi del conflitto si è voluto infatti stimolare il dibattito e la riflessione su una parte indelebile della storia comune usando tale base di riflessione come un mezzo per incoraggiare il dialogo culturale. Al termine delle iniziative i partecipanti hanno potuto costruire convinzioni più forti circa gli ideali di libertà, di pace, di unità e di rispetto dei diritti umani.  Della durata di 15 mesi, il progetto ha coinvolto nove organizzazioni tra enti pubblici e privati provenienti dai quattro Stati partecipanti.  

Tutte le fasi del progetto nel dettaglio:

Strand 1 – "European Rememberance"  
8 events have been carried out within this project:       

Event 1          
Participation: The event involved  14 citizens, including  14  participants from the city of Isla, Bormla, Birgu, Mtarfa (Malta), Fara San Martino, Ortona, Fondazione Brigata Maiella (Italy), Zarasai (Lithuania) and Daugavpils (Latvia)          
Location / Dates: The event took place in Malta, on 30/10/2015          
Short description:  The aim of the event was holding a preparatory event whereby the Project Leader explained the project further and the roles of each partner organisation.

Event 2          
Participation: The event involved  40000  citizens, including  100  participants from the city of Isla, Bormla, Birgu, Mtarfa (Malta), Fara San Martino, Ortona, Fondazione Brigata Maiella (Italy), Zarasai (Lithuania) and Daugavpils (Latvia)   
Location / Dates: The event took place in Italy, from 21/04/2016 to 26/04/2016       
Short description:  The aim of the event was dealt with presentations and hands on events. Participants were given information on the Gustav Line and greeted in Fara San Martino by its Mayor. Also they were welcomed in Ortona by the mayor and heard experiences such as the story of the Little Stalingrad from locals who lived during WWII. Participants had the opportunity to ask questions and get answers and information on their queries. Participants visited Mozzagrogna, Crecchio, Lanciano, Casoli, Gessopalena, Torricella Peligna, Palombaro, whereby during such stops along the Gustav Line, they had the opportunity to hear narrations of personal experiences of WWII. Other experiences where shared in Civitella Messer Raimondo, Lama dei Peligni, Palena, Lettopalena, Pizzoferrato, Roccaraso, Castel di Sangro, Venafro and Monte Cassino. Increased awareness on the Gustav Line together with learning more personal experiences of persons living during WWII was experienced in Castelforte, Santi Cosme e Damiano, Minturno, Spigno Saturnia, Castellonorato, Trivio, Maranola, Formia, Gaeta, Itri, Campodimele, Fondi and Monte San Biagio.

Event 3          
Participation: The event involved  40000  citizens, including  100  participants from the Italian project partners Fara San Martino, Ortona, Fondazione Brigata Maiella  together with those cities along the Gustav Line mentioned in Project Event 2.            
Location / Dates: The event took place in Fara San Martino Italy from  27/04/2016  to 15/05/2016
Short description:  The aim of the event was the editing of all video clips taken during the journey and sub-titles inserted. The documentary is being made available to all participating organisations.        

Event 4          
Participation: The event involved  60000  citizens, including  400 participants from the city of Isla, Bormla, Birgu, Mtarfa (Malta), Fara San Martino, Ortona, Fondazione Brigata Maiella (Italy), Zarasai (Lithuania) and Daugavpils (Latvia)   
Location / Dates: The event took place in Isla, Bormla, Birgu, Mtarfa (Malta), Fara San Martino, Ortona, Fondazione Brigata Maiella (Italy), Zarasai (Lithuania) and Daugavpils (Latvia) from  27/04/2016  to 18/05/2016   
Short description:  The aim of the event was focused on preparations for the upcoming event. Each participating organisation searched on different women that had an important role during WWII and also on those who suffered. The Latvian organisation was also in contact with  the school preparing the school children by finding pictures and learning about WWII in preparation for the upcoming events. Participating countries also drafted a lesson plan and the best way to carry out the simulation.

