The forgetfulness of recent history
In our youth, education was focused on historical figures such as Visigoths and Cid, while the most recent experiences were often ignored. Our parents, perhaps with good intentions, were trying to protect us from a reality that they considered too hard. This ignorance should not be seen as an absence of history, but as a tool that some groups use to influence new generations.
Shared experiences
A few years ago, a school in Granollers invited my wife and to share our experiences about the postwar period with a group of students of 11 and 12 years old. My wife told her experiences in an accessible way, using a story that teachers made a project for students. Through this exercise, students understood that, despite economic difficulties, there were always spaces of happiness.
The incomprehension of the past
For those young people, the questions about the dictatorship seemed alien. They dressed well and lived in a world where material worries were scarce. They could not imagine that for years expressing an opposite opinion could have severe consequences. Telling them that making a joke about a dictator could be dangerous was a difficult challenge.
The war as a warning
It was essential to make them understand that wars, especially civilians, do not lead to victories, but to a divided society. True victory is peaceful coexistence and the construction of a better future. We transmitted that it is crucial to learn from the past to avoid repeating mistakes.
The dangers of ignorance
At present, an attempt is observed by certain powers to go back in the advances achieved, sowing distrust between youth. This manipulation can lead them to accept realities that are not theirs, cheating them with ideas of return to a past of control and deprivation.
The frivolity before Nazism
The debate on Nazism is treated with disturbing lightness, and those who control the media and institutions often act with impunity. Democracy is in a precarious situation, and it is our responsibility to ensure that young people understand the consequences of historical ignorance.
The need to educate about the past
To prevent the story from being repeated, it is essential to provide an education that covers not only distant facts, but also the recent realities. Ignorance over the last 80 years can lead to the forgetfulness of the sacrifice of a generation that fought for freedom.