 Welcome. Hello, good morning. Thank you very much for being here today and Today's event will carry on so that I will give the floor to mr. Beena who works for the memory programs at our town hall here in Barcelona You have the floor and I actually Apologize him because he will have to be leaving us sooner than expected and we've been Well, we have to change a little bit up to this program. So sorry about that Okay Right before father. I do I would like to thank the vice Director here at the Solidarity Foundation the autumn director who Is responsible for one of the best archives on the international Brigades? and Thank you for to the town hall and the local government because they've invited me to participate in this event today in such an important and handy event, let's say for our city, Barcelona, let me specify why I say it is convenient because We are living a sort of unhappy moment bad moment I am aware that it's not very kind maybe from me to start using these words, but I mean not only What's happening in our city in our country in Europe also in the West the East in general Overall really precisely because we're living a situation totally Different to to well in this globalized world since the second world war these sort of situation had never happened before we have tense Tense relationships in this international arena and Maybe in the four and well all over the planet a very radicalized right wing Could be in power even more so than what's for the last 70 years since the end of world war 2 it's not a right-hand side politic of the sort of classic fast season like in the 30s 40s which was One militarily but not from the cultural perspective This is actually true possibility of Managing these whole politics Overall in the globe from this radical Right wing politic it manifests in very specific ways the Austria-Austria Hungarian-Italian axis in Europe, but also let's not forget also countries like governed by Netanyahu Trump or Putin which When time passes by they are destroying really annihilating anything that was left of progress is progress or Left politics Thanks to the economic models at the way of establishing social relationships it is spreading this sort of way of thinking in a very Hegemonus way all over the world for example South America the really real Possibilities by Bolsonaro, which is a really striking horrible issue this Politician who a few weeks ago told another politician a lady I'm not raping you because you don't even deserve that so We are really living a very hard Moment because culturally which is gathering us in an We find this sort of Happenings and behaviors by the European Parliament which behind its apparent Well-being or good being it should make us think I believe it was yesterday or a few days ago What was happening and approved? What was happening with regards to the facist Politics, but Let's be careful about it because it's it's a big big failure because if 40 50 60 years afterwards fascism is still scary even 70 years afterwards. It is necessary It's necessary to close this institution what's been happening for these 70 years When Austria when the government says they're gonna destroy Hitler's home because it's gonna become a fascism monument Is a sort of expression of failure We have created wonderful cultural and educational Programs in Frankfurt in Bonn for many years universities have done great great efforts to explain what Basically to give elements and even though we are scared really scared of this sort of monument or place of Devotion towards Hitler So I believe it's worth mentioning in this arena here amongst all of you academics and Interested people And with regards to Barcelona to our city this of course worries us We are anti-facists of course history proves that at the moment our government is anti-facist Facist obviously and a government which Understands that the way to stop fascism is done through social Social buildings apartments privatizing water Helping people basically Devoting on education etc. This is a way for our local government to fight against fascism and Also by remembering all those who were Mistreated who were tortured who suffered to defend our liberties and in that sense next Thursday, I can let you know that the town hall here in Barcelona. We will approve a new law Specifying that people who have been persecuted by the Franco regime since the 60s until the 78 Will guarantee this law That all those residents in Barcelona who were tortured by because of their Struggle to To build the democracy they will be listened and welcomed and their needs will be solved By by all of us. This is not a law though for victims There were people Represiliated people who were Who were actually Retaliated sorry people who who had been retaliated and It's really worth remembering all of them These struggle has really helped us reach equality Levels and this person who's been retaliated. It's because he's adopted an ethic Decision which has cost him all this suffering. So this is what the town council wants to to recognize and to honor So after having shared with you this sort of mooring reflections, I admit I Would like to you to remember this Antifascism nature of our local politics here in Barcelona I'm really sure that this event Organized thanks to the Eurom and the UB will be really fruitful interesting and I suggest all of you Can join us on Sunday at noon in front of the International Brigades Monument Which was