From 1 to 4 September 2026, the Fourth International Conference of the journal Scuola Democratica – Learning for Democracy / Democracy for Learning –, was held at Sapienza University of Rome (Italy). The conference explored the vital interplay between learning and democracy, two essential pillars for building just, inclusive and sustainable societies. It was dedicated to commemorating children killed in contemporary wars, as well as those who have lost their lives as a result of violence and migration. The conference highlighted the importance of democracy for education, emphasizing that the absence of democracy makes education impossible.

The conference programme was organized into 219 working groups, in which 1,256 studies from 43 countries around the world were presented, bringing together 1,600 participants. Ilze Kačāne, Dr. philol., leading researcher at the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (IHSS) of Daugavpils University (DU), participated in the working group “Educators as Agents of Change: Enacting Transformative Education in Practice” and presented the qualitative study “Developing Cultural Awareness and Expression in Youth: Dance Teachers’ Experiences and Perspectives”, co-authored with Oksana Kovzele, Dr. philol., leading researcher at IHSS. The study aimed to explore dance teachers’ practices and perspectives on developing cultural awareness and expression among young people in the context of non-formal education in Daugavpils. The findings contributed to the development of the case study “Dance” and will be used in its implementation, with the first cycle taking place from 26 September to 31 October 2026. The research was conducted within the framework of the Horizon Europe project “Promoting Understanding and Lifelong learning Successful Education through the ARTs and culture” (PULSE-ART; Grant Agreement no 101178988). The abstracts of the studies can be found in the conference Book of Abstracts: SCUOLA DEMOCRATICA (2026). Book of Abstracts of the Fourth International Conference of the Journal Scuola Democratica: Learning for Democracy / Democracy for Learning. Rome: Associazione “Per Scuola Democratica”. The collection is available HERE.

Additional information on the project:
PULSE-ART project manager in Latvia
DU IHSS leading researcher
e-mail: ilze.kacane@du.lv

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme under the Grant Agreement no 101178988.