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Call for application for Study programme

Freedom of Speech Beyond Borders

Main stakeholder

European Network Remembrance and Solidarity

Details

Application Deadline

6 May 2025

Languages

English

Description

What would you do if expressing your opinion meant risking your freedom? How would you share your thoughts in a society where censorship silences dissent? These were the everyday dilemmas of dissidents in Central and Eastern Europe during the Cold War — and they’re still relevant today, as freedom of speech continues to face growing threats across the globe. The European Network Remembrance and Solidarity (ENRS), in collaboration with its partners, invites university students and young professionals to participate in the interdisciplinary educational project ‘Freedom of Speech Beyond Borders.’ The programme aims to explore the history of the struggle against censorship during the Cold War and to reflect on contemporary challenges to freedom of expression. Participants will engage in a dynamic learning experience combining online seminars with study visits to European archives and memory sites. Two parallel study visits will be held – one in Bremen, Germany, at the Research Centre for East European Studies, and the other in Prague, Czech Republic, in the Libri Prohibiti Library and the Václav Havel Library. The programme will conclude with a joint gathering at the House of the Literary Institute in Maisons-Laffitte, near Paris. There, participants will work together to create a collective zine — inspired by historical samizdat — reflecting on past and present struggles for free expression. Through archival research, historical document analysis, and interviews with former dissidents and human rights activists, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the resilience and courage required to resist censorship. Additionally, a hands-on zine-making workshop will provide an opportunity for creative expression, guided by experienced artists. The project is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland within the framework of the Inspiring Culture Programme.

How to apply

We welcome applications from students of the humanities, social sciences and the arts, as well as young journalists, poets, writers, photographers and human rights activists. Applicants are requested to complete the application form on our webist.

Thematic focus

Art History

Cultural History

Intellectual History

Local History

Political History

Social History

Histories of Discrimination and Persecution

Histories of Authoritarian Regimes and Dictatorships

Remembrance / Collective Memory

Innovative Approaches

Multi-Perspectivity in History Teaching

Transnational and International Cooperations

Affiliations

Freedom of Speech Beyond Borders Details