"NEEDVocational school students paint pictures of Adolf Hitler; a pupil is apprehended for an alleged attack on a refugee shelter. Nevertheless, school administrators believe that this behaviour does not need to be addressed. One don’t want to pick a quarrel, and even “a little Nazi can be a skilled worker”.* A pupil at a vocational school in Zadar (Croatia) burns a ‘U’ (‘Ustascha’) into the skin of a fellow pupil belonging to the ethnic Albanian minority group. The school management labelled it ‘a game’. After the parents intervened, the Croatian Ministry of Family Affairs has called on school administrators to take note of these problems and intervene. On the other hand, many school principals and teachers who are explicitly committed to democracy and diversity are threatened, for instance, with hate comments in social networks or by publishing their names and addresses on portals (e. g. ‘redwatch', Poland).A problematic phenomenon in European societies is that citizens of the majority (‘centre’) increasingly use an inhumane language when talking about the so-called ‘others’; for example, muslims, jews, homeless, homosexuals. Discriminatory behaviour also occurs more often in vocational schools and business enterprises. Teachers and trainers often face problems: How do I assess the situation? When and in what form do I intervene?OBJECTIVES-Enhancing teachers' knowledge of the political conditions under which ideologies of inequality are possible (e. g. secondary anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim racism)-Vocational school teachers and trainers in companies use an app to get to know symbols + codes that transport misanthropic attitudes.-Installation and testing of participative instruments at vocational schools in order to extend the democratic competences of pupils.-Vocational schools form networks with other actors in order to implement a more democratic school culture and to relieve the burden on teachers.RESULTS1.MOBILE APP Organisations and groups that make use of misanthropic ideologies use codes, symbols, music, etc. to win young people over for their goals. Experts speak of a “world of experience""; that underwent a strategic reorientation a few years ago. Teachers get to know the aforementioned in order to-hone their attentiveness and to classify the situation at their school The app contains, among other things, contact data of counselling centres and NGOs in partner countries and thus promotes the networking of democratic actors.2.BROCHURE + PODCAST Those responsible in education policy encourage teachers to continue to work for the effectiveness of human rights for all (school educational mandate). Many teachers are insecure about supposed indoctrination due to reporting portals. The partners develop a 4-language brochure. This - draws attention to legal documents in each region which encourage teachers to intervene in specific situations - designates organisations that support teachers The podcast contains fictitious interviews (teacher + consultant). It gives ideas where to go and how to react - depending on the situation.3.MODULE: ‘Ideologies of inequality’ as part of further training Learning goals: - To differentiate and expand the knowledge, perception and ideas of teachers with regard to ideologies of inequality. - To stimulate reflection on the alleged opposition of ‘extreme margins’ vs. ‘democratic centre’4.DEMOCRATIC SCHOOL CULTURE At the vocational partner schools, pupils - together with external actors - install an instrument of participation. In the several months of debate to achieve a common goal, they learn democratic processes during the settlement of conflicts. This process is documented in a blog and thus presented to the public in a sustainable and effective way, making it easily accessible to other interested parties.5. + 6. CURRICULUM for 5-day blended learning FURTHER TRAINING incl. webinars - Contents: above results - Application and explanation of the didactic principle ‘conflict orientation’ Nachhaltigkeit- Open Educational Resources are available on well-known platforms (E+PRP etc.) - App can be accessed via a link, even 5 years after the end of the project - Regular offer of further education via School Education Gateway - Certificate „Europass Mobility“ PARTNERS Warsaw Centre for Socio-Educational Innovation and Training, PL Zespół Szkół Poligraficznych, PL Nansen Dialogue Centre, HR Vocational School Nikola Tesla Technical School, HR Democracy Center Vienna, AT Institute for Didactics of Democracy, University of Hanover, DE* Fischer, Sebastian: Final report on the evaluation of the Saxon model project: ‚Starke Lehrer – starke Schüler‘. 2018, p. 34"

