International Democratic Education Conference

IDEC@EUDEC 2025 Belgium

August 1 to 7, 2025

De Kluis, Sint-Joris-Weert, Belgium

Program overview

Speakers

Discover the keynote speakers.

A Culture of Dialogue

Conference theme

Democratic education is rooted in a culture of dialogue, where children and adults engage as equals—listening deeply, expressing authentically, and respecting each other’s rights and needs. This spirit of dialogue extends beyond the school, fostering connection within communities, between educational models, and across cultures.

Open Space

Open Space is a self-organizing part of the conference where participants of all ages can propose workshops, games, discussions, or other activities based on their interests. You set the agenda, choose a time and place, and those who feel inspired will join: a living example of self-directed learning.

Play, Culture and Leisure

Besides all the very interesting lectures and workshops related to Democratic Education, we also provide a lot of possibilities for play, culture, leisure and other activities. 

Wishes regarding the program

When you book your ticket for the conference, you will have the opportunity to share your preferences for the conference program.

This includes:

  • Suggesting a topic you are interested in and would like to see featured in a lecture, workshop, or similar session.
  • Proposing to give a lecture, workshop, … on a topic of your choice.

Pre-planned program

Panel

Workshop

Talk

Other

Student Voices

Panel

Students from democratic schools

Workshop

QUEST

Talk

Team Gotalk

Karel de Grote Hogeschool

Talk

Gnanasekar Dhanapal

Inclusion & Diversity

Workshop

Ibrahim Issa
Hope Flowers School Palestine

Talk

Olivia Nannono
Enhance Humanity Uganda

Workshop

Charlie Moreno-Romero &
Silvia McClanahan

Workshop

Gladys Schich
Democratic School Fleks Hamburg

Workshop

Dorothea Schütze & Cloe

Online talk

Yasodhara Pathanjali
Independent Collective School Sri Lanka

Talk

Nathalie Fradin

Workshop

Nathalie Fradin

Talk

Walid Malik

Workshop

Walid Malik

Talk

Nuwan Dissanayaka

Workshop

Griffin Toffler

Mainstreaming Democratic Education

Interactive talk

Liliana Carrillo
CollectiveUP

Workshop

Dorianne De Groot & Ruud Van Middelaar
Democratic School 

De Ruimte Soest

Talk

Magi Blagoeva
Democratic School Sofia

Talk

Marie Pons
Orvita

Short presentation followed by an open discussion

Gabriel Groiss

Workshop

Margo Bruins

Workshop

Julischka Fell

Talk & Workshop

Ian Cunningham

Talk

Derry Hannam

Workshop

Luz Olid and David Caballero (Evolving Education)

Workshop

Luz Olid and David Caballero (Evolving Education)

Meeting

Luz Olid and David Caballero (Evolving Education)

Workshop

Abdulvahap Yorgun

Workshop

Abdulvahap Yorgun