16:00 – 17:30
Panel: Teaching guilt? The history wars and education

Schools have become ground zero for the war against the past. History lessons no longer teach pride in national heritage—they teach guilt. Children are being raised to apologize for their ancestors, while the narrative of the West is being replaced with a bland, globalized storyline devoid of context or nuance. The European Parliament’s latest push – in a resolution on “historical consciousness” – for "multiple perspectives" only accelerates this trend, pushing national history to the margins. But can we really educate the next generation if we cut them off from their roots? This panel explores how education has become a battleground for historical consciousness. What does it mean for a society when its children are taught to reject their own heritage? And how can we reclaim a balanced understanding of where we come from?

Moderator: Joanna Williams, Visiting Fellow, MCC

Speakers:
Göran Adamson (Associate Professor in Sociology; internationally renowned critic of multiculturalism and diversity)
Ferenc Laczó (Assistant Professor at Maastricht University)
Jorge Álvarez Palomino (Professor of Contemporary History and Political Thought, CEU San Pablo University, Madrid)
Miroslav Vanek (Leading historian in contemporary Czech history and oral history; former president, International Oral History Association and Czech Oral History Association)

It is part of the event The War Against the Past: Fighting for our history: https://brussels.mcc.hu/event/the-war...