CAN DEMOCRACY BE TAUGHT?

Join us for an education webinar!

25 November 14:00 - 16:30 CET.

How do we prepare young people to participate in democracy when the democratic environment itself is changing?

Hear from educators, young people, practitioners and European decision-makers, explore, listen, challenge, exchange experiences and take practical ideas back to your own classroom, school or youth space.

A European Response

Young people in Europe are growing up with war on the continent, deep political polarisation and pressure on rights and institutions. They live in a digital world where information, influence and AI are part of everyday life.

So what do we do?

How do we talk about issues that divide society, without telling young people what to think?
How do we help them understand their rights and the institutions that shape their lives?
How do we make room for disagreement, and for hope?

Behind these sits a bigger question: what does education need to look like to prepare young people for democratic life in Europe, today and in the future?

Come with a question. Leave with something to try on teaching for democracy.

Programme

Is continuosly updated...

Welcome and introduction

Keynote : Europe’s next generation of citizens

How can we empower a generation of young people to know their rights, use their voice and participate actively in democracy?

This keynote speech explores Europe’s responsibility to strengthen young people’s democratic participation at a time of widespread misinformation, low trust in institutions and growing challenges to fundamental rights.

Keynote : Hope in times of crisis

How do we keep hope alive when the future feels uncertain?

We explore hope not as optimism or the belief that everything will work out, but as something that can be built through collective action, imagination and the experience of creating alternatives - and what this can teach us about the role of education.

Can democracy be taught?

A big picture session on democracy as a civic lesson not only practised at elections. This panel explores the role of education in helping young people understand their rights and become active and engaged citizens and emphasises what it means to educate for democracy.

Teaching democracy in practice

How can we make democracy tangible and accessible to young people?

This session presents concrete approaches from organisations using arts, music, democracy-camps and communities to create new spaces for democratic participation and engagement.

An interactive compass for democracy education

Teaching advisor Sanne Bruun Hansen has developed a flexible teaching compass for democracy education, built around four key principles: curiosity, comprehension, collaboration and contribution.

In this session, Sanne will introduce the KIDS4EU Compass and demonstrate how it can be used to facilitate understanding, collaboration and contribution for fundamental rights, active citizenship and democracy.