A Look Back at the First DEMOK Event Series: ACT AND SPEAK – Democracy Under Pressure

To conclude the first edition of the DEMOK event series ACT AND SPEAK: Democracy Under Pressure, two discussions took place on Friday as planned in the auditorium, which was occupied by students at the time: one with Jonas Thiel, a journalist for Jacobin magazine, moderated by Rector Johan F. Hartle, and another with Inna Shevchenko of FEMEN, moderated by Vice Rector Ingeborg Erhart. This was followed by a lively exchange between the students and the activist from Ukraine, who emphasized how important it is to take an active political role. Democracy, she said, should never be taken for granted but must always be fought for. According to Shevchenko, one should not wait until it is too late. 

For one week, the academy focused on the fight against the erosion of democracy and provided a space for exchange, critical discussion, and the exploration of democratic, collective, and resistant practices. In addition to lectures by Paul Feigelfeld and Natascha Strobl, the program included workshops, performances, and talks that examined various forms of resistance and possibilities for intervention. Contributions by Ertuğrul Bayraktar, Kenneth Constance Loe, Marianne Eberl, and Maren Rahman, as well as by Oliver Hangl and Negin Rezaie, opened up diverse perspectives on the question of how resistance can be practiced and democratic action strengthened.

Through the long-term program DEMOK, the Academy, in cooperation with the IG Bildende Kunst, is creating a space that invites participants to engage continuously, critically monitor social developments, and take action themselves in the face of growing threats to democracy.