given by the Abraham Lilcom Brigadiers and We will organize this official recognition Ceremony and we will remember the departure of the Brigadier's 80 years ago. Thank you very much Thank you very much, mr. Venus. I now get the floor to mr. Jordan He is the director of the European Observatory of solidarity the memories of the University of Barcelona called a room Flores yours Jordi. Thank you very much by Stan Salor by director Carbinas Dear friends. I see many friendly faces in the audience coming from different Associations and the academic wall. It's been a long time Since we started working with the history the memory Transfer and the dissemination of our violent past events that represent and With us as something that has consequences in the in the present I will start with you very end because the director of the foundation mr. Javier Lopez gave me the document and the Resolution from the observatory of the Solidarity Foundation of the University This resolution that Ricard Venus was referring about of the European Parliament It is worrisome. It is something that worries me And I just come from Madrid. I took the high-speed train. We had a Congress at the University Carlos Tercero And there was a round table with a colleague of mine Coming from home Rick a Hungarian colleague And there was also Josefina Cuesta and some experts in Spain on memory transfer and In this discussion round table he presented three memorials and discussions the university discussions on this memory and what he did was to just Do I have to speak Spanish? Oh, by the way, apologies. I'm going to switch to Spanish. I have some Accent a bit of an accent from the Pyrenees, but I do my best in any case. I just want that to To share with you something we had to stop the camera We couldn't record anymore when this when this profession this Hungarian colleague had to discuss the situation teachers and professors and because the day after tomorrow the Central University of Barcelona in Budapest will close and from the top management they are manipulating the The historic approaches so it's not just a fear of these increase of neo fascism and far Ring-wing parties, but also this ultra-right political parties that do invest in memory policies in history policies the Rajoy did not invest in that but I Don't know if the civil society the university and the transnational Associations are the ones who need to develop projects and act Along with the civil society and different institutions as we are doing Today as a matter of fact, I try to be brief But I would like to congratulate Lourdes Prada's and the organizers because at the Republic pavilion We got together and of course as a foundation for solidarity of the University of Barcelona we join these events of reflection and of this 80th anniversary of the farewell of the international brigades This program well today we will have Some discussions and round tables and those of us who have been working with monuments will and have published articles in Poland and we did With it want to speak not just about gender issues in the brigades But also we would like to start a discussion on something that is really important Which is the memorial competence between the East and the West and the Narrative in Europe in the case of international brigades these narrative can be a big problem as in Poland for example and We will have a professor and an expert on these topics two years ago We also celebrated The acts the events with George mink and his dad was one of the brigades of the botwin brigade Representative with a new origin Polish also and he came to the people's Olympiates and he stayed in Barcelona as many athletes and then in September of the October They joined the international brigades and they fought in the civil war until 1938 And then they were in the French battles and he even was in Auschwitz, but he was free afterwards His memorial task was a great example and his biography is real really and a very good Proof of the 20th century because we all have Disconflicts still in our history and I would just like to thank all the speakers professor scotelski Who along with Robert Frank? Has been working and maybe he will not remember me, but we were together in Paris a while ago and Robert koala. I don't know where he is, but It's been a while now since we didn't see each other and the rest of Experts I would like to thank them for being here at ricketer. I hope this a discussion is Fruitful and lures your project is magnificent Uriel Ricard Fernanda from the observatory team Thank you all and Juanjo Romero from the casas study abroad program with four universities And I'm surely forgetting somebody, but I would like to thank you all and welcome you all to this session Okay, thank you very much Jordi now I give the floor to miss lourdes She's the cry responsible the librarian from the Republic pavilion at the UP. Thank you very much Thank you very much for being here today in this commemoration Event Remembering the 80th anniversary. This is a historian memory act But also recognition act for all those who abandoned their families and the commodities to fight a war which was not theirs Everybody's intention today is Remembering from our collective memory all those who came to fight for those ideals leaving here a few of them Many of them their lives. I would like to thank to the vice-rector Bilalta who has Wanted to inaugurate this act and dr. Gischee the Rome and