Smart for Democracy and Diversity (SDD) – Digital Education Concepts for Diversity and Democratic Participation

Applied research , Democracy , Education

2020 - 2023

Provider	European Commission
Programme	Erasmus + Cooperative Partnerships for Higher Education
Project code	2020-1-DE02-KA204-007447
Participants	ISIS Institut für Soziale Infrastruktur gGmbH (coordinator), AGE Platform Europe, AFEdemy, Academie voor leeftijdsvriendelijke leefomgevingen in Europe B.V., Bildungsstätte Anne Frank, Faculty of Social Sciences Charles University, Lunaria, SHINE 2Europe
Principal investigator	Jesper Schulze

“Smart for Democracy and Diversity” is a project supported by seven partner organisations from six European countries with the aim of developing an anti-racist learning tool for adult education. Our project focuses on the development of an online game, learning materials, workshop concepts and policy recommendations. SDD addresses learners, adult educators and policy makers and intends to contribute to the strengthening of a democratic and diverse society with this broad approach.

Equal rights, participation and protection against discrimination and racism are central to the agenda of the European Union and important preconditions for living together on equal terms. In recent years, populist and racist positions have gained strength across Europe. Hate speech and conspiracy theories spread prejudice, promote anti-Semitic thought patterns and stir up sentiment against marginalised groups. These attacks are not only verbal, they also culminate in physical violence and terror.

The developments of the last few years are only an intensification of this. Exclusion of marginalised people and racist ideas are a long-term social problem. Racism, discrimination and hate speech affect people because of their appearance or identity and have a strong impact on the possibilities and opportunities of the people who are targeted. Discrimination limits individual opportunities and affects all aspects of life – from finding housing and a job to participating in society. Dealing with discrimination does not only require political and legal decisions. It is also important to deal with one’s own discriminatory positions and attitudes. Such self-reflection approaches have been used in anti-racist education work for many years.

The project works with an intersectional approach and includes the individual experiences of marginalised people. The aim is to make these positions visible and to promote a critical examination of discriminatory behaviour and structures. The intersectional approach focuses on individuals and their specific life situations, but keeps discriminatory categories in mind.

An important methodological aspect is an empathetic and low-threshold approach to the topic. This should promote understanding and reflection of one’s own behaviour. We believe that democratic and equal coexistence in a diverse society can best be promoted by understanding other perspectives.