As part of the meeting Youth and Memory Engagement held in Barcelona on April 9 and 10, 2025, researcher Marije Hristova delivered a thought-provoking keynote address examining the role of memory in shaping historical narratives and informing political engagement.
Entitled with a deliberate ambiguity—evoking memory both as significant and as materialized—her keynote explored how memory functions as a dynamic force in contemporary societies. Hristova highlighted the ways in which memory can be mobilized to advance exclusionary nationalist agendas, warning against its instrumentalization in support of divisive political projects. At the same time, she emphasized the potential of memory to foster inclusive, community-based forms of resistance. Drawing on concrete examples, Hristova outlined collective strategies that challenge dominant narratives and promote democratic and pluralistic approaches to the past.
This keynote offers a timely and critical perspective on the politics of memory, and invites reflection on how remembrance practices can be reclaimed in the service of social justice and active citizenship.
