CONTEXT & BACKGROUNDRemembrance is the ongoing process of remembering, forgetting and creating narratives about the past. It is at the crossroads between history, citizenship, heritage and human rights, and for young people it represents an opportunity to learn about and be critical of the bigger picture issues related to past and current events, develop competences needed to be active citizens and expand their sense of European identity. However, there are challenges to remembrance, including a continuing victory/defeat paradigm, overly national and narrow perspectives and narratives. History is used (and abused) and the sources of information influence remembrance have increased dramatically (e.g. media, social media, etc.). More than ever, it is thus important for young people to learn to be critical and to have an intercultural approach to remembrance. For the last 60 years, YFU organisations in over 50 countries around the world have organised year long youth exchanges with 15 to 18 year olds. As an organisation born in the aftermath of the second World War, embracing the ideals of intercultural understanding and respect to create more peaceful and just world, Youth For Understanding is a very natural actor in processes related to helping young people learn from from the past in intercultural settings in order to become active global citizens. YFU France will bring an innovative approach to remembrance with young people, one that can overcome some of the challenges of remembrance, whilst using the intercultural context to further stimulate the development of young people’s sense of European identity and adherence to European values. The innovation comes from bringing an intercultural and NFE approach to remembrance within an international setting of young people. AIMS & OBJECTIVESThe aim of “Not Too Young to Remember” is to organize a youth exchange for a group of young 15-18 year olds from different countries that will develop their sense of European identity and active citizenship through critical and intercultural remembrance activities. The youth exchange will target 40 participants from Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and France. Group Leaders will meet for an Advanced Planning Visit from 5 to 8 February 2016 in Val d’Oise and the Youth Exchange itself will take place in the same area from 17 to 23 April 2016. The specific objectives of the project will be to:— provide a space for exchange and discovery on the topics of identity, power, culture and heritage;— move physically and through time from WWI and WWII monuments to a discussion on media and conflict in the 21st century to develop their knowledge and critical sense of underlying issues that connect past conflicts to today’s challenges;— explore the topic of European identity and how it intersects with notions of culture and heritage;— use NFE to learn from each other and challenge different perspectives to remembrance; and— explore the role of media and other informational channels in the process of remembrance and the way current events are portrayed.ACTIVITIES & METHODOLOGYThe Advanced Planning Visit will involve the Group Leaders and local support persons to plan and organise the logistical and education aspects of the youth exchange. While one Group Leader will be the project manager, there will be a flat and open structure for planning and taking decisions.The youth exchange will rely on NFE methods and experiential learning through field visits to War memorials and museums. Reflection groups will serve to provide individual learning support and feedback to the Group Leaders to adjust the programme as it advances.RESULTS & IMPACTProject outputs include a project video and written project summary, in addition to online media content (social media, website, etc.) The impact on participants will be to develop: participants’ understanding of European values and human rights, greater societal issues the led to and were consequences of the first and second World Wars and links to today’s conflict, the different factors and influencing sources on remembrance processes and perceptions of today’s conflicts, different narratives and perspectives on past conflicts. They will also be able to analyze and interpret historical facts for themselves, and be critical of narratives about past and current conflicts; recognize use and abuses of history. Finally, they will increase their sense of European identity and sense of belong in relation to European values; motivation to become active citizens; increased curiosity in the Other; sense of agency and empowerment; and skepticism of their own stereotypes and messages about “strangeness” and the Other, promoted for example by the media. Participants will share the learning outcomes with classmates and other peers when they return home, as well as with YFU organisations.