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The ICIP Governing Board has decided to award the 2026 ICIP Peace in Progress Award to the Women’s Platform for Peace in Casamance (Plateforme des Femmes pour la Paix en Casamance, PFPC), a network of 15 women’s organisations working for peace, security and women’s rights in the context of the conflict between the Casamance natural region and the Senegalese state that has been ongoing since 1982.

The award recognises the Platform’s work in “positioning women as peace agents in conflict resolution and breaking the silence about the war, through the creation of community dialogue spaces at local, regional and national level.“

The PFPC was established in 2010 with the aim of working towards the restoration of peace in the Casamance region after three decades of conflict between the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) and the Senegalese state. It is one of the longest-running conflicts on the African continent, having caused more than 5,000 deaths and 10,000 injuries – many from anti-personnel landmines – and thousands of forced displacements to the neighbouring countries of Guinea-Bissau and Gambia.

Since its founding, the PFPC has carried out community consultations to document lived experiences during the conflict and understand the aspirations of the population, facilitated spaces for communities to express themselves on the peace process in the region, and organised seven Peace Tables with representation from the parties to the conflict, an unprecedented mediation exercise led by women’s collectives.

In partnership with UN Women and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Platform has promoted actions to combat gender-based violence and established the Women’s Forum of the Senegal–Guinea-Bissau–Gambia Space, a cross-border advocacy framework for peace and regional stability.

The PFPC’s dialogue and advocacy initiatives have had a tangible impact on the region, which has been living under a sustained ceasefire since 2012. That said, despite the various ceasefire agreements signed, a political solution to Casamance’s independence claim – the root cause of the conflict – has never been placed on the table.

Support for women and girls

The PFPC has played an active role in defending the rights of women in the context of the conflict. Since 2015 it has managed a shelter and support centre for women and girls who are survivors of violence, victims of sexual and physical abuse, offering medical and psychological care as well as support for social and professional reintegration. Since its establishment, the centre has assisted around five hundred women and girls from Senegal and neighbouring countries such as Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau.

A long and silenced conflict

Casamance is a territory of 30,000 square kilometres, bordering Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, with a population of one and a half million. In the Ziguinchor region, the capital, the Diola people predominate — a community that asserts its culture and traditions and rejects the policies of the Senegalese government, which it considers to have systematically marginalised the region.

The Casamance conflict, despite being one of the longest-running on the African continent, is paradoxically one of the least known. Its origins lie in December 1982, when Senegalese security forces violently suppressed a peaceful demonstration in Ziguinchor, called by the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC), a movement fighting for the region’s independence and the recognition of the rights of the Casamance people. Following those events, the MFDC radicalised its actions and the armed wing of the movement emerged.

Since then, there have been periods of high-intensity conflict, particularly in the late 1980s and 1990s, and sporadic or low-intensity clashes between combatants divided into different armed factions and the Senegalese army. Over the years, there have also been numerous peace initiatives, particularly from organisations within the region, many of them led by women.

An active peace process

Following various ceasefires, a peace agreement was signed in 2004 that saw three factions of the MFDC movement abandon armed struggle. Despite the truce, clashes resumed intermittently until 2022, when the MFDC and the Senegalese state signed the Declaration of Mutual Commitment on Disarmament Conditions.

The peace agreement, renewed in 2023, 2024, and 2025, which has led to the disarmament of the movement’s Diakaye faction, does not provide a political solution to the conflict but offers hope for achieving lasting peace in the region. Ending the conflict requires a comprehensive approach encompassing the completion of the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) process for former combatants, demining of the territory, the return of displaced persons and economic revitalisation.

On May 27, 2026, the Hub Social Barcelona hosted the event “No War, No Tyrants”, which served as the public presentation of the BCN4Peace initiative. The event, attended by 150 people, marked the beginning of a new strategic alliance among the ICIP, the Centre Delàs for Peace Studies, and NOVACT, with the support of the Barcelona City Council.

The main goal of BCN4Peace is to position Barcelona as an international reference point for the culture of peace, nonviolence and disarmament. In a European context increasingly shaped by militarization and cuts to development cooperation, the initiative seeks to reinforce the city’s long-standing commitment to peace and human rights.

