The 14th edition of the Ramnicu Sarat Summer University themed "Pedagogy of Memory and the Duty of Never Forgetting," opened in Ramnicu Sarat on Monday, the Institute for Investigation of Crimes of Communism and the Memory of the Romanian Exile (IICCMER) reported on Monday.
In a message sent by the Presidential Administration, senior official Catalina Galer mentioned a call that President Klaus Iohannis made at the end of July, together with other European leaders, that the history of totalitarian regimes must be known, the younger generation needs awareness, and European history and memory have to be included in national educational curricula throughout the European Union.
"Let us not be afraid to admit that in history we have had extremely dark and painful moments, and the more openly and determined we do it, I am sure that we will ensure respect for European values, fundamental rights and freedoms. I hope that the rehabilitation project of the 'Prison of Silence' in Ramnicu Sarat will come to pass and I want to assure the IICCMER team of full support for the educational projects that concern the promotion and preservation of the memory of the victims of totalitarianism," said Galer.
Senior official with the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Romania Irina Dumitrita Solomon read out a message to the attendees from Prime Minister of Romania Nicolae Ciuca, in which the prime minister emphasises that he supports and considers the introduction of the "History of Communism in Romania" as a compulsory subject matter for high school education a priority, Agerpres.
"I want to emphasise once again the importance of unfettered access to the documents and archives that constitute the clear x-ray of what happened during the totalitarian regimes that plagued Romania in the last century. Last but not least, another essential dimension of this process of owning the traumatic past is represented by the valorisation of places of memory. As I have already said, the museums dedicated to the memory of the victims of the communist regime are a priority for the incumbent government and will also get financial resources necessary for their commissioning, being included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR)," reads the prime minister's message.
Ciuca added that "the restoration of the Ramnicu Sarat prison and the creation of an educational centre on communism in Romania in order to promote the memory of communism and its consequences enjoys funding under the PNRR and which will be a space dedicated both to the general public as well as specialists in the investigation of the crimes of communism."
Special Representative of the Government for the Promotion of Remembrance Policies, Combating Anti-Semitism and Xenophobia Alexandru Muraru, pointed out that "IICCMER must once again become a hub for investigating the crimes of the communist regime, an engine of investigations, a permanent generator of education and research projects, a sharp warning every time when public persons, institutions or initiatives outrage the memory of the victims of the communist regime, as was the recent one, with the Cenaclul Flacara and the promotion of the image of the court poet, Adrian Paunescu."
IICCMER Executive Chairman Daniel Sandru gave assurances that the institute will become an important part of the national effort to consolidate democratic consciousness, through the projects it runs jointly with other relevant public bodies with jurisdiction in the field and together with the civil society.
"There is an urgent need for a national programme for the institutionalisation of historical memory, which starts from a modern conception of the activity in the field, pursuing primarily the public utility and the educational impact of the actions. History and its collective memory are not areas of simple competence administrative or political, as they are part of the civic and national consciousness. Hence a permanent collaboration with the civil society, the academic and educational community, the private and institutional entrepreneurial environment, when the main objective is to support a set of moral values, particularly among active generations, is not just a way to achieve goals, but a true exercise of democracy in the service of public interests," said Sandru.
The 14th edition of the summer university will end on Friday, August 26.
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