It remains to be seen who will form the future Austrian government. What do voters expect? This question is the subject of intense debate. Do they feel represented by politics at all? How educational institutions of all kinds can promote democratic exchange and what citizens want from research on the one hand and from state institutions on the other is the topic of the event "Democracies - Research - Public Spheres", which will take place on October 16 and 17, 2024 at the Chamber of Labour. The contributions will cover topics such as how to arouse democratic curiosity, the role of cultural heritage, what political education means today and how museums can communicate human rights. Anyone interested can attend free of charge.
International and local actors from civil society, social, cultural and educational work will report on their diverse projects at the conference. All participants will be able to have their say during discussion events on the afternoon of October 17.
The event is the kick-off for a forum on democracy research and is deliberately taking place on the right bank of the Mur: "We want to make it clear that this will not be an aloof academic island," reports initiator Katharina Eisch-Angus from the Department of Cultural Anthropology and European Ethnology at the University of Graz. The City of Graz and the Province of Styria are cooperation partners. "The plan is to create an integrative place where academics and students can work with citizens to realise projects in the fields of democracy research, cultural mediation and participatory community work," explains Eisch-Angus. "The aim is to create a place for everyday democratic life and dialog for everyone."