Democracy lives from participation – it needs citizens who are willing to take responsibility. In times of growing dissatisfaction, declining party affiliation, and populist election successes, it comes under increasing pressure. The polarization during the 2025 election year and the transformation of media formats illustrate how demanding participatory democracy has become. To examine the conditions of lived democracy from both scientific and practical perspectives, the NRW School of Governance and the State Agency for Civic Education NRW are organizing a workshop on the state of democracy in North Rhine-Westphalia on June 6.
The full-day event on the Duisburg campus of the University of Duisburg-Essen provides space for dialogue and practice-oriented input from research on democracy, education, and digitalization. The aim is to connect academic insight with practical experience and to open up new perspectives for democratic education and participation. CAIS researchers Anne Goldmann and Prof. Dr. Christoph Bieber will contribute to the workshop as speakers.
Programme
09:00 Welcome
Prof. Dr. Andreas Blätte (Board of Directors, NRW School of Governance), Dr. Guido Hitze (Director, State Agency for Civic Education North Rhine-Westphalia)
Part 1: Impulses from Academia
09:15 Learning Democracy, Experiencing Democracy
Chair: Dr. Julia Schwanholz
Democracy requires participation – and knowledge of how it works. A strong, future-oriented democracy thrives when as many people as possible contribute with diverse experiences and opinions. But how can democratic participation become tangible and natural? And how can political knowledge and democratic action be linked in a way that embeds democratic principles permanently in social life?
Speakers:
Prof. Dr. Susanne Pickel (University of Duisburg-Essen)
Dr. Kristina Weissenbach (University of Duisburg-Essen)
Prof. Dr. Thomas Goll (TU Dortmund)
Prof. Dr. Sabine Manzel (University of Duisburg-Essen)
10:45 Coffee Break
11:15 Democracy Education in the Digital Society
Chair: Stine Ziegler
Digital spaces are changing the way democracy is lived. New, innovative ways of networking, participating in discussions, and exerting political influence are emerging. New forms of connection and participation are developing, and expectations of inclusion and transparency are also shifting. However, not everyone is equally able to participate. Differences in handling digital information and in its evaluation are becoming an increasing challenge. How can digital skills be widely promoted, and how can people be empowered to engage responsibly in (digital) processes of democratic life?
Speakers
Prof. Dr. Monika Oberle (Goethe University Frankfurt, Social Science Education)
Anne Goldmann and Prof. Dr. Christoph Bieber (Center for Advanced Internet Studies)
Dr. Katharina Gerl (Düsseldorf Institute for Internet and Democracy)
12:45 Lunch Break with Refreshments
Part 2: In Dialogue with Practice
13:30 Introduction to the Afternoon Programme
13:45 Dialogue Spaces with Practitioners and Speakers from the First Workshop Session
Dialogue Space 1: Schools as Places of Lived Democracy
Chair Ana Alba Schmidt
Dialogue Space 2: Historical-Political Education for a Democratic Future
Chair: Dr. Arne Hordt
Dialogue Space 3: Democracy in Digital Spaces
Chair: Lilian Fiala
14:45 Coffee Break
15:00 Final Discussion
Chair: Stine Ziegler
The day’s presentations and discussions will be brought together to reflect on the potential of democracy education in North Rhine-Westphalia. The fishbowl discussion thrives on the active participation of all attendees.
16:00 Closing Remarks
Dr. Guido Hitze (Director, State Agency for Civic Education North Rhine-Westphalia)
Prof. Dr. Andreas Blätte (Board of Directors, NRW School of Governance)
Registration
Registration for the workshop is open until May 23 at the following link: https://forms.gle/mcVZkJ9V6JjJxjzK7