The role of NGOs in education for democratic citizenship

From the 21st till the 24th of April, a conference took place on the role of NGOs in education for democratic citizenship in Warsaw, Poland. The main aim of the conference was to exchange successful project experiences and innovative practices in the field of democratic citizenship and human rights education. Ruud Veldhuis draws conclusions from the event.

From the 21st till the 24th of April, a conference took place on the role of NGOs in education for democratic citizenship in Warsaw, Poland. It was organised by the Polish ministry of Education and by the Department of School and Out-of-School Education of the Council of Europe. Over 120 national and international NGOs met in the Polish Senate. They represented a wide range of national and international NGOs working in the field of education for democratic citizenship and human rights education, including the European Youth Forum, Amnesty International, the International Committee of Red Cross, Transparency International and the European Parents Association. Aims

The main aim of the conference was to exchange successful project experiences and innovative practices in the field of democratic citizenship and human rights education. A second aim was to formulate the results of the conference in a recommendation to the Council of Europe’s Warsaw Summit on the 16th and 17th of May 2005 to encourage governments and civil society to work closer together in assisting young people and adults to acquire the knowledge and skills for full participation in a democratic society. The conference is part of the Council of Europe 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education which aims to popularise and put into practice the education for democratic citizenship policies and programmes developed within the Council. People

The conference was opened by Poland’s National Education and Sport Minister Miroslaw Sawicki and Deputy Foreign Minister Piotr Switalski. There were key note speeches by the Swiss member of Parliament Andreas Gross and Anatoli Ermolin, deputy of the Russian State Duma. The first impressed with a compact and to the point presentation of ten hypotheses against the banalisation of citizenship, democracy and freedom. The second spoke about the role of NGOs in bridging the gap between policy and practice in the field of education for democratic citizenship. The participants were then split into four working groups, exploring the role of NGOs in school education, in public life, in local policies and activities and in human rights education and social cohesion. Conclusions

The working groups yielded some interesting conclusions. Networking and linkages between NGOs can contribute to the development of education for democratic citizenship. Contact between young people from other countries is essential. Eastern European NGOs are interested in programmes that aim at intercultural dialogue. The lack of interest and support from local authorities is a problem to look into. There are success stories of local policies being influenced by NGOs. The lack of volunteer participation is seen as a problem. NGOs have difficulties in raising funds and finding participants. The need to reach out to young people and involve them in projects deserves extra attention. Since parents have such an important role to play, their involvement should be taken care off. Recommendations

In the fringe of the conference, a small group of NGO representatives prepared a statement which was later accepted by the conference. It calls on governments to

introduce education for democratic citizenship, including peace and human rights education, into school curricula, in order to combat violence, promote intercultural understanding, solidarity and encourage a climate of dialogue, promote European identity on the basis of the principle ‘unity in diversity’, and to this effect, broaden European civil society as a strong and democratic one. It also calls on the Heads of State and Government, meeting at the Third Summit, and on all political leaders:

* to strengthen their efforts to ensure equal access to quality education for all, including all disadvantaged sectors of society and ethnic, national, social, sexual, cultural, religious and linguistic minorities;

* to express their support for, and profound commitment to Education for Democratic Citizenship, and continue their efforts to make public opinion aware of this vital dimension of democracy;

* to support efforts by NGOs to encourage civic participation and to form effective, well-informed and committed citizens;

* and to support the organisation of an annual NGO forum on education for democratic citizenship.

Ruud Veldhuis, Instituut voor Publiek en Politiek, Amsterdam

This article was published in Politeia Newsletter 38 - July 2005