Creating and preserving spaces of democracy | U!REKA online-lecture series: Democracy under threat
Democracy is one of the ‘core values’ of the European Union. Together with the rule of law and human rights, it forms the normative basis for open, inclusive and just societies committed to tolerance, solidarity and non-discrimination. However, scholars and commentators have been speaking about a ‘crisis of democracy’ for decades, and it appears that this crisis has magnified in the last years.
In our online lecture series, we analyse the present moment and discuss what conditions it – in economic, political, socio-cultural, technological and ecological terms. And in so doing, we explore what democracy is, and what it could be, how it is threatened and why and what can be done to defend and extend it in a sustainable way.
16/02/2027, 16:00-17:00 (CET)
Creating and preserving spaces of democracy
Democracy is not just a mode of government; it emerges when people meet and engage with each other locally, for example in youth clubs, libraries, neighbourhood associations and community centres. These spaces of democracy are crucial for social cohesion and political participation and allow people to actively transform their social environments. This contribution discusses how the crisis of democracy and the rise of the far right can be countered by creating and preserving such spaces of democracy.
Speaker: Maximilian Pichl (Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences)
Chair: Timo von Wirth (Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences)
Target Group
Lectures are open to everyone interested in questions of democracy and especially to all members of U!REKA universities including students and life-long learners.
Registration
is required – please click here. The online links will be provided by email together with the confirmation of the registration.