Financed by the DAAD with Funds from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research© Getty Images Plus / kamisoka
Financed by the DAAD with Funds from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research © Getty Images Plus / kamisoka

Follow-Up Events – EU Ideas Lab „Democratic Civil Society under Pressure“ DAAD Alumni & Friends

Right-wing populists dream of a so-called “Europe of peoples” – essentially a nationalist-racist construct of supposedly ethnically homogenous peoples and authoritarian nation states. Everyone who rejects this idea in its goals, forms of expression and lifestyles faces growing pressure when right-wing populists gain power. What does this pressure look like? What distinguishes it at the local and national level? And most importantly: What strategies can be used to resist it? What has proven particularly successful in practice?

In June 2021 the EU Ideas Lab of the “DAAD Alumni & Friends” (DAAD-Freundeskreis e.V.) tackled these questions systematically with a focus on Germany, Austria, and Hungary. The Lab was organized by the “DAAD Alumni & Friends”, in cooperation with the “Fachhochschule Dortmund - University of Applied Sciences and Arts” (Prof. Dr. Dierk Borstel) and the “Promotionskolleg Rechtspopulistische Sozialpolitik und exkludierende Solidarität” (Dr. Floris Biskamp). DAAD Alumni and many other participants from all over Germany, Europe and beyond spent three days together in a digital workshop discussing concrete examples and searching for answers and impulses: What kind of actions would a democratic civil society be able to perform? How would it look like to organize European solidarity for affected people?

Three follow-up events via Zoom in early 2022 will take up some of the strongest ideas and develop them further. These more concrete ideas and recommended actions will be discussed and advanced at the EU-wide alumni event "Ideas for Europe - DAAD alumni help shaping Europe" in Berlin in March 2022.

  • 21.02.2022, 15-18pm (CET) - Education for Democratic Citizenship in European Schools
  • 23.02.2022, 16-18pm (CET) - VOICES (Providing Opportunities for International Cooperation among Endangered Scientists)
  • 03.03.2022, 16-19pm (CET) - To be on the lookout - European approaches of outreach political education, art and culture

SHORT FILM FOLLOW-UP EVENTS

SHORT FILM FOLLOW-UP EVENTS
SHORT FILM FOLLOW-UP EVENTS ©

IMPRESSIONS FROM EU IDEAS LAB 2021

IMPRESSIONS FROM EU IDEAS LAB 2021

IMPRESSIONS FROM EU IDEAS LAB 2021
IMPRESSIONS FROM EU IDEAS LAB 2021 ©

IMPRESSIONS FROM EU IDEAS LAB 2021

IMPRESSIONS FROM EU IDEAS LAB 2021
IMPRESSIONS FROM EU IDEAS LAB 2021 ©

Why you should participate?

  • Develop concrete ideas for the future of Europe with other DAAD Alumni.
  • Work in small groups – accompanied by experts - to come up with impulses for action.
  • Profit from discussions and networking across all disciplines and professions.
  • Freely chose the sessions relevant to your interests.

Who can participate?

Alumni and friends of the DAAD as well as further interested people from all disciplines and professions. No specialist knowledge required.

Description of events

21.02.2022, 15-18pm (CET) 

Education for Democratic Citizenship in European Schools

In contemporary Europe, democracy and education for democratic citizenship are under increasing pressure. Starting with these current developments, our workshop aims at discussing new ways of implementing citizenship education actions across European schools in the future. Understanding democratic education as a transcultural, global, and digital process, we will focus on building concepts for a (European) network of school activities, that tie in with the existing institutional framework, but expand cooperation and networking opportunities for NGOs associated with democratic education.

Moreover, we will take an approach that brings together a variety of actors across many levels, educators, teachers, social workers, other professionals, and practitioners working with children, as well as academic and civil society partners. Finally, we will emphasize concepts that promote values like equality, non-discrimination, and anti-racism and develop visions that critically reflect Eurocentric traditions of education and democracy.

Speakers: 

  • , Head of Youth Section, The European Wergeland Centre, Oslo
  • , Professor of international and intercultural education research, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg

Moderator:

  • Corinna Egerer, 

Presentation of the results

Presentation of the results
Presentation of the results ©

Planned and organized by

23.02.2022, 16-18pm (CET)

VOICES (Providing Opportunities for International Cooperation among Endangered Scientists)

The goal of the European Science Network VOICES is to provide a networking platform and to support scientists of all disciplines whose lives and/or research are threatened by populist, discriminatory, or otherwise restrictive governments or views. With the help of external funding and internal support services, VOICES provides comprehensive opportunities to continue to pursue and communicate science without prejudice at all career stages. This includes the formation of research groups and publication organs, advanced training, remote learning and teaching , scholarship opportunities, cooperation and transfer opportunities in politics, non-university education, business and the public.

Speakers:

  • , Project Manager Inspireurope
  • Dr. Eszter Kováts, political scientist, University ELTE, Budapest

Moderator: 

  • Corinna Egerer, 

Presentation of the results

Presentation of the results
Presentation of the results ©

Planned and organized by

03.03.2022, 16-19pm (CET)

To be on the lookout  - European approaches of outreach political education, art and culture 

Germany is increasingly becoming a plural, diverse and multi-ethnic society. Diversity and plurality, however, need to be maintained and fostered - every day! On a European and particularly on a local level. The Corona-pandemic has put European societies under added pressure. Racist, nationalist, and religious extremist groups misuse this time of insecurity for their own means to promote ideologies of inequality. The pandemic seems to be a catalyst for polarizing society. Additionally, schools have been closed for long periods of time and communicating and connecting with other people has been limited to online meetings. Art and culture are portrayed to be of no systemic importance. But the opposite is the case! (Political) education, art and culture(s) are essential for a „militant democracy“.

In this workshop the participants will elaborate on ideas how to outreach political education, and what art and culture should look like to strengthen democratic societies on a European level.

Speakers:

  • Tilman Weinig, Co-Founder and Senior Advisor
  • Nico Schernbeck, Co-Director, International Department,

Moderator:

  • Corinna Egerer, 

Presentation of the results

Presentation of the results
Presentation of the results ©

Planned and organized by

* The event language is English. The program is subject to short-term changes.

DAAD ALUMNI MEETING „SETTING OUT FOR THE FUTURE – HOW CAN WE DRIVE EUROPE FORWARD?“ - WORKSHOP "THE EUROPEAN WAY OF LIFE"

DAAD ALUMNI MEETING „SETTING OUT FOR THE FUTURE – HOW CAN WE DRIVE EUROPE FORWARD?“ - WORKSHOP "THE EUROPEAN WAY OF LIFE"
DAAD ALUMNI MEETING „SETTING OUT FOR THE FUTURE – HOW CAN WE DRIVE EUROPE FORWARD?“ - WORKSHOP "THE EUROPEAN WAY OF LIFE" ©

Team behind the events

Organizers and Partners

DAAD Alumni & Friends

For more than four decades now, “DAAD Alumni & Friends” has been committed to an active welcome culture. The Alumni Association of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) creates places to connect with likeminded people. Members organise events for DAAD scholarship holders and alumni on a voluntary basis. The DAAD-Freundeskreis e.V., which was founded in 1981, seeks to support the work of the DAAD and promote the spirit of international understanding. The Association has around 1,300 members. Most of them are former scholarship holders, who have experienced the importance of hospitality in a foreign country themselves.

German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)

The DAAD is an association of German institutions of higher education and their student bodies. Convening in a general assembly, they elect the Executive Committee which oversees the organisation’s day-to-day operations. Since it was founded in 1925, the DAAD has supported more than 2.6 million academics in Germany and abroad. It relies on a strong organisational structure, a worldwide network of partners and alumni and a motivated staff of over 900 employees.

Event support and community management

The Alumniportal Deutschland is a social network designed to promote networking and sharing of information among Germany-Alumni, companies, universities and organisations. It offers its users the opportunity to get in touch with Germany-Alumni from around the world as well as companies in order to discuss specialist issues, develop their skills and benefit from the expertise of others.

The events are financed by the DAAD with Funds from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.