Conference: Linking Collective Memory and Collective Action
Venue: Bielefeld University, Germany
Dates: July 9–11, 2025
Organizers: Dr. Meral Gezici Yalçın, Dr. Elif Sandal-Önal, Dr. Michelle Sinayobye Twali
Supported by: Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) and European Association of Social Psychology (EASP)

1. Activities Undertaken
The Joint SPSSI–EASP Small Group Conference “Linking Collective Memory and Collective Action” took place as planned at Bielefeld University from 9 to 11 July 2025 and successfully implemented all activities outlined in the funding proposal. The program opened with a welcome address by Prof. Andreas Zick, Director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Conflict and Violence at Bielefeld University, the host institution of the conference in Germany. In his remarks, Professor Zick reflected on the memorial at the conference site in Bethel, which commemorates people with disabilities who were interned and murdered there during the Nazi era. This was followed by two keynote lectures by Assoc. Prof. Rezarta Bilali (New York University) and Prof. William Hirst (The New School for Social Research), both of whom offered conceptual and empirical insights into how historical narratives and memory processes shape collective engagement and inertia. Across five thematic sessions, researchers from multiple countries presented studies examining the intersections of memory, identity, and activism in contexts such as colonial legacies, Holocaust remembrance, Black liberation movements, environmental and labor struggles, and anti-right-wing mobilizations in Germany.
The conference also included structured discussions, informal networking opportunities, and a concluding plenary session devoted to synthesizing theoretical and methodological insights as well as outlining prospects for future collaboration and publication. In addition to these academic components, the program included a public engagement activity—a guided visit to the exhibition “Wilde Streiks” der 1970er Jahre (“Wild Strikes” in the 1970s) at the Historisches Museum Bielefeld, which examined the struggles of workers of Turkey origin. The strikes were labelled as “wild” in public debates because of their spontaneity and grassroots organization, thereby linking scholarly discussions to local histories of social protest.
The conference has been finalized with an interactive discussion session entitled “Memory into Action: Building a Collaborative Research Community”, where the participants answered four critical questions regarding which collective patterns they realized throughout the conference, how we can proceed for the collaborative work and what alternatives can be considered for going beyond a special issue. The discussions revealed several shared insights that advanced theoretical integration. Participants emphasized that collective memory is fluid, contextual, and contested rather than static, and that both memory and action are multidimensional processes that require careful contextualization. Knowledge of the historical past can foster critical consciousness and motivate collective action, yet its effects depend strongly on the surrounding emotional and political context. The discussions also highlighted the importance of analyzing how dominant and counter-narratives interact, including the ways in which oppressors instrumentalize memory to sustain inequality. Above all, participants underscored the future-oriented and liberatory potential of memory, encapsulated in the recurring theme that “memory is constructive toward the future—we can learn from the past to resist.
The combination of keynote talks, paper sessions, and outreach activities ensured that the event fulfilled its intended role as an interactive and interdisciplinary platform for advancing research and dialogue on the relationship between collective memory and collective action.

2. Realization of Original Goals
All major objectives and recommendations outlined in the award letter were successfully achieved. The conference broadened its thematic scope well beyond the initially narrow focus envisioned in the proposal. As reflected in the final program, five thematic sessions brought together a wide range of international contributions that examined the relationship between collective memory and collective action across diverse contexts, including colonial histories, Holocaust remembrance, Black liberation movements, environmental and labor activism, and anti-right-wing protests. This diversity of topics and geographic representation (from Europe, North and South America, and Asia) fulfilled the committee’s recommendation to attract participants from a broader set of countries and academic traditions. Following the sad passing of the originally planned keynote speaker, Prof. James Liu, the organizers secured two highly distinguished replacements—Assoc. Prof. Rezarta Bilali (New York University) and Prof. William Hirst (The New School for Social Research)—both of whom directly addressed the core themes of the conference and further elevated its international visibility. The committee had also encouraged engagement with community and political stakeholders; this was partly realized through the inclusion of a public event at the Historisches Museum Bielefeld, which connected academic debate with local practices of memory activism and labor history. The conference timeline was adjusted as suggested, allowing sufficient lead time for submissions and coordination. Sponsorship by SPSSI and EASP was clearly acknowledged throughout all materials, and the concluding discussion session was used to explore future collaborations and the preparation of a joint publication or special issue. In sum, the meeting not only achieved but, in several respects, exceeded the original goals by expanding its international and interdisciplinary reach, fostering new research collaborations, and integrating scientific reflection with public engagement.

3. Contribution to the Wider Research Activities of the Grant Recipients
The conference has made a substantial contribution to the wider research activities and international networks of the organizing team. It brought together around 29 participants from six countries across four continents, including Germany, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland (Europe); the United States (North America); Chile (South America); as well as India (Asia). This diversity reflected the organizers’ commitment to fostering a truly international and interdisciplinary dialogue that bridges research traditions from different regions and academic cultures.
The contributions presented at the conference covered a broad spectrum of empirical and theoretical contexts in which the relationship between collective memory and collective action is realized. These included studies of postcolonial and national histories (e.g., Canada, France, Chile, the United States), remembering of the Holocaust and Nazi past in Germany and Israel, the history and ongoing activism of Black liberation movements, environmental and labor struggles, and anti-right-wing protests and memory activism. Through this thematic breadth, the conference advanced comparative and transnational understandings of how memories of historical injustice and resistance continue to shape present-day mobilizations for social change.
The thematic and methodological range of contributions—spanning qualitative crowd ethnographies, experimental studies, and large-scale surveys—has directly informed ongoing projects led by the organizers, including studies on collective memory and anti-right-wing protests in Germany and traveling memories of #SayTheirNames. Moreover, the discussions generated new comparative perspectives, particularly concerning transnational processes of remembering and mobilization. The interactions during and after the conference have already resulted in concrete plans for joint publications and collaborative grant proposals, including a prospective special issue integrating contributions from both early-career and senior researchers. The event also strengthened the bridge between academic inquiry and public discourse, as several participants committed to creating public-facing outputs, including open-access reports, webinars, and collaborations with civil society organizations. In this way, the supported activities not only achieved the immediate conference objectives but also laid the groundwork for a sustainable international research network and for the long-term advancement of scholarship on the transformative role of collective memory in shaping collective action.