The meaning of democracy has changed several times, from back to Aristotle’s time in Ancient Greece to the 21^st Century in Europe and around the world. Democracy nowadays is primarily based on the rule of law, bringing together different institutions, political rights, and the participatory framework political decisions are made – including elected representatives or influenced by citizens. Even if it’s meant to be a representative and participatory system, it is quite vulnerable as we have been witnessing throughout human history.

There are several ways to reinforce a democratic system, while making sure to address ongoing and emerging threats to it. Looking at the Council of Europe “Democracy Here, Democracy Now” campaign, it’s worth quoting their view that

“The only response to the problems of democracy is more democracy: democracy is a process of democratisation. Learning about and for democracy, support and recognition given to structures and new forms of youth participation, including an enabling environment for youth civil society, remain key areas of action.”

There is a variety of institutions and international bodies addressing democracy and the rule of law. The European Union, although it has received several times criticism of having a democratic deficit, puts a lot of effort through legislative initiatives and funding to not only foster stronger democracies but also support their functioning within and beyond the Union i.e., under the 2019-2024 European Commission’s Priority “A new push for European democracy” as “Democracies must be worked on and renewed every single day, and this requires citizens to be empowered to speak up.”

A common element seen as vital across different initiatives at different levels by different stakeholders is learning and education, to be more precise Civic and Citizenship Education. With that in mind, below you can go through a set of recommendations that link Civic and Citizenship Education across different dimensions to ensure stronger democracies.

Lifelong Learning. Moving beyond formal education settings

Looking at European Youth Forum’s views and positions, one position is that "Citizenship education is meant to be a dynamic learning process, adapted to context and to each learner. It must be driven by values and equip learners, among whom mostly young people, with the knowledge and understanding, skills and attitudes they need not only to exercise their rights, but rather to also, more broadly, contribute to community and society and act with empathy, care and with future generations in mind." (Youth organisations contribution to citizenship education, 2016)

This quote wasn’t selected randomly. The focus is indeed, as expected, on young people and youth, yet it can be relevant and relatable by all members of a community, across different groups and societies. It is important that it is referenced as a dynamic learning process, thus it can be interpreted as a process not only restricted or meant to be provided in a formal education setting.

It is important to ensure the quality of Civic and Citizenship Education in formal education, yet that should be done while valuing the role of non-formal and informal learning by supporting educators beyond formal education. Learning and learning opportunities are and should be available throughout a person’s life. Thus, Civic and Citizenship Education and its’ learning components should be acknowledged to be an integral part of lifelong learning.

Reinforcing education. Fostering and empowering diverse and inclusive societies

Providing Civic and Citizenship Education, can have different outcomes depending on the quality of the process, the capacity of the educators, the background of the audience etc. Yet, as a way to increase the impact and the value of this process, it is important to ensure a rights-based approach and that it values and builds on other fields that support the efforts of empowering a democratic life and active citizens. That would be, yet not limited to,

• Human Rights Education

• Education for Sustainable Development

• Peace Education

• Intercultural Education

These different fields are interrelated and mutually reinforcing, thus fostering a more empowering process. A process where people not only develop a better understanding, but also have an opportunity to be critical and challenge attitudes and practices. To build a space that promotes dialogue through a more comprehensive process. One that incorporates intersectionality and invests in inclusion. That aims to support people to not only understand different elements of democracy, but also to build on how it is experienced and practised in their living world.

Key competencies. Empowering and fostering active citizenship and democratic culture

Societies face several challenges and threats, while anticipating more to come. Thus, both at the individual and collective levels, it is important that we equip ourselves in ways that can identify those threats better and help overcome challenges. To do so, we need to ensure that we develop certain competencies that combine values, attitudes, skills, knowledge, and critical understanding (check for more details - CoE - COMPETENCES FOR DEMOCRATIC CULTURE).

Digital democracy. The world is more than what we see

Taking it a step further, our lives are now connected to the digital space. Thus, when referring to stronger democracies, it is important to also advance in a way that our digital engagement is also moving towards a more democratic and safer digital space. In that case, I couldn’t say it better than what is mentioned in UNESCO’s Report “Advancing Artificial Intelligence-Supported Global Digital Citizenship Education”

“Global  digital  citizenship  education  should  inspire  learner  agency  and  drive  learners  toward  an  active  commitment  to improving the world. Parekh (2003) contends global citizenship facilitates learning through action centered around three main  components:  consistent,  reflective  questioning  of  a  learner’s  own  country  and  its  policies,  active  interest  in  other countries’ affairs, and active commitment [...]. Learners must develop mindsets, skill sets, and critical thinking skills, which contribute to learner agency (Lindsey, 2021). In conjunction, these skills and mindsets lead to skills and mindsets provide learners the opportunity and the realization that they actively develop their thoughts, voices, and digital identities through digital experiences and that they have the power to use these experiences and this knowledge to interact with the world around them (Lindsey, 2021).” 

These recommendations and their content is just a small part of the work needed to ensure stronger democracies. It is important to understand that difficult times don’t always need difficult measures. It is rather important that we invest and prepare ourselves in a way that our societies work together to overcome difficult times. It is important that we foster active citizenship, invest in lifelong learning and citizenship education and most importantly work together to ensure that our democracies become stronger.

Some other useful resources:

• Citizenship Competence - Online Activity

• UNESCO - Social Contract Pedagogy: adialogical and deliberative model for Global Citizenship Education