According to the National Democratic Institute, national elections are expected to take place in at least 64 countries during 2024. This comes at a time when many societies around the world are reporting increasing levels of polarization. In November 2023, a group of dedicated educators and citizens participated in the Salzburg Global Center for Education Transformation program on "Civic and Civil Education: Identity, Belonging and Education in the 21st Century". Their objective was to reimagine the role education can play in democratic societies. Fellows tackled questions surrounding identity, curriculum for activists, empathy and hope development, polarization, and mis and dis-information.
One of the outputs from the program is the Salzburg Statement for Civic and Civil Education. This statement emphasizes the vital role of education in democratic societies and offers suggestions on fostering democracy, social movements, and challenging political, economic and social systems.
Download the Statement in English here.
Salzburg Global Seminar is grateful to the Fellows of this program for the translations of the Statement.
Watch the recording of the launch here: