In implementing our project, we are setting ourselves the objective of strengthening intergenerational dialogue in Czech and Slovak education. We want to strengthen effective communication and mutual learning between generations. We know from experience that creating a platform for this kind of communication contributes to overcoming social and cultural barriers. For this reason, we will focus on supporting pedagogues from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and through the implementation of project activities we will ensure the integration of historical and civic topics relating to the 20th century in Czechoslovakia into their lesson plans. Considering that our project is striving to heighten civic engagement and support of democratic values among students, the project also includes the creation of an online platform which will serve as an inspiration source for teachers and educators. This web platform will therefore make possible the use of tried and tested methods and educational materials which present significant events of the last century in an innovative way through the use of eyewitness memories. The project therefore has the end objective of creating stronger and mutually respectful societies.
In relation to recent social challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, we began the project with the objective of contributing to lessening the growing social tension and division in society. Considering that the aforementioned events contributed in fundamental ways to the deepening of divisions between social and age groups in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia, we focused our project on educating pedagogues teaching subjects in the humanities on the topics of modern history and intergenerational dialogue with an emphasis on current problems and challenges. When planning the project, we simultaneously took into consideration the reality that there is insufficient space given to the teaching of 20th century Czechoslovak history in primary and secondary schools. Even when the fundamental events of the last century are being discussed, emphasis is usually placed on the history of one of the two states, which lowers the mutual interest and attention given to the other state’s history. For this reason, a key element of our project was the linking of Czech and Slovak organizations, allowing for the sharing of experiences and strengthening mutual understanding.