The history of our group is quite recent. We could define ourselves as a group of people that have a past and an idea in common, continue the search for truth and justice trough all the means available.

Our first meeting occurred in the frame of the meetings that took place since 1997 when the Spanish Embassy’s Commission for the Spanish Disappeared started organizing cultural ceremonies annually to memorialize their compatriots victims of the terrorist state.

During these meetings, we discussed the repeated petitions that had been presented to various European embassies and consulates. These petitions were served in hopes of asking the European Parliament to ask to commemorate these events in the European Parliament, and to encourage European institutions to create a memory archive. We also sought assistance in providing reparations and repairing the dignity of the victims, hoping to enhance the work being done to construct a collective memory. In our meetings, we shared information about how these petitions were received and given treatment according to the legal proceedings of each country. This opened the door for later discussion where we exchanged experiences and opinions about whether to undertake a concerted action.

In this spirit, on the occasion of the inauguration of the new Spanish Chancellorship branch in 2006, the Commission of the Spanish Disappeared sought for its diplomatic representation in order to encourage wider commemorative ceremonies in the European Union.

In the weeks before that ceremony, we reunited the families of the disappeared Spanish, Italians, and Germans to prepare another petition to present to the European Parliament. Later, a group of French relatives was included, and with their help we finished composing the text that was delivered to the Spanish Embassy to the representative of the European Union in Buenos Aires.

Another decision we made together was the selection of the garden in the Walk of Human Rights and the type of memorial we wanted there. We believe these experiences offer compelling evidence of the importance of joint action, while acknowledging the importance of each individual’s national origin and identity. We know there are more people of European descent who have disappeared, and we are currently trying to locate their families.