Voices Against Tyranny

The event featured two internationally renowned speakers. On the one hand, john a. powell, professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and a leading voice connected to the Black Lives Matter movement, analyzed how today’s “tyrants” use fear and polarization to erode democracy. Powell stressed that the best response to authoritarianism is not only resistance, but also the creation of a narrative of belonging that includes everyone.

On the other hand, Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini, a globally recognized expert on the Women, Peace and Security agenda and founder of the ICAN network, offered first-hand testimony on the human cost of war and repression. Naraghi-Anderlini defended the power of civil society and Iranian women, who use nonviolent tactics against authoritarian regimes, and warned that sanctions and violence often end up strengthening the most extremist sectors in power.

The event was moderated by journalist Rita Marzoa.

City Diplomacy at the Center

The event also highlighted the importance of city diplomacy as a tool to ensure the continuity of peace policies beyond changes in national governments. Barcelona’s Deputy Mayor Maria Eugènia Gay closed the discussion by affirming that the city must continue “raising its voice” and leading movements that place human rights back at the center of all political, economic and social action.

With this public launch, BCN4Peace begins its journey as an open platform to articulate peacebuilding efforts in the Catalan capital. ICIP is one of the main driving forces behind the initiative, together with Centre Delàs and NOVACT, aiming to turn this project into a long-term commitment.

The interactive exhibition “PolsXtrems: Your gym for training critical thinking” – an ICIP project developed in collaboration with the Directorate General for Dissemination – closed its doors on Sunday 17 May to resounding public success.  Over the course of three months, the show drew up to 28,000 visitors, transforming Palau Robert’s Exhibition Room 2 into a gym for training critical thinking.

The exhibition also captured the interest of educational centres: 700 secondary school and vocational training students visited the show through guided tours led by the association Verificat, as a pedagogical resource for developing critical thinking in the classroom.

Produced by ICIP and curated by the creative studio Domestic Data Streamers – responsible for the art direction and museography – “PolsXtrems” is a high-intensity circuit training course designed to put critical thinking to the test, resist toxic polarization, and stimulate curiosity and respect for those who think differently.

In a context of information overload, where disinformation and hate speech spread with alarming ease and polarization is on the rise, the exhibition space recreated a training room with a range of activities aimed at building mental flexibility and a critical mindset, and raising awareness of unconscious biases and the importance of fact-checking.  The final section of the circuit recreated a changing room where visitors were invited to listen to different points of view on current social debates, such as immigration, housing and tourism.

In March and April, ICIP organised the panel discussion series “Who is training your mind? Disinformation, polarisation and hate speech” as a complement to the exhibition “PolsXtrems”, which runs until 17 May at Palau Robert.  The exhibition recreates a gym where visitors can train their critical thinking and test their capacity for dialogue and listening to different opinions – all set against a backdrop of growing political and social polarisation, rising disinformation, and the normalisation of exclusionary narratives.

Emotional disinformation and the need for media literacy

The first panel discussion, held on 25 March under the title “The risks of disinformation“, focused on the mechanisms behind the spread of disinformation — fuelled above all by social media — and on the need to develop tools to counter it.

Participants included Laura Pinyol, vice-president of the Audiovisual Council of Catalonia; Ona Sindreu, data journalist and editorial coordinator at Verificat; and Nereida Carrillo, PhD in Journalism and Communication and director of the association Learn to Check.  The session was moderated by Sergi Picazo, a journalist at Crític.

The speakers discussed how traditional media increasingly compete with social networks in the dissemination of information, and how these same platforms tend to spread fake news and promote content that appeals to emotions and encourages more extreme opinions.  To counter this situation, participants emphasised the promotion of content verification tools, the regulation of platforms, and media literacy.  For example, Carrillo presented the PANTERA method, based on analysing content according to its provenance (source), authorship, novelty, tone, evidence, replies and amplification.

Algorithms, engines of polarisation

The second session of the series, held on 8 April under the title “Algorithms, power and polarisation” featured Emma Fraxanet, PhD in Information and Communication Technologies and postdoctoral researcher at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center; and Karma Peiró, co-founder and executive director of the Fundació Visualització per la Transparència (Transparency Visualisation Foundation). The session was moderated by Rita Costa from Build Up.

The discussion focused on the responsibility of digital platforms and their business model in fostering toxic polarisation.  Research findings were presented demonstrating that networks such as Facebook or X structurally favour conflict and toxicity, as the most extreme content generates the most interaction and, therefore, the greatest financial return.

