A few weeks ago, we announced our support for the May 8 Coalition.

Following the submission of our motion and thanks to the determined action of our group, all political parties worked together to draft a joint text, which was unanimously adopted at the extraordinary municipal council meeting!

Stéphanie Ngalula, Ecolo-Groen municipal councillor, successfully led these negotiations. She notably succeeded in including in the text recognition for all soldiers who participated in the liberation, including those from colonized territories.

You can find the full text of the adopted motion here:

The Municipal Council of Etterbeek,

In view of the European and international commitments made by Belgium to respect the fundamental rights of individuals, particularly the most vulnerable:

the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union;

In view of European Council Directive 2000/43/EC of June 29, 2000, implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin;

In view of Articles 10, 11, and 19 of the Belgian Constitution;

In view of the Law of July 30, 1981, aimed at punishing certain acts motivated by racism or xenophobia;

In view of the Law of March 23, 1995, aimed at punishing the denial, minimization, justification, or approval of the genocide committed by the German National Socialist regime during the Second World War;

In view of the Law of May 10, 2007, aimed at combating certain forms of discrimination;

In view of the Decree of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation of March 13, 2009, relating to the transmission of memory;

Considering that in 2025 we will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the victory of the Allies over the Hitlerian forces that embodied fascism, Nazism, and totalitarianism;

Considering the proposal of the May 8 Coalition and the will of other civil society actors to fight against all forms of discrimination mentioned in this motion;

Aware that our democratic achievements are regularly threatened by anti-democratic, racist, and hateful behaviors, mainly spread by the far right;

Aware that the duty of remembrance is essential and that it guarantees an awakened consciousness of past events, as forgetting would create a fertile ground for the tragic repetition of history;

Requests the College of Mayor and Aldermen to:

• Combat any form of expression, whether physical, verbal, or online, of hatred or incitement to hatred or any form of discrimination based on race, ethnic origin, skin color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, sex, language, political opinions, or any other opinions, and to act accordingly using any administrative or legal procedure;
• Ask municipal schools, on May 8 each year (or the following Monday if May 8 does not fall on a working day), to explain to upper primary school pupils the historical significance of May 8, 1945, and to emphasize the importance of fighting all forms of hatred mentioned in the previous paragraph;
• Maintain and strengthen the duty of remembrance in municipal schools, including by highlighting the contribution of all national forces and those from colonized territories that contributed to the liberation;
• Preserve the requirement for schools in Etterbeek to organize one or more visits with children to Second World War commemorative sites;
• Fight online hate by raising public awareness, especially among young people, about the dangers of disinformation, Holocaust denial, and hate speech on the Internet;
• Organize commemorative events in Etterbeek to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, for example by hosting conferences, exhibitions, and film screenings related to the memory of the Shoah and the fight against racism;
• Involve Etterbeek residents in the co-construction of remembrance through intergenerational, participatory, or artistic projects focused on contemporary historical themes of the fight against hatred;
• Ensure that the training of municipal staff (and all other activities and meetings) includes awareness of the fight against all forms of discrimination;
• Report back to the Municipal Council in 2026 with an assessment of the actions carried out, those underway, and those to be implemented.