Educating citizenship for resilient societies

Draft agenda

Webstream Atrium 6

10:45 – 10:55 | Opening Remarks: Setting the Frame for Resilience

• Pavel Trantina (EESC Member, Gr. III): The role of lifelong learning in safeguarding democratic health and building non-polarized communities.
• Elisa Gambardella (President LLLP): Introduction on reframing citizenship education from a "fourth pillar" to a foundational element.

10:55 – 11:40 | High-Level Panel: Changing Narratives & Bridging Silos

• Moderator: Arja Krauchenberg (EPA Project Coordinator).
• Brigitte van den Berg (Member of European Parliament, Renew Europe Group, CULT Committee): Beyond the Fourth Pillar: Institutional Strategies for Embedding Democratic Values in EU Education Policy
• Claudio Dondi (Education Inspiring Peace Lab): Balancing top-down and bottom-up: Using European frameworks for peace and citizenship education in daily practice.
• Lauren Bond (OBESSU): From Subjects to Stakeholders: Ensuring student rights and youth voices are foundational to democratic education policy.
• Suzana Carp (Co-founder, ECIT): The European Dimension – Strengthening citizens’ rights, involvement, and trust through education.
• György Miklós (Szülői Hang) & Eszter Nagy (UEF): Democratic Resilience in Practice – Lessons from Hungary on protecting educational values in polarized environments.

11:40 – 11:50 | Short Transition

• Briefing on the workshop methodology.

11:50 – 12:30 | Parallel Sessions: Policy Pillars to Grassroots Reality

• Session 1: Learners’ Voice & Educational Governance (led by YES Forum & Inclusion Europe).
• Session 2: Local Learning Ecosystems – The DECITEL Model (led by EPA & OBESSU with EIP).
• Session 3: Synergy: Training Institutions, CSOs & Local Authorities (led by EVBB & LLLP).
• Session 4: Local-European Synergy: Scaling Resilience (led by ALDA & UEF).

12:30 – 12:45 | Plenary

• Restitution & Shared Recommendations

In a landscape of increasing social and political polarisation, there is an urgent need to reinforce the intrinsic value of education for the health of our democratic societies. This session is a direct intervention, designed to shift the focus from abstract ideals to practical, actionable solutions. It builds on the recommendations from the previous year's event, using them as a foundation to address new realities and deepen the discussion.  

The core problem this session confronts is the relegation of citizenship skills to a low-priority "fourth pillar" in policy frameworks - an afterthought expected to materialize without dedicated investment or engagement.  

Our session reframes this narrative, positioning active citizenship not as a supplement, but as the foundational element of resilient communities. Our premise is that multigenerational, lifelong education is the key to building non-polarised communities of critical thinkers. Unlike discussions that defer solutions to future generations, our focus is firmly on the present. 

By first establishing a shared policy framework, we empower all participants – regardless of their background – to engage more deeply and effectively in the subsequent hands-on workshops. 

Key Thematic Pillars

The session is built on three interconnected pillars that form a cohesive narrative, moving from the foundational value of education to its practical application in building inclusive and resilient democratic societies. 

1. The Value of Education and Life-Long-Learning for Democracy
2. Bridging Institutional and Sectoral Silos
3. From Policy to Practice 

The primary goal is to produce a valuable resource that captures the collective intelligence and practical insights of the participants, serving as a tool for advocacy and future action.