As a counterpoint, the experts outlined concrete alternatives including prosocial design (Prosocial Design Network), which promotes algorithms fostering dialogue and connecting divergent viewpoints through mutual understanding, as well as new European regulations, such as the Digital Services Act, to demand transparency from major tech companies and encourage the development of more local and ethical networks.

The normalisation of hate speech

The series concluded on 22 April with the panel discussion “Impact and narratives of hate speech: How to confront It?“, featuring Cheikh Drame, president of SOS Racisme; Ángeles Schjaer, pedagogical coordinator of Open Arms; and Júlia Vigó, head of Equality Policies and Feminisms at the Taula del Tercer Sector Social (Third Social Sector Platform).  The discussion was moderated by Pablo Aguiar, director of FundiPau.

The session raised the alarm about the spread and normalisation of exclusionary discourse in the public, media and political sphere. Participants recalled that hatred is not a new phenomenon, but rather responds to historical structures of discrimination (racist, sexist and classist), which have served to justify the dehumanisation of the “other”. The speakers denounced institutional racism and European border policies, which often push migrants into situations of extreme vulnerability, and called for grassroots networking and civic mobilisation in the face of policies that promote hatred and exclusion.  The session also addressed how to combat hate speech with transformative narratives.

The panel debate series highlighted the importance of promoting an education grounded in respect for human rights, the need to foster critical thinking, and the commitment to a system that places social justice, ethical technology and equal opportunities at its centre.

ICIP, in collaboration with CIDOB (Barcelona Centre for International Affairs) and several European organisations, has launched the webinar series Rethinking Security in Europe — a programme of five online sessions taking place between 7 May and 3 June 2026.

The series was conceived against a backdrop of rising military spending, the war in Ukraine, the genocide in Gaza, and the reshaping of international alliances, with the aim of opening up a space for critical debate about what we mean by security today and what alternatives exist beyond strictly military responses.

The first session, held on 7 May under the title “The Militarisation of Security in Europe”, featured Mary Kaldor, professor at the London School of Economics, and Tutku Ayhan, researcher at IBEI. The conversation was moderated by Nàdia Zougagh, a law and political science student.

During the session, Mary Kaldor argued that Europe currently finds itself caught between two competing conceptions of security. The first, led by NATO, rests on military logic and nuclear deterrence; the second, rooted in the European Union tradition, is centred on the protection of people, the rule of law and human security. According to Kaldor, keeping the “war imaginary” as the organizing principle of security policy is “extremely dangerous” and diverts essential resources away from social needs.

Tutku Ayhan, for her part, argued that Europe is not simply undergoing a process of militarisation, but rather an “intensified remilitarisation” that is spreading into governance and everyday life. She pointed to the shift in the EU’s institutional language — from presenting itself as a “civilian power” to prioritising concepts such as “strategic autonomy” and “defence readiness” — and noted that this shift is reflected in major military investment programmes such as ReArm Europe.

A feminist perspective

The session also examined the impacts of militarisation through a feminist lens. Ayhan stressed that these processes are far from gender-neutral, citing the militarisation of migration policies as a case in point — with borders increasingly defined by surveillance and the framing of migrants as “security risks.”

Both Kaldor and Ayhan also challenged current budgetary priorities, warning that as military spending rises, welfare systems and humanitarian aid are being progressively eroded — including programmes linked to reproductive health and the prevention of gender-based violence.

The discussion closed with a reflection on what Ayhan described as the “military-academic-industrial complex”, referring to the growing share of funding directed towards military research, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence and surveillance technologies. She called for greater public debate on these decisions and made the case for security models grounded in law, democracy and social protection.

The Rethinking Security in Europe series will continue over the coming weeks, tackling questions such as who defines European security, who is left out of these policies, and what alternatives to militarised approaches might look like. Sessions are held in English with simultaneous interpretation into Catalan.

This week, at a ceremony held in the Parliament of Catalonia, the Millennial Council of the Peace and Truce Assemblies was formally established. Comprising twenty-nine public figures, the Council has been entrusted with advising the Parliament’s Bureau on the commemorative programme marking the thousandth anniversary of the first Peace and Truce Assemblies, which will take place throughout 2027.

These assemblies, along with the Comital Court, are widely regarded as the precursors of parliamentary institutions in Catalonia.  The first one was convened in Prats de Toluges, Roussillon, in 1027.

Council members, appointed by the Parliament’s Bureau, are distinguished individuals with backgrounds in academia, peace advocacy, culture, law and historiography.  Among them are ICIP director Kristian Herbolzheimer, and political scientist Sonia Andolz, who currently heads ICIP’s “Security alternatives” area.

On Tuesday 5 May, the Council held its first meeting, chaired by the president of the Parliament, Josep Rull, and the Millennial commissioner, Manel Vila.

The commemoration seeks to honour the thousandth anniversary of the assemblies and the deep roots of Catalan parliamentarianism, while highlighting Catalonia’s historical commitment to peace, democracy and human dignity.  True to this spirit, the planned events and activities will revolve around the themes of parliamentarianism, Catalonia’s own institutions, history, and the promotion of peace.

The Lluïsos de Gràcia Theatre in Barcelona hosted the event “Palestinians and Israelis Together for Peace and Against Occupation” on Monday, 27 April, organised by ICIP, FundiPau, NOVACT and Lluïsos de Gràcia as part of the 20th anniversary of the movement Combatants for Peace.

The conversation, moderated by FundiPau vice-president Carme Suñé, brought together two members of the organisation: Israeli activist Elik Elhanan and Palestinian activist Ahmed Helou. Both shared their personal experiences and their commitment to nonviolent resistance as an alternative to the cycle of violence and dehumanisation shaped by decades of conflict, the occupation of the Palestinian territories and the genocide in the Gaza Strip.

A former soldier in a special unit of the Israeli army and co-founder of Combatants for Peace, Elhanan explained how the death of his sister in a Hamas suicide bombing in 1997 profoundly changed his understanding of the conflict. “Revenge is not worth it,” he said. Rather than embracing retaliation, Elhanan decided to distance himself from violence, convinced that Israel’s military logic and use of violence only fuel further violence on the Palestinian side.

During his intervention, Elhanan stressed the need to break away from a “monolithic” view of the enemy and to create spaces for encounter between Palestinians and Israelis. “The occupation is the main source of violence in the region,” he said, while defending the importance of building a shared political space based on mutual recognition and equality.

For his part, Ahmed Helou explained how he joined Hamas at the age of 15 to fight the Israeli occupation and how, after spending time in prison and losing dozens of relatives and friends, he came to the conclusion that violence only perpetuates suffering. “Nonviolence is the path to freedom,” he stated.

Helou highlighted that direct contact with Israelis opposed to the occupation was key to his personal transformation, as it allowed him to stop seeing the “other” solely as an enemy. In this regard, he described Combatants for Peace as “a symbol of the future” and proof that Palestinians and Israelis can work together for justice, dignity and security for both peoples.

Both activists agreed on the difficulties of defending nonviolent positions in the current context, marked by polarisation, pain and dehumanisation. Nevertheless, they stressed the importance of continuing to build alternatives based on dialogue and empathy in the face of narratives that portray violence as inevitable.

The event concluded with a recognition of the work carried out by Combatants for Peace, a movement founded in 2006 by former Palestinian and Israeli combatants who decided to lay down their weapons and work together for a peaceful solution to the conflict. The organisation promotes nonviolent resistance actions, spaces for dialogue, and awareness-raising initiatives, both in Israel and Palestine and internationally, with the aim of demonstrating that it is possible to build alternatives grounded in justice, equality, and mutual recognition.

The president and director of the International Catalan Institute for Peace (ICIP), Xavier Masllorens and Kristian Herbolzheimer respectively, appeared before the European Union and External Action Committee of the Parliament of Catalonia on Thursday 9 April to present the institution’s Activity Report for 2024 and 2025.

In his address, the ICIP president highlighted the qualitative leap and growing impact of ICIP’s work, pointing to the co-organisation of nine international conferences — six of which were held abroad — and an expanding presence across Catalonia.  In keeping with its mandate to promote a culture of peace, both in Catalonia and internationally, the institution established 148 collaborations and participated in 10 action networks throughout 2025.

Against a backdrop of unprecedented growth in military spending and an ever-rising number of armed conflicts, 2025 saw ICIP strengthen its internal capacities for developing security alternatives at both local and global levels — alternatives centred on the interests of citizens rather than a militaristic outlook.  The institution has also sharpened its focus on promoting dialogue and mediation in the international arena, as well as strengthening dialogue capacities and pushing back against toxic polarisation within Catalonia, through the conceptualisation of the exhibition “PolsXtrems: Your gym to train your critical thinking”, which runs until 17 May at Palau Robert..