specially Fernanda Nouriel Because working with them has been a great pleasure. Thanks to their patience dedication phone calls many last-minute changes and a great thanks for the cry That direction and management because they've allowed the library to be coordinating this seminar Also, we'd like to thank the vice-rector of dr. Sprue because of his research and interest in our project and website and he's 100% Confidence and trust in our team because voluntarily we have been working really hard Thank you to the vice-rector dr. Pujol and professors of the IT and mathematics faculties because they've also helped us in this adventure and Without fun also, I would like I would like to thank the seed dream Thank you for your enthusiasm and being here today. I believe this session will be Really really a great success because it's the common result of our common work We've been working really hard for the last months to make this seminar possible and As a Brigadier's would say Adelante. Let's go Thank you Just a few words, please to conclude these welcome speeches Let me talk to you on behalf of the rector the vice-rector the director of the solidarity Foundation Jordi Lourdes. Thank you all for being here. First of all, I would like to congratulate the organizers team because Very often We say that we do need these sort of events, but someone needs to make the phone calls and Organize the spaces and as Lourdes mentioned, it's obviously Really hard organizing something like this. So thank you very much for having done so and really What I would like to tell you it has been written in the Catalan I come from Vic from rural, Catalonia So you will hopefully be able to translate Almost 35,000 volunteers from more than 50 50 different countries They came to Spain to help the Republic and to fight against fascism the liberal democracies had abandoned through an intervention agreement which It just so happened to favor the rebel troops who had been fought Against the Republican Republic under the international the communist international the international Brigades started up being organized. They were military units organized by these Anti-fascist groups and a few names But most of the volunteers came from the working class And Approximately 10,000 lost their lives on 21st of September 1938 Juanne Grinda president announced on the Society of Nations Their retreat hoping that Italy and Germany would also return theirs But it was useless act in order to save to farewell them a great party was organized on the 28th of October 1938 so It's almost 80 years and three days or less than three days And I would like to highlight La Pasionaria's words Dolores Irraroli. We will not forget you She said and when the When we forget you Please when the Republic is born again like a flower, please come back. We have not forgotten you This is why we're here today We're here to remember you and we do so in this great wonderful room one of the most noble and beautiful spaces in such a historical building because we want to recover and Remember history not to reopen wounds not to be nostalgic but to understand what happened To also understand what is happening at the moment so that some of these things never ever happen again and also to Repair to honor to build And We need to do that, you know associations foundations institutions and of course the university Being a social agent with a great Responsibility not only because what we teach because of what we teach and transmit This is why it's a an act of justice We must do it within these university walls So it's a great privilege to be able to do it here at the University of Barcelona This university the UB is a really committed one and one of its major Objectives is the promotion of liberty liberty of thought in an in a self-critical way So I believe whatever happens today is illuminated by this will of Speaking in a self-critical way with liberty with freedom having a look at today's program I would like to highlight a few aspects. First of all, I would like to thank all of our speakers today I would like to congratulate who's managed to bring here today The wonderful speakers. Thank you very much. It's very important for for us your participation in this meeting And secondly, I would like to thank and congratulate the organizers for the topics that have been Selected because it's not usual to find in round tables speeches and discourses who speak on women specifically the case of the Arabs, for example, or be the working class Far too often we don't talk about the weak ones. We make them invisible. So thank you very much because you have wanted to highlight these issues and finally with regards to today's program our round table Will allow us for the current research being done by Youngsters from our university. We will give them we will have their voice heard today This will allow us to ensure these memories kept alive and the topics that Will be talked about Actually do interest the youngsters. So this new generation is actually Doing this research, which is wonderful and finally we'd like to thank for the people here having this room full This actually proves that the that this topic was necessary. We are really anxious to be able to to Talk about it and to do so with the guarantees and the freedom that these university walls Ensure as thank you very much for being here So without further ado, let's enjoy today's work. Let's enjoy it all of you. Thank you very much