ES/PO 308 - From Environmental Activism to 'Agents of Change-Generation'. Shaping Democracy in Times of Crisis in Freiburg

A series of multiple crises are currently shaking societies all over the world. Climate change, loss of biodiversity, increase of social injustice and poverty, weakening of democracy: all of these make it particularly challenging for European democracies to stay on course with the urgently needed changes. More and more citizens, above all increasingly young people feel the urge to understand their role as potential change agents and rediscover their political power within democratic systems. The development is particularly evident throughout Germany, and especially in Freiburg.

This course provides a basic knowledge of democracy, public participation, governance, resilience, ecological rights, and political activism with a special focus on environmental activism and concrete examples from the Freiburg region. In Freiburg, the level of political engagement of the population, local interest groups, and many local institutions is high and has transformed the city into an internationally renowned example of local sustainability and best practice. Students will learn about various examples of environmental activism and its interaction with the democratic system in Freiburg and the region. Forms of protest and their juridical-social dimension will also be discussed.