Why this Event?
With DOING DEMOCRACY, the European University Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder), and SWPS University, Warsaw, create—within the framework of the European University Alliance ERUA—a space in which academia and civil society work together on the future of democracy. Because promoting and analysing democracy has become more urgent and more difficult. Precisely for this reason, we need spaces in which NGOs and academia can jointly share knowledge, identify needs, strengthen one another, and sustainably shape new forms of cooperation.
Who is invited?
- Do you work in your organisation to support democracy, participation, human dignity, or social cohesion?
- Would you like to learn more about the situation of German and Polish NGOs in the field of DOING DEMOCRACY?
- Are you—based on your research or studies—interested in getting in contact with representatives of NGOs from Poland and Eastern Germany in the fields of civic education, community building, democratic participation, human rights protection, or extremism prevention? Are you looking for practice partners for a research project in the field of democracy?
Read more: DOING DEMOCRACY in detail
Three Pillars of the Event
Exchange
Dialogue and exchange are at the centre of the networking event: NGOs, initiatives, researchers, and students present their work and concerns in advance in a unified poster format. On this basis, we create working groups. In this way, thematic spaces for conversation emerge in which practical experience and academic perspectives meet – for example on questions of democratic resilience, social participation, or engagement in rural areas.
Initiate Cooperation
Another aim is to provide impulses for project-based or longer-term cooperation between NGOs and university education and research. This could include, for example, the involvement of NGOs in study or research projects, or analyses for NGOs carried out by students.
Formulating concerns to policymakers
Finally, political decision-makers shall also be addressed. A panel discussion and a presentation of the networking results in front of invited guests are planned.
Quick Overview
What?
An event connecting civil society, academia, and policymakers across the German-Polish border region
When?
23-24 April 2026
Where?
Europa-Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder) & (Słubice)
Who?
NGOs, researchers, students, activists, and engaged citizens
Organizers
"doing democracy" is organized by Europa-Universität Viadrina and SWPS University within the European Reform University Alliance (ERUA).
