Unarchiving Democracy: Youth, Post-Colonial Memory and the Portuguese Democratic Path

On 23 and 24 April 2026, the international meeting “FREI – From Resistance to European Integration” will take place in Lisbon, under the theme “Unarchiving Democracy: Youth, post-colonial memory and the construction of democracy in Portugal”. The event will be held in English.

Full programme here.

This initiative will bring together primarily young participants, as well as researchers and European institutions, to reflect on the relationship between democratic memory, post-colonial legacies and the contemporary challenges facing democracy.

Over two days, the programme will include testimonies, debates, workshops and visits to sites of memory, exploring how archives, historical memory and civic engagement can contribute to strengthening democratic values and combating racism and discrimination.

The meeting will include three moments, across three memory institutions:

- Aljube Museum – Resistance and Freedom (also at Judicial Studies Center)

- Mário Soares and Maria Barroso Foundation

- Monument to the Discoveries

A commemorative action marking the Carnation Revolution will take place on 23 April at 7:00 PM at Largo do Carmo, an emblematic site of Portugal’s democratic transition. The initiative will consist of a symbolic placement of carnations, with the participation of the young people involved in the meeting.

The initiative is part of the European project “FREI - From Resistance to European Integration”, funded by the CERV programme - Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values of the European Union, which explores European trajectories linking experiences of resistance to authoritarian regimes in the 20th century with processes of democratic construction and European integration.