In his address, Xavier Masllorens also outlined the strategic objectives for 2026, among which he highlighted the intention to convene rigorous, multifaceted analyses and reflections on how to prevent and reduce all forms of violence.  He drew particular attention to the significance that a broad coalition of social and institutional actors committed to peace are driving forward the first Peace Master Plan of Catalonia – an initiative with the potential to become an international benchmark.

The president of ICIP, whose mandate comes to an end this coming May after ten years at the helm of the institution, ended his remarks by highlighting the privilege of presiding over an institution that “projects Catalonia to the world and works for a more cohesive society”.  For his part, ICIP director Kristian Herbolzheimer underlined the opportunity for Catalonia to lead, within Europe, “reflections and proposals on peacebuilding and social cohesion at a time when these issues are more relevant than ever”.

The ICIP director also reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to promoting the Catalan language, a commitment reflected, for example, in the translation into Catalan of 51 titles by both classic and contemporary authors.  Responding to questions from several parliamentary groups — most notably Junts per Catalunya — Herbolzheimer acknowledged that the approach taken regarding the Catalan language in the “PolsXtrems” exhibition had been a mistake, and stressed that “ICIP firmly believes that Catalan is a tool for social cohesion and is deeply committed to promoting the Catalan language”.  In their rebuttal, Junts per Catalunya thanked ICIP for its explanations on this matter before the Parliament.

The parliamentary groups expressed their appreciation for the public service work carried out by ICIP and, despite some reservations, praised its contribution to promoting a culture of peace, both in Catalonia and around the world — a contribution all the more necessary in today’s turbulent climate.

ICIP was established by the Parliament of Catalonia in 2007 with the aim of promoting a culture of peace within Catalan society and on the international stage, and of ensuring that Catalonia plays an active role as a peacebuilding agent in the world.  An autonomous body with its own legal personality, ICIP serves public administrations, the academic community and civil society, and is accountable to the Parliament, the Government and the public at large.

The 16th edition of the Ciutats Defensores dels Drets Humans (Human Rights Defender Cities programme) will begin on 13 April with the launch of its spring tour, to be held at the headquarters of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. Until 22 April, five human rights defenders from Mexico, Colombia, Palestine, El Salvador and Kurdistan will travel across several municipalities in Catalonia to share their experiences and denounce the human rights violations they face in their territories.

The initiative, coordinated by the Fons Català de Cooperació al Desenvolupament and managed by the Comissió Catalana d’Ajuda al Refugiat, involves 28 local councils and several Catalan organisations and institutions, including ICIP, which provides institutional support.

Since 2013, Human Rights Defender Cities has worked to raise the visibility of human rights defenders, denounce the persecution they face, and strengthen protection networks while fostering a more informed and engaged public on human rights issues.

Voices from the frontlines

At the heart of the programme is the stay in Catalonia of a group of defenders working in contexts of conflict or high vulnerability. During their visit, they take part in conferences, educational activities, institutional meetings and media engagements.

This year’s participants come from diverse backgrounds but share a common thread: a sustained commitment to defending human rights in challenging environments.

Jenkidar Shikhdmmar, from Kurdistan, works to raise awareness about the situation of the Kurdish people and the rights violations faced by minorities. From Colombia, Natali González Arce brings extensive experience in peacebuilding, feminism and working with young people at risk of social exclusion.

From Palestine, Zaina Qazzaz will share the perspective of a generation shaped by the conflict in Gaza and the challenges of continuing their life projects. Meanwhile, Constantino Rubén Moreno Méndez will present his work defending the rights of Indigenous peoples and documenting human rights violations in Chiapas, Mexico.

Support and advocacy from Catalonia

The presence of these voices in Catalonia goes beyond symbolism. The tour provides a space of temporary protection and international visibility for individuals who often work under risk, while also fostering dialogue with institutions, civil society and the broader public.

In this context, ICIP’s involvement reflects its commitment to promoting a culture of peace, supporting human rights defenders, and contributing to narratives that connect global realities with local contexts.

