Conceptual Framework and Vision: Responsible Democratic Citizenship and Education for Democracy

Abstract

The DEMOCRAT project aims to address society's democratic deficits by maximising opportunities for mutual positive reinforcement between education and democratic participation through transformative learning for young people. DEMOCRAT builds on the premise that education plays a fundamental role in the development of democratic societies by equipping citizens with the values, knowledge and skills necessary for active participation, critical thinking and informed decision-making. DEMOCRAT was conceived in response to the plethora of ongoing crises affecting Europe and the world. These crises test the effectiveness of democratic institutions and practices, as well as the resilience of individuals and societies. A review of civic education in Europe has shown that, despite the importance given to democratic education in public discourse, it is generally not considered a major topic for education itself. The project’s core objective is to reinforce the sustainability and resilience of democracy in Europe by updating and strengthening Education for Democracy (EfD), through participatory redesign and implementation of context-specific curricula and learning methods in a framework of rapid digitalisation. The novelty of DEMOCRAT lies in the dual nature of its educational objectives: alongside exploring the conceptual or historical frameworks concerning the development of the signifier 'democracy', the project aims to operationalise it in various fields of social tension (inclusion, environmental awareness, gender issues) by encouraging civic behaviour, active participation and engagement, communication skills, critical thinking and problem solving through education for democracy. DEMOCRAT's action goes in three main directions that are the key aspects of its methodological approach: Firstly, a conceptual research concerned with definitions, concepts and historical debates on the basis of the values agreed by the EU and Agenda 2030, making sense of the structural challenges that threaten democracy. This preliminary conceptual effort identifies research gaps and includes an outline of a framework of competences for responsible democratic citizenship. It serves as a basis for the design of the practical aspect of the project, the pilot laboratories for the implementation of democracy education.Secondly, the so-called living labs where the community of education (schools, parents and students' associations, policy makers) is engaged in debate and the co-creation of transformative learning approaches in national and transnational settings. Adding to these activities the digital platform AGORA, it could become like a one-stop-shop for educational community in Europe to find inspiration. These living labs will also be outstanding sources for the evaluation of trends, continuous assessment as well as recommendations for best practices and policy making. Finally, and beyond the classroom environment, DEMOCRAT aims at intervening into the educational environment (schools, informal training) through the elaboration of a European Curriculum for EfD. This involves introducing dynamic and innovative didactic-practical units (methods, approaches or tools) into the existing curriculum or classroom practice in which students and educators actively participate in or prepare for real-world democratic processes and civic activities.