Manipulating history

Moderation: Hayley EDMONDS, Journalist and moderator


Opening words:
Alain BERSET, Secretary General of the Council of Europe
Gabriel REVEL, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Monaco, on behalf of the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe


Panel:
Athena MICHAELIDOU – Minister for Education, Sport and Youth, Cyprus
Édouard GEFFRAY (TBC) – Minister of National Education, France (video message)
Sofia ZACHARAKI (TBC) – Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Greece
Mykola TROFYMENKO (online) – Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Ukraine
María LUZ MARTÍNEZ SEIJO – Member of PACE Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media, Spain
Dimitris P. SOTIROPOULOS – Chair of the OHTE Governing Board, Greece

Moderation: Mychailo WYNNYCKYJ, Vice-Chair of the OHTE Governing Board, Ukraine
This session will address the growing challenges posed by the distortion and instrumentalisation of historical narratives in contemporary societies, while bringing together diverse perspectives that reflect the varied backgrounds of its speakers. The discussion will highlight how historical facts can be manipulated, and how such distortions can be analysed and debunked. At a time when disinformation and selective interpretations of the past increasingly threaten democratic values, the session will emphasise the essential role of reliable knowledge, methodological rigour and critical engagement with sources, helping citizens better understand the complexity of the past and engage more thoughtfully in public debates.


Panel:
Antoon DE BAETS – Emeritus Professor of History, Ethics and Human Rights, University of Groningen, Founder of the Network of Concerned Historians (NCH)
Adelaïde CALAIS – Online community manager and Wikimania coordinator, Wikimédia France
Géraldine SCHWARZ – Journalist, Author and Documentary Filmmaker specialising in Memory Politics and Remembrance


Practices:
Juliane von REPPERT-BISMARCK – Chair of Lie Detectors (online)

Fabrice D’ALMEIDA – Professor of History, Chair of the Department of Information sciences and communication, Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas
This OHTE Talk will explore the historical roots, mechanisms and contemporary manifestations of propaganda and disinformation, examining how narratives are deliberately constructed to influence public opinion and shape collective memory. By viewing these phenomena through a long-term historical lens, light will be shed on the strategies used to legitimise power, mobilise societies and manipulate perceptions of the past and present. The session will also invite reflections on the role of education in equipping learners with the analytical tools required to recognise these processes, fostering critical awareness and strengthening democratic resilience in an increasingly complex information environment.


Moderation : Hayley EDMONDS – Journalist and moderator

Moderation: Hayley EDMONDS – Journalist and moderator
This OHTE Debate will invite participants to challenge the widely held assumption that younger generations are better equipped to detect manipulated historical narratives than their older counterparts. By confronting opposing arguments, the debate will explore whether growing up in a digital and information-saturated environment strengthens critical thinking skills or, on the contrary, exposes individuals to new forms of disinformation. The debate will encourage speakers and audiences alike to question stereotypes about generational competences, reflect on the role of education in developing historical literacy, and consider how different generations can learn from one another to better resist the misuse of history in public discourse.


Supporting House:
Eda KIVANC – MA in Teacher education, University of Cologne
Elias LUNDGREN – MA in Political Science, Stockholm University
Yashi YUAN – PhD Researcher in History Education, University College London


Opposing House:
Ana GOMES – Former Portuguese diplomat and former member of the European Parliament
Jack HANNING – President of the European Association of Schools of Political Studies
Alain LAMASSOURE – OHTE Founding President and former French minister


Commentator:
Stéphane LEVESQUE – Member of the OHTE Scientific Advisory Council, Associate professor at the Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa

The workshops will provide a space for practical and forward-looking exchanges on how to address the manipulation of historical information in educational and public contexts. Participants will explore concrete strategies to help learners recognise and critically assess historical content encountered both inside and outside the classroom, reflect on the evolution of didactics in an era shaped by misinformation and digital media, and examine the role of public history in fostering dialogue, bridging societal divides and strengthening understanding of democratic values. By encouraging interactive discussions and the sharing of professional and student practices, these sessions aim to support educators, researchers and practitioners in developing innovative approaches to history teaching and public engagement.


Workshop 1: Recognising historical disinformation inside and outside the classroom
Room 1


Moderation:
Joanna WOJDON – Professor at the Department of History and Civics Didactics, Historical Institute, University of Wrocław


Initiatives:
From visual sources to historical narrative: interpretation, manipulation and meaning in the age of fake news by Edgars BĒRZIŅŠ


The Commission into Countering Online Conspiracies in Schools by Michael KANE, Public First


Rapporteur:
Arthur CHAPMAN – Vice-Chair of the OHTE Scientific Advisory Council, Professor of History Education and Head of Department of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment, University College London


Workshop 2: Pedagogical approaches in the age of fake news
Room 2


Moderation:
Bridget MARTIN – Classroom teacher and curriculum coordinator, International School of Paris


Initiatives:
Teaching contested histories in times of polarisation: dealing with historical disinformation in the classroom by Ander DELGADO, Amaia LAMIKIZ, Sérgio NETO, Clara Isabel SERRANO


Alpha: a deliberative approach for fighting the manipulation of history and reinforcing democratic resilience by Frédéric ALBERT


Rapporteur:
Caítriona NÍ CASSAITHE – Member of the OHTE Scientific Advisory Council, Assistant Professor of History Education, Dublin City University


Workshop 3: History, propaganda and the uses of the past
Room 3


Moderation:
Suren MANUKYAN – Vice-Chair of the OHTE Governing Board, Armenia


Initiatives:
Enemies, beetles and peace camps: decoding ideological language in history and today by Richárd FODOR, Juraj VARGA


From storytelling to storyliving: recognising and resisting immersive historical propaganda by Rūta KAZLAUSKAITĖ


Rapporteur:
Dovilė SAGATIENĖ – Member of the OHTE Scientific Advisory Council, Vice-Dean for Research at the Law School of Mykolas Romeris University (MRU) and Senior Researcher at MRU’s Memory and Justice Research Centre