Portugal’s Democratic Path | Unarchiving Democracy (FREI Project)

Описание: This video presents the Portuguese Local Path developed within the FREI – From Resistance to European Integration project, focusing on Portugal’s unique experience of a peaceful democratic transition combined with the end of a colonial empire.

The Carnation Revolution of 1974 not only brought decades of dictatorship to an end, but also triggered a profound political, social and cultural transformation whose legacies continue to shape Portuguese society today. Through work with historical archives, testimonies and memory practices, participants engage with both dominant and marginalised narratives of Portugal’s recent past — from resistance to authoritarian rule and struggles for political and social rights to the complex legacies of colonialism and post-colonial migration.

The Local Path also links these historical experiences to contemporary challenges across Europe, including structural racism, post-colonial inequalities, social exclusion and the rise of far-right narratives. Central to this approach is “unarchiving democracy”: a participatory educational methodology that invites participants to work directly with archival sources and cultural heritage materials, questioning and reinterpreting them through dialogue and creative expression.

By transforming archives from static repositories into living civic spaces, the Portuguese Local Path encourages reflection on democratic awareness, civic responsibility and solidarity — connecting past struggles with present responsibilities in today’s Europe.

More about the project: https://www.foster-europe.org/projekt...
More about the Portuguese path: https://www.foster-europe.org/guide-b...