The spring tour will be followed by a second phase in autumn, scheduled from 29 September to 8 October, consolidating a project that, beyond individual visits, seeks to build lasting alliances in defence of human rights.

Against a backdrop of rising global conflicts and the weaponisation of history, the International Catalan Institute for Peace (ICIP), in partnership with the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience and the War Childhood Museum, convened a major multi-stakeholder roundtable in Sarajevo on March 24-25.

The two-day conference, titled “Closing the Gaps: Memory, Prevention and Social Cohesion in Europe,” gathered civil society actors, grassroots organisations, scholars, and policymakers at Europe House to critically assess why the post-WWII promise of “never again” has so often failed to translate into effective violence prevention.

Confronting the “New Normal” of War

The event opened with a stark acknowledgement of the current geopolitical climate. Kristian Herbolzheimer, Executive Director of ICIP, set the tone by warning that we are living in extremely troubling times in which the trend toward peace agreements has reverted to power politics. “War is framed now as a new normal,” Herbolzheimer noted, challenging participants to build a new narrative of hope and find ways to sustain difficult dialogues in a polarised world.

Throughout the first day, participants mapped the severe limitations of current memory policies. Discussions highlighted how dominant narratives often reflect a “fabricated history” that sidelines marginalised groups, such as the Roma community, whose suffering during WWII and the 1990s wars has historically been excluded from institutional archives. Panellists also condemned the ongoing political instrumentalisation of memory, where remembrance is frequently manipulated to justify contemporary violence or reinforce social divisions rather than heal them.

“Active Hope” and Practical Prevention

The second day shifted the focus from identifying gaps to designing practical, preventive tools. A deeply moving keynote address by Alma Mustafić, a survivor of the Srebrenica genocide, reminded the room of the true purpose of remembering. “Memory is not just about the past. It’s a tool for prevention, for civil engagement and for social projects,” Mustafić stated, adding that memory feeds the courage to speak out against injustice and stand in solidarity with others.

Participants explored concrete strategies to integrate historical memory into early-warning systems and anti-discrimination mechanisms. Key recommendations that emerged from the specialised working groups included:

• A Holistic EU Approach: A strong call for the European Union to stop fragmenting its anti-discrimination policies into “silos” and instead adopt a comprehensive approach to preventing discrimination.
• No Double Standards: Practitioners urged policymakers to stop viewing atrocities as isolated events and instead treat transitional justice as a long-term security risk, demanding that international accountability be applied without double standards.
• Inclusive, Bottom-Up Peacebuilding: A consensus that memory work must move beyond elite, donor-driven bubbles. Organisations were urged to act as platforms rather than storytellers, engaging youth through practical tasks and utilising local, community-driven practices to build trust.

Building a Community of Practice

Ultimately, the “Closing the Gaps” roundtable served not just as a space for critical reflection but as the foundation for a sustained movement. Recognising the challenges ahead, including potential cuts to EU peacebuilding funding and the ongoing threat of political censorship, participants committed to forming a long-term community of practice.

The holding of the roundtable in Sarajevo, a city marked by the consequences of recent conflicts, but also by efforts toward reconstruction and coexistence, reinforces the commitment of ICIP and the participating organisations to promote memory as a key tool for violence prevention and peacebuilding.

On Thursday, 19 February, the exhibition “PolsXtrems. Your Gym to Buff Up Your Critical Thinking” was inaugurated at Palau Robert. The initiative is led by ICIP and the Directorate-General for Public Outreach, with curation by the creative studio Domestic Data Streamers, which is responsible for art direction and exhibition design.

PolsXtrems is an interactive, multimedia exhibition that recreates a gym where visitors can train critical thinking, empathy, and curiosity about other people’s opinions. In a context marked by growing disinformation, polarization and hate speech, the exhibition space mirrors a gym training room, offering different “workouts” to build mental flexibility and critical spirit. It concludes with a recreated locker room that invites visitors to listen to diverse perspectives on current social debates such as immigration, tourism and language.

The opening event featured remarks by the Director-General for Public Outreach, Elisabet Valls; the Director of ICIP, Kristian Herbolzheimer; and the Director-General for Development Cooperation, Andrea Costafreda.

In her welcome address, Valls emphasised that “we can all become victims of polarisation and fall, without even realising it, into biased, unfair or potentially hateful narratives. It is essential to pause, to take a moment, and, as ICIP aptly proposes with this exhibition, overcome mental laziness and sign up for the gym of the mind: to exercise critical thinking, strengthen our reflective muscles and empathy for the common good.”

