UDEW [2024 – 2026]

About This Project

UDEW

Urban Decolonisation Walks in the EU

CERV-2023-CITIZENS-REM

PROJECT REFERENCE NUMBER: 101143715

Duration: March 2024 – February 2026

Summary of the project:

‘Urban Decolonisation Walks’ is a European project aimed at confronting Europe’s colonial legacy embedded in public spaces. Through innovative learning methods and community engagement, UDEW seeks to challenge historical narratives, promote awareness, and foster dialogue on colonialism’s enduring impact.

Despite greater recognition of the adverse impacts of imperialism and colonialism, traces of the colonial past lack critical reflection and remain as a reminder in public spaces across many EU countries. By looking at these themes and these spaces from the side of the people who suffered and thus from the side of the vanquished, the perspective from which young people perceive them can change, including a perspective of inclusion and connections in the world that must be guided by values other than oppression and exploitation.

By engaging diverse target groups, especially youth with migrant backgrounds, women, and girls, UDEW seeks to create inclusive spaces for dialogue and advocacy. The project envisions building an “educating community” committed to exploring and grappling with Europe’s colonial legacy through partnerships with public entities, educational institutions, and community organisations.

Furthermore, ‘Urban Decolonisation Walks’ seeks to empower local communities, especially hard-to-reach youth and women, to actively participate in shaping public discourse and combating racism and discrimination rooted in colonial legacies. Through positive and constructive engagement, the aim is to cultivate an aware and well-equipped new generation to address the complexities of colonial heritage and work towards a more just and inclusive society.

The target groups of ‘Urban Decolonisation Walks’ are the following: 

• Young people with diverse backgrounds (ages 13-30), including those with migrant/refugee backgrounds, minorities, and female youth whose voices are often unheard. This group also includes students, activists, and staff of local organisations and associations (ages 18-30).
• Local community members, including citizens of all ages and backgrounds, and activists/participants in local Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) will be involved in promoting intercultural and intergenerational dialogue, which increases awareness of local history and urban spaces among the broader community.

The objectives of the UDEW project are the following:

1. Mapping Colonial Traces: UDEW will meticulously document public monuments, statues, and street names symbolising colonialism, imperialism, and slavery across EU cities, using accessible multimedia tools.
2. Educating & Training: By providing non-formal training to educators and civil society organisations, UDEW aims to equip them with the “Decolonize your Eyes” methodology, facilitating conversations about colonialism with younger generations.
3. Youth Engagement: UDEW prioritises the involvement of young people and local communities, especially those from disadvantaged neighbourhoods or with migratory backgrounds, in activities focused on reclaiming urban spaces and narratives.
4. Community Empowerment: Through collaborative efforts with municipalities and city councils, UDEW will promote awareness activities to challenge historical distortions and encourage proactive engagement with colonial legacies.
5. EU-Wide Initiative: UDEW seeks to catalyse a pan-European movement for decolonization, fostering unity and dialogue on Europe’s colonial past both domestically and internationally.

The outputs of the UDEW project are the following:

1. Transnational Mapping: Documenting colonial legacies across EU cities.
2. Training of Trainers: Empowering educators through applying the innovative training methodology “Decolonise your eyes” in the partners’ countries.
3. Pilot Action: Implementing non-formal training on a local level in the form of community workshops involving youth and marginalised communities.
4. Awareness Campaign: Amplifying youth voices and fostering dialogue.
5. Final Transnational Event in Dresden: Involving citizens and young people from Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Spain in discussions and debates on the colonial past of the EU, promoting unity and fostering intercultural dialogue.
6. EU-Wide Initiative: Promoting unity and dialogue on an European level.

The project is co-financed by the European Commission through the Erasmus+ Programme