In our societies, we are facing a shift towards anti-democratic forces. In the last decades it has been neglected that democracy needs to be learned continuously to secure it (Dewey 1916, Negt 1971 and 2004, Papadopoulos 2013) Especially educational institutions should play an important role in promoting learning and experimenting with democracy beyond voting. But are these educational institutions already per se democratic in their organisational and institutional practice? Do teachers and professionals already live democracy in their classrooms, in their teaching and counselling practices?

Based on these questions, the second workshop of the research trialogue between the three Horizon Europe funded sister projects AECED; CRITICAL CHANGE LAB (CCLAB) and DEMOCRAT will depart from the understanding of democracy as social practice, shared by the three projects, to initiate a reflection on how listening to young people's voices can inspire the rethinking and revitalization of democratic practices in educational institutions. Such funded EU Horizon programs on democracy can be understood as platforms for critical thinking and learning, for participatory research to strengthen democratic practices at a micro-, meso- and macro levels (Reitmair-Juárez et al 2024).

CCLAB is rooted in Dewey’s (1916) philosophy, that democracy is more than a system of governance; it is "primarily a form of associated living, of conjoint communicated experience" (p. 91) which is manifested in values, attitudes and agency (Council of Europe, 2017). Following this perspective, CCLAB is built on the assumption that participatory democracy entails active participation (Biesta, 2007) and is inherently felt and embodied in current practices and situated in specific contexts. This perspective calls for a fundamental shift from traditional approaches that focus on teaching democracy as a static subject or set of institutional principles. Instead, it emphasizes the importance of exploring how young people actively engage with, practice, interpret, reflect and make sense of democracy and democratic values in their everyday lives. 

This standpoint implies paying attention to the diverse, informal, and sometimes unexpected ways in which people make sense of democracy and enact democratic practices and values. It, therefore, looks for methods, techniques and approaches to think with youth about what democracy and active citizenship mean for them.

To this end, the second workshop will explore how listening to and co-creating with young people's voices can inspire the rethinking and revitalization of democratic practices in educational institutions. Drawing on key findings from the CCLAB project, we will delve into how young people perceive, engage with, and shape democracy in their daily lives. A special emphasis will be placed on arts-based and embodied methods, which create alternative spaces for youth to reflect on democracy and express the complexities of their lived experiences.

The trialogue research workshops will be interconnected between the network 32 organizational education and the network citizenship education (network 34). The research workshop trilogy will not only take into account the empirical research results of the three EU Horizon Projects, but will also link up with the notions of collective strategy development as well as organisational and political learning. CCLAB plans to organise the research workshop in a 90 minutes format. It will be divided into two parts: a) The core presentation will focus on amplifying the voices of young people as they navigate and express their ways of engaging with democracy and making sense of it in their lives. These outcomes were built on the participation of over 800 youth participants across 19 countries. Through creative and artistic methods, we will explore how art can serve as a powerful tool for reflection, communication, and participation. b) This will be followed by a triadic participatory resonance in table groups reflecting on how learning from youth can bring other perspectives to renew educational institutions and reimagine democracy in educational contexts, shifting beyond traditional, hierarchical structures. These will be collected, presented and integrated into collective policy statements and briefs as well as in a joint special issue publication.

Considering the layers of policy-making, our research workshop will reflect on the potential for strengthening political impact and socio-cultural change. In particular, through this second workshop, we aim to open reflection on the diverse ways young people do democracy and how their understandings can be a catalyst for rethinking and revitalizing democratic education and democracy in educational institutions. Through dialogue and collective reflection, we hope to inspire new approaches that move beyond conventional structures, fostering more inclusive and dynamic democratic practices within educational institutions. Furthermore, by highlighting the importance of youth agency, this workshop aims to bridge the gap between theoretical concepts of democracy and its practical application in schools and non-formal educational settings.

Dewey, J. (2016 [1916]). Democracy and Education: an introduction to the philosophy of education. New York. Negt, O. (1971). Soziologische Phantasie und Exemplarisches Lernen. Frankfurt a. M. Negt, O. (2008). Demokratie als Lebensform. Neue Gesellschaft. Frankfurter Hefte. 3. 37–41. Retrieved 20/09/2021 at https://www.frankfurter-hefte.de/media/Archiv/2008/Heft_03/0803_37_41.pdf Papadopoulos, Yannis (2013). Democracy in Crisis: Politics, Governance and Policy. Palgrave Macmillan. Reitmair-Juárez, S., & Lange, D. (Eds.). (2024). The crisis of democracy under neoliberal globalisation and the potential role of education in counteracting it. Wochenschau Verlag.