The selection was carried out first at national level: all the stories were read and examined, resulting in a first-round selection of 34 stories. A second selection was then carried out by a European jury consisting of members coming from all the countries involved in the project. The result of this selection is the stories that you will be able to read in the final publication (soon available in 8 languages on this site...).

It was no easy task to make a selection from among the stories submitted. The award as we well know is first and foremost an opportunity to participate, and we can be sure that every story submitted is a unique and important contribution. And yet, a selection had to be made!

(see the esults to this link:The winners;

Slected Stories at National Level)

Let us try then to explain the significance of the work done and of the entire project.

The winners and the three thematic areas

The three “winners” each represent content and a narrative technique that was deemed particularly significant with respect to the three thematic areas of the award (the European Memories Digital Archive, that will continue to accept stories even though the award has been concluded, is actually divided into the same three thematic areas). The seven “special award” stories were also chosen for their merits both in relation to the thematic content and the narrative technique.

Pathways through Europe through Diversity

The first thematic area is called “Pathways through Europe through diversity”. This section of the award (and of the archive) contains stories by European citizens on the most diverse topics: memories relating to various aspects of life, such as personal relationships, work, everyday life… but also memories related to travel, customs and traditions and historical events experienced in the first person.
The winning story in this thematic area, Nicht so böse, in particular, could be included in the category “My story within the history of Europe”. In this story, in fact, through the personal memories of a boy on a journey with his family through different European countries a few years after the end of World War II, the reader experiences what was at the base of the birth of Europe itself: dismay at what had happened – the infinite horror and the infinite devastation – along with a desire for peace and reconciliation born from this grief and suffering. All this transpires in the story through a particular personal experience, a small and apparently unimportant episode which however remains clearly impressed on the mind of the boy.

Experiences of Belonging to Europe

The second thematic area is “Experiences of Belonging to Europe”. In this section we wished to encourage the telling of experiences which are at the foundations of our “feeling European”, in continuity with the previous edition of the award which was dedicated to personal experiences of Europe . It seemed important to open this chapter for at least two reasons: 
- to continue to explore the “feeling of belonging to Europe” in its different ramifications, and to affirm that this feeling does not conflict with other national or cultural loyalties, but can co-exist along with them; 
- to remind young people in particular that Europe is the fruit of past struggles and achievements and that it was born from a dream of peace and co-existence (even though today it may seem dull, and even rusty in its bureaucratic apparatus).
Here as well, the winning story, The Story of a Life between Two Colours, has its roots far back in time, in Franco’s Spain. For some of the characters in the story, opposition against an oppressive regime and the search for democracy, already means “feeling European” – looking to Europe with hope. But life does not go according to plan: two people of opposing political passions fall in love and, despite their radical political differences, start a family (it is their daughter who tells the story). This too is perhaps a symbol and metaphor for a Europe seeking to be “united in diversity”.

Another Europe is Possible, Work in Progress

The third thematic area is called “Another Europe is possible, work in progress” and includes stories of social commitment in Europe. Here as well our reasons for launching this thematic area are diverse: 
- to focus on the importance of a Europe made up of people, democracy and rights, rather than a Europe that gives priority to economic issues; 
- to focus attention on the thousands of stories of “grass-roots action” which often remain unknown, and in doing so we aimed to nurture the conviction of European citizens that it is possible to work together to bring about change, that acting together is possible and necessary, and that all this gives us a greater sense of our social and individual life;
- to support shared knowledge and experience among those who work for social change in different countries and in different spheres. 
The winning story in this section is a very evocative video, which tells the story of a community – a village in Bulgaria – which cooperates to bring electric light to the village. This story reminds us that many of the achievements (not only material, but also related to rights) we enjoy today are the fruit of shared efforts by previous generations, and the story thus encourages us to recover a sense of sociality and shared action with a view to achieving a common good. 
Another story among the special award winners which falls within this thematic area is the video Globall Fortress, deemed by the jury members as being particularly significant because of the theme it deals with: the issue of immigration and the possibility of creating activities for integration and intercultural dialogue between migrants and the local population. This, then, is a story of the present day which shows that the narrative is important as a snapshot not only of the past but of contemporary times as well. 
But we do not wish to describe all the stories here; you will find the motivations for which they were chosen as award-winners below. Instead, we should like to conclude this introduction by devoting a few words to explaining why it is important that European inhabitants, of every age, culture and social condition conserve and share their memories.

The reasons behind the European Memories Project

The story as a form of knowledge

First of all, we believe that the story in itself is a means of entering into our recent history, through the power and vividness of the stories of people who have experienced such events. This comes about in different ways.
Through the stories, in fact, we can learn about many aspects of reality, which are rarely given space in the mass media or other information channels; for example, the story 1991 tells us how, along with the many achievements brought about by the re-unification of East and West Germany, great hardship – in terms of lost jobs – was also caused by the closing of factories and universities – perhaps the side effects of a Europe that has become too market-oriented. Finding a Language, on the other hand, takes us back to the experience of children who after World War II were sent by their families to stay with families in other countries, far from the places where the war had brought hardship and destruction. Perhaps it was then that the children learned to live with two cultures. 
However, it is not a question only of what we know but also of how we know. Telling one’s story, in fact, makes it possible to experience history in a direct, emotional and involving way. This way of learning must of course always be accompanied by more organized and “objective” knowledge, but stories can create doors that invite us to enter spheres of contemporary and historical realities in a more involving way.

Can we learn from experience?

Another crucial question is: Can we learn from the past? We now know that this by no means happens “automatically”. After World War II, it was said that it must never be forgotten so as to avoid its ever happening again. But even afterwards, other wars and other genocides have bloodied Europe, and there is no lack of European responsibility in many other scenes of horror in other areas of the world.
We do not have the answer to this, but we do believe that as long as our memories can become an opportunity for true knowledge and transformation, we must create occasions for encounter, study and reflection on the memories we have of the past. Memory and the practice of storytelling can thus – when properly promoted – offer opportunities for learning and can be a means of developing individual and collective consciousness.

Learning to appreciate diversity

One very important aspect of the educational role that telling one’s story can play today is that it can definitely contribute to knowledge of the different worlds and the diverse cultures that make up present-day European society (and the world as well). The culture of xenophobia, fear and racism is fueled by the lack of knowledge of the other, simplification, prejudice and stereotyping. Encountering the “other” and learning about his world in a direct way is the best way to bring down this edifice of prejudice, especially in a time when identity is becoming increasingly fluid, hybrid, in flux.

The pleasures of story-telling and participation

The European Memories project thus aims above all to contribute to spreading the passion for telling one’s story and the desire to explore different forms of expression, now available to everyone thanks to the spread of digital technologies. This is without doubt the first step in a journey that can involve us both as individuals and as part of society, as we discover that in every story, including our own, there is a heritage of experience and knowledge that we can share with others.

The instruments created by the project

Over a period of two years, the project has realized many activities and instruments which can continue even after the “official” end of the project. These include:
- the Digital European Memories Archive, where those who wish can continue to upload stories in different formats; autobiographical and biographical writings, videos, photo narrations, etc.; 
- the creation and reinforcement, in different partner countries, of permanent narration activities and – in some cases – of groups of “story activists” – people who collect, and “accompany the stories in the world”, by organising encounters and communication initiatives through the web;
- the creation on the portal of a section related to narrative methodologies, as well as a data base on organisations in Europe concerned with memory. 
But above all, the project will continue, and become increasingly effective in promoting personal storytelling as a form of participation if it arouses the interest of European citizens who wish to leave a trace of themselves and thus make a contribution to the body of common knowledge about the European ethos and its history. 
(The project coordinators)