Event 5          
Participation: The event involved  20000  citizens, including  140 participants from the city of Isla, Bormla, Birgu, Mtarfa (Malta), Fara San Martino, Ortona, Fondazione Brigata Maiella (Italy), Zarasai (Lithuania) and Daugavpils (Latvia)   
Location / Dates: The event took place in Daugavpils (Latvia) from  19/05/2016  to 22/05/2016
Short description:  The aim of the event looked into the work done so far on the project and the activities being held in Latvia. Presentations were held on the Occupation by Foreign Forces in Latvia and Lithuania. Preparations were done by the school for the simulation whereby these included sirens and blackouts and involved the school children. Organisation of workshops on Occupation by Foreign Forces – a change in culture. A festival was held changing the core of the village into the period of WWII. In different venues we experienced different locals narrating the sufferings caused by different occupations by foreign forces. Also we had the opportunity to visit WWII sites including a tribute towards those that died in the Holocaust in Latvia.

Event 6          
Participation: The event involved  10000  citizens, including  120 participants from the city of Isla, Bormla, Birgu, Mtarfa (Malta), Fara San Martino, Ortona, Fondazione Brigata Maiella (Italy), Zarasai (Lithuania) and Daugavpils (Latvia)   
Location / Dates: The event took place in Zarasai (Lithuania) from  23/05/2016  to 26/05/2016
Short description:  The aim of the event was mainly focused on workshops, panel discussions and visits. These themed around forced displacement of persons, causing a decrease in population together with the experience of holocaust – having survivors sharing their experiences. Visits were held in museums depicting the sufferings of WWII and the holocaust. Local Lithuanians spoke about the role of a women as “A Pacifist in a time of War”. Panel discussions targeted Rising children alone and Wife homemaker, not good enough to join the army and a Women in a man’s war. A visit was held in a school whereby different women described to school children, their experiences of living during WWII.

Event 7          
Participation: The event involved  20000  citizens, including  20000 participants from the city of Isla, Bormla, Birgu, Mtarfa (Malta), Fara San Martino, Ortona, Fondazione Brigata Maiella (Italy), Zarasai (Lithuania) and Daugavpils (Latvia)   
Location / Dates: The event took place in each partner country from  28/05/2016  to 25/07/2016
Short description:  The aim of the event was the publication whereby editing, design and printing were being worked on.

Event 8          
Participation: The event involved  8000  citizens, including  180 participants from the city of Isla, Bormla, Birgu, Mtarfa (Malta), Fara San Martino, Ortona, Fondazione Brigata Maiella (Italy), Zarasai (Lithuania) and Daugavpils (Latvia)   
Location / Dates: The event took place in Isla, Bormla, Birgu, Mtarfa (Malta) from 20/05/2016  to 26/05/2016
Short description:  The aim of the event was mainly focused on presentations, school activity, visits and simulation, workshops and festivals. School children together with the foreign participants went around Dock No 1 and participated in workshops related to famine and hunger during WWII. They visited a war shelter where they experienced life during an air raid, whereby through re-enactors they explained to children how their grand and great parents lived. Tours were organised to the Malta at War Museum, Fort Sant Angelo. Participants took part in an Air Raid simulation in the Dock stores and shelters found in Bormla, Isla and Birgu. Presentations and panel discussions were held on the role of Malta during WWII as defence – hope, charity and Faith and Truce as well as Hunger and Famine. Discussions amongst participants and citizens focused on different recipes used during WWII with the aim of collecting these recipes and create a publication. Participation in the Military Mtarfa Festival included displays of WWII weapons and uniforms, typical maltese life and victory kitchen re-enactments, bofors simulation attacks and viewing of the Clock Tower and the Autopsy and Margue Room within the old hospital. 
The final event ended with evaluation of the whole project and the way forward for more projects among all partners involved together with a Farewell and Networking Event.