The European project CONCILIARE, funded under Horizon Europe, is exploring how colonial heritage can be reinterpreted and transformed across Europe. Since March 2024, the initiative has examined postcolonial controversies in Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Croatia, and Finland, focusing on school textbooks, public spaces, museums, and consumer products.At the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), an interdisciplinary research team is studying how debates around street names, statues, the Africa Museum in Tervuren, and other colonial symbols have reshaped public understanding of the past. The project aims to identify the historical and psychological mechanisms behind these controversies and develop practical tools to help communities engage in constructive dialogue.One pilot initiative involves co-creating a public art installation inspired by discussions among activists, researchers, artists, and local authorities. The installation will be displayed in public spaces and shared with students to encourage reflection on colonial monuments and memory.
Source: Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
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