Herbolzheimer, in turn, stressed the importance of this mental training: “We celebrate disagreement, but we need tools to manage it constructively. ‘PolsXtrems’ invites us to identify our own cognitive biases and to train respect and curiosity toward those who think differently.”

Finally, in her closing remarks, Costafreda noted that from a development cooperation perspective, “it is not all about funding or technical solutions; many inequalities are rooted in social norms, narratives and worldviews,” and therefore it is essential to keep an open mind.

The inauguration concluded with a performance by Marina Olivares, who, playing the role of a gym trainer, invited attendees to “exercise in order to train their critical spirit.”

“PolsXtrems” is therefore a new concept of a gym designed to combat mental laziness, increase flexibility when listening to different points of view, counter disinformation, strengthen empathy and build resilience against toxic polarization. The exhibition can be visited in Room 2 at Palau Robert until 17 May. Admission is free and open to all.

The production of the exhibition is part of ICIP’s working area “Social and Political Dialogue”, through which ICIP promotes dialogue and mutual understanding as positive tools for conflict transformation, and examines the challenges that toxic polarization poses to democratic societies.

At a time of growing polarization, historical revisionism and identity-based violence in Europe, leading civil society actors, scholars and policymakers will gather in Sarajevo for Closing the Gaps: A Multi-Stakeholder Roundtable on Memory, Prevention and Social Cohesion in Europe, a two-day event co-organised by ICIP, the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC) and the War Childhood Museum. The event will take place on 24–25 March 2026 in a city deeply shaped by war, memory and sustained efforts toward reconciliation.

Since World War II, memory policies and practices have grown out of the need to confront atrocities, honor survivors, and prevent their repetition. From the Holocaust to Rwanda and Bosnia, these efforts sought not only to remember but also to challenge denial and embed lessons in public life. Yet today, those lessons appear to be slipping away: patterns of hatred and violence are re-emerging, and even societies that once championed “never again” often fail to recognize the same dangers when they appear elsewhere. From denial and revisionism in Latin America, to ongoing genocides in Gaza and Sudan, to renewed inter-ethnic tensions in the Balkans, the stakes of memory work could not be higher.

This is a moment to pause and to reflect critically: What is failing? What are the deeper, structural reasons behind these failures? What has worked? And what lessons can be carried forward?

From commemoration to prevention

Taking place at Europe House, the Closing the Gaps roundtable will critically examine why memory policies and practices often fail to translate remembrance into prevention, democratic resilience and social cohesion, and how these gaps can be closed. It will bring together survivors, practitioners, scholars and policymakers to foster collaboration, shared learning, and collective action that can shape policy and practice across Europe.

At a time when international law and human rights are under sustained attack, memory work must be reclaimed for its original purpose, not as a passive act of remembrance, but as an act of courage, resistance, and justice.

A meeting with international voices

The roundtable will feature a diverse group of speakers, including Hasan Hasanović, survivor of the Srebrenica genocide and Head of the Oral History Program at the Srebrenica Memorial Center; Alma Mustafić, survivor, researcher and lecturer at Utrecht University of Applied Sciences; Jaclyn Streitfeld-Hall, Deputy Executive Director of the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect; and Emmanuel Achiri, Policy Advisor at the European Network Against Racism (ENAR), Edina Bećirević, Associate Professor at the University of Sarajevo and author of Genocide on the Drina River; Nayat Karakose, Director of Programs at the Hrant Dink Foundation; William Blair, Director of Collections at National Museums Northern Ireland; and Nikola Kandić, Head of the Sarajevo office of the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), among others.

Across keynote sessions, roundtables and small-group discussions, participants will address key questions such as how memory policies can better include marginalized histories without fueling polarization; how intersectional approaches to memory can foster cross-community dialogue; and how memory initiatives can inspire meaningful civic action to address the root causes and risk factors of violence.

Towards a European roadmap

The roundtable will conclude with the drafting of a Policy Roadmap outlining practical recommendations to strengthen the links between memory work, violence prevention, anti-discrimination efforts and democratic resilience. These outcomes are intended to inform future policy debates and strengthen cooperation between civil society and policymakers across Europe.

You can check the conference program at this link.