Europe is experiencing a backsliding of democracy. Many citizens – and some political leaders – resort to seemingly simple solutions to complex issues, encourage distrust in institutions, disregard facts and engage in hate speech against the vulnerable and those who do not share their views. This reflects a lack of knowledge and understanding of how to deal with increasingly complex issues that is amplified by digital technologies.
 

The Council of Europe is well placed to support policy makers, educators and young people to develop the competences needed to build and maintain genuine democracy thanks to policy initiatives such as the reference framework of competences for democratic culture, the common European framework of reference for languages and various recommendations by the Committee of Ministers. It works to encourage member states through their education ministries to develop a diverse and participatory model of education that is designed to engage critical thinking in a safe environment; providing a range of standards, tools and practices that can be adapted to local situations. Schools, higher education institutions and universities, specialised agencies, NGOs and young democratic leaders are also involved.

European Centre for Modern Languages (Graz)

In recent years there has been a marked loss of support for learning foreign languages, leading to a rise in intolerance towards other people and cultures and the languages they speak. The acceptance of minority and migrant languages is also under threat. These concerns are directly addressed in Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)1 on the importance of plurilingual and intercultural education for democratic culture.
 

The mission of the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) , based in Graz, Austria, is to promote excellence and innovation in language education practice. It works with language professionals to develop research-informed solutions to key challenges in language education. It runs four-year programmes which provide the framework for multilateral development projects, organises in-country capacity building and runs a range of activities for a wider public.

The ECML coordinates the European Day of Languages each year on 26 September, which promotes the continent’s rich linguistic diversity and highlights the many and varied benefits of language learning. It is celebrated by hundreds of thousands of language learners and teachers worldwide.

The ECML involves over one thousand language education professionals each year in its face to-face training events in Graz and in the member states, as well as through webinars, think tanks and conferences. 

The ECML engages with civil society through its professional network forum which meets annually in Graz and whose members often contribute to ECML events. This forum, which was established in 2010, currently brings together 16 international associations and institutions that share the core values of the Council of Europe and its commitment to plurilingual and intercultural education. Each member has a particular focus within the broad field of language education which can be sectoral – e.g.  higher education or informal/non-formal learning, or topical – e.g. assessment or pluralistic approaches. This forum provides a unique platform for INGOs to share expertise and know-how. Members work together on themes of major relevance in language education, including through the production of publications such as “From crisis to sustainability: policy guidelines on supporting the development of language education”.

Observatory on History Teaching in Europe (OHTE)

The Observatory on History Teaching in Europe, set up as an enlarged partial agreement in November 2020, has the mission to promote practices of history teaching that strengthen and promote the Council of Europe’s values.
 

It builds on the Organisation’s decades-long experience in history education, offering new insights into the way that history is taught in member states in the light of recommendations and guidelines in this field. The Observatory seeks to achieve this by collecting and making available factual information on the state of history teaching in all participating countries through a series of regular and thematic reports.

The Observatory draws on external expertise to realise its mission, so there are several possibilities for NGOs to co-operate. Occasional calls for tender for experts and consortia to support the drafting of thematic and regular reports are published on the observatory’s website.  There is also the possibility to get involved on a more regular and continuous basis through the co-operation platform HISTOLAB which was formally launched in December 2021. Its objective is to bring together networks and organisations who share the Observatory’s vision that the knowledge, skills, and values that young people acquire through history teaching contribute to the fostering of peace, democracy and respect for human rights. It enables knowledge to be shared from national, regional, and European experiences through discussion of case studies and exchange of innovative practices. Co-operating organisations may actively engage in the process by organising seminars and other events, and by participating in the drafting of guidelines and documents. Through these activities, NGOs have several opportunities to actively take part in the work and development of the platform and the observatory.