FUNDACIÓN VÍCTIMAS DEL TERRORISMO 96 - ENGLISH

4 EDITORIAL TEACHING REMEMBRANCE, BUILDING THE FUTURE Teaching remembrance does not mean remaining anchored in the past. It means understanding it to interpret the present more clearly and build a future in which violence can never be justified In a society shaped by constant change and a pace of news that often blurs collective memories, keeping remembrance alive has become a democratic responsibility of the hi- ghest order. This is not simply about preserving the past, but about ensu- ring that new generations unders- tand what happened, who suffered the consequences of terrorism, and why the defence of freedom, human dignity and peaceful coexistence can never be taken for granted. We approach the final months of 2026 with that conviction, following an intensive academic programme that has brought us together with five Spanish universities in a series of courses jointly promoted by the Victims of Terrorism Foundation and the Memorial Centre for the Victims of Terrorism. Five cour- ses with a shared purpose: to help students, teachers and the public understand terrorism and its con- sequences through rigorous study, critical reflection and respect for victims. Remembrance is the foremost mo- ral inheritance of those of us who defend the rights and dignity of vic- tims of terrorism. Without it, justice loses part of its meaning and socie- ty risks slipping into indifference, trivialisation or distorted accounts of what happened. Remembrance enables us to identify clearly who the victims were and who the per- petrators were; it helps us preserve the truth against oblivion and pass on the essential values of democratic coexistence. That is why we believe education is one of the most effective ways of strengthening this shared remem- brance. Classrooms are ideal set- tings for acquiring knowledge, but also for learning values. They shape citizenship, develop critical thinking and consolidate the principles that sustain our democracies. When re- membrance enters education, it be- comes more than an act of recollec- tion: it becomes a powerful tool for social change. Teaching remembrance does not mean remaining anchored in the past. It means understanding the past so that we can interpret the present more clearly and build a future in which violence can never be justified. It means giving young people the tools to recognise hate speech, combat intolerance and re- ject every form of radicalisation. It also means understanding that de- mocracy is not a permanent, irrever- sible reality, but a shared good that must be protected every day through civic commitment and respect for fundamental rights. In this context, bringing the testi- mony of victims of terrorism to new generations is especially important. Many of today’s university students were born after some of the darkest years of terrorism had already pas- sed. To them, those events belong to a history that may seem distant. Yet their consequences remain present in the lives of thousands of people and families who lost loved ones, su- ffered physical injuries or psycholo- gical harm, or endured years of fear and intimidation. Listening to their voices and learning about their ex- periences is a way of giving history a human face and understanding the true extent of the damage caused by terrorism. This principle has guided the five academic initiatives organised this