Center for Civic Education calls for stronger remembrance of totalitarian victims

The Center for Civic Education (CGO) has issued statements regarding the importance of remembering victims of totalitarian, authoritarian, and faith-based violence. Marking the European Day of Remembrance for victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes on August 23, CGO emphasized that honoring these victims must transcend symbolic annual messages and become a permanent part of state policy, education, and the protection of democratic values.

Alma Hećo, a program assistant at CGO, noted that protecting freedom of religion and belief is a fundamental pillar of a democratic society. She warned that intolerance is increasingly spreading through digital spaces via hate speech and disinformation, necessitating improved media literacy and institutional responses to discrimination.

CGO further cautioned against the normalization of authoritarian patterns in the region, suggesting that when institutions remain silent about historical crimes, it creates space for revisionism. The organization stressed that education is vital to help younger generations recognize mechanisms of repression and systemic human rights violations.