Rethinking democracy: 4th summer conversation with Marina Weisband in Schwabach!

Rethinking democracy: 4th summer conversation with Marina Weisband in Schwabach!

When it comes to the future of democracy, school caves are the invisible centers of change. Next Monday, June 30, 2025, the Integration Foundation, together with the Unser Schwabach Community Foundation and the city education office, invites everyone interested to a special event. The 4th “Summer Talk on Democracy” will take place in the courtyard of the Old German High School in Schwabach at 7 p.m. The event will be moderated by Alexander Jungkunz, chief journalist at Nürnberger Nachrichten, and promises exciting insights into the world of democracy education.

Marina Weisband, a proven expert in digital participation and education, is expected to be the keynote speaker. Her lecture entitled "We are shaping our future! Rethinking and living democracy" will certainly provide a lot of food for thought. Weisband, who was born in Ukraine and is known as a qualified psychologist, brings fresh perspectives on the topic of shaping society. Her focus will be particularly interesting on the “aula” project, an innovative digital participation concept for students that is much more than just an educational tool. It was specifically developed to integrate the voices of youth into the democratic process and has been successfully used in secondary schools since 2016. politik-digital.de describes that aula can be adapted not only for schools, but also for municipal participation processes.

The importance of democracy education

“Democracy education in schools” is not only on the program of the summer discussion, but is also an important social discourse that is currently being held at various levels. A specialist conference entitled “Strengthening Democracy: Why Schools Matter” recently took place in Berlin on May 20, 2025. Federal Education and Youth Minister Karin Prien opened the event and emphasized the need to promote democracy education from an early age. The Hertie Commission report, which was discussed there, calls for concrete recommendations to strengthen democracy education, which are highly relevant for schools and their school management. Materials for political education and media education are becoming increasingly important in preparing students for the challenges of the digital world.

In addition, the federal program “Living Democracy!” with the strengthening of democracy and media education in schools, with numerous projects such as “Democracy Education in Children” or “Digital Democracy” being supported. These initiatives aim to create a high level of awareness of the values ​​of democracy and active participation. The summer discussion in Schwabach is therefore not just an individual event, but is part of a broader social process that is dedicated to promoting democratic participation.

Invitation to participate

Participation in the summer discussion is free of charge, but informal registration is recommended. The event ends around 8:30 p.m., so there is enough time to talk to experts. Flexible and innovative – this is how the commitment to democracy education can be described. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us info@aula.de turn around. You are encouraged to contribute your own voice and actively shape the future. With this in mind: Let us live a good piece of democracy together!

For more information about the summer discussion and the aula project, please visit schwabach.de as well as the page of bmfsfj.de.