"The spread of manipulated news, misinformation and hate on the Internet poses new challenges for European democracies. DETECT aims to help students and teachers to recognize fake news, to reflect on its background and to take active action against it.Background:Whether so-called 'trolls' influenced the US election campaign is unclear. What is undisputed is that populist theses are very popular in the 'real world' and in social media. Extreme and populist parties are celebrating election successes in all European countries: They blame ""others"" or ""corrupt elites"" for serious social problems. Using manipulative technologies and disinformation campaigns, radical groups and organizations try to reinforce these narratives in social media.The EC, EACEA and Eurydice define goals for member states to counter extremism and populism: ""Enhancing critical thinking and media literacy, particularly the use of the internet and social media, so as to develop resistance to all forms of discrimination and indoctrination"" (EC/EACEA/Eurydice, 2016. Promoting Citizenship [...] p.3 .).The targeted strengthening of democratic active citizenship, e.g. in the area of social networks, is formulated as an urgent educational-practical countermeasure, because young people obtain their information about politics and society mainly through forums such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.Right-wing populist and radical right-wing organizations are hidden behind many seemingly serious information offerings. According to a study by the Oxford Internet Institute, misinformation and junk news account for ""twenty percent of all political news and information on Twitter.""Topics:- The conditions under which information is created and passed on (social, political, economic, technical).- An improved, critical judgment competence of students (e.g. by recognizing so-called 'computational propaganda')- Strengthening of digital active citizenship (e.g. learning how to act in case of extremist and anti-human 'news' or posts).The DETECT project combines media and democracy competencies with the didactic concept of inquiry-based learning. The method of research-based learning is suitable when students encounter new content that they can explore mainly independently from the perspective of certain ""research questions"". In doing so, they ask questions, form hypotheses, find examples, link content with each other - and finally present their results and findings for discussion in a plenary session.The KMK (2012, 7) emphasizes that media-competent teachers are the key to media-competent students. The project is therefore aimed at teachers who learn practical strategies for teaching ""digital literacy"".In a research-based teaching/learning arrangement, teachers at secondary schools learn about instruments for influencing opinion and will formation: e.g. algorithms, social bots, dark posts, strategies of professional ""influencers"", etc. The teachers then lead research workshops. Then, these teachers lead research workshops for high school students. The results (IOs), which are developed and tested by the consortium, are transferable to other contexts:- Vocational education- Higher education (lecturers lead labs with students)- adult education- Youth Concrete results: - Compendium with strategies and instruments of influence in social networks: ""Of trolls and dark posts"". - Methodical and didactical material to conduct a DETECT-studio with students of secondary level II - Problem-oriented hands-on impulses as a basis for the students' research - related to the contexts in all 4 partner countries - 2 online tutorials and a blended learning course for teachers"

Liberal and constitutional democracies in Europe are currently under massive pressure from authoritarian populism, culture wars and identity conflicts. A key issue is the erosion of trust in democratic institutions and the parallel rise in belief in conspiracy theories. The latter undermine democratic procedures as well as citizen engagement and create harmful political identities by exploiting the inherent vulnerabilities of democracies: their openness and the ambiguity of decision-making processes. These identities block political discourse with authoritarian narratives and hinder effective political action, threatening democracies from within. TaCT-FoRSED closes a scientific gap regarding the interrelation between democracy, identity formation and conspiracy theories. Using existing research and collecting new data, the project plans to a) investigate the impact of conspiracy theories on the adoption of an anti-democratic group identity and, conversely, to explore concrete identity factors that strengthen or weaken resilience to conspiracy myths. Based on the realisation that the complexity of value-pluralistic democracies is the counterpart to any simplistic, authoritarian friend-foe thinking of conspiracy beliefs, democratic identity formation processes are also seen as an opportunity to effectively combat conspiracy narratives. TaCT-FoRSED will therefore b) address its key target group of multipliers in the educational fields and develop OER that specifically promote democratic self-efficacy to foster a counter-identity to any conspiracy mentality. These materials will be evaluated together with relevant institutions from different target groups. The project will thus improve the legitimacy of knowledge-producing institutions and political parties by supporting democratic participation. c) The findings made by TaCT-FoRSED will result in policy recommendations for political stakeholders and educators in order to make the gained solutions widely accessible.

<< Background >>Animals do not cooperate, cannot communicate in detail and cannot solve problems. Just a few years ago this was 'common sense', now these 'truths' are obsolete.Yet humans continue to inflict suffering on animals. Everyone is familiar with the images from breeding and fattening facilities for pigs, chickens, cows, etc. However, it is difficult for us to change habits, even if many would like to.However, this would be necessary: To give animals a dignified life and to preserve habitats on earth. Animal husbandry (including the cultivation of fodder crops) takes up 78% of the world's agricultural land (see UN Environmental Programme. Food System Impacts on Biodiversity Loss 2021). The consequences are: Destruction of ecosystems (including tropical forests), acceleration of species extinction and climate change. The massive use of pesticides, antibiotics, fertilisers etc. has an enormous negative impact on vital resources such as soil, water and air. And thus on the health of all living beings.Meanwhile, even the German Environment Agency is calling for meat consumption in Germany to be halved in order to reduce environmentally harmful factory farming (March 2021). Some social groups are calling for the abolition of industrial animal husbandry. Others call for reforms. At the political level, reforms are being discussed, the debate revolves around the financing of measures for more animal welfare. Concrete decisions have been postponed by the agriculture ministers of the EU member states for years. However, what does this delay mean for each individual in the breeding and fattening facilities, during transport in trucks and on ships and in slaughterhouses? In 2020, 57.6 million pigs, cows, sheep, goats and horses and 670.1 million chickens, turkeys and ducks were slaughtered in Germany alone.The EU citizens' initiative 'End the Cage Age' started in autumn 2018, it was supported by 1.4 million people. Caging of animals is still allowed (as of May 2021).Caging, but also other forms such as restraint in the so-called crate stand for breeding sows, have serious effects on the health and well-being of farm animals. Many animals also suffer from their own body weight. Camera teams are usually not given permission to film. Some footage that does exist is hard to bear. And it is purely human to quickly block these images again. In the ALICE project we take close looks.It is about the 'use' of animals - for the production of meat, eggs, milk etc.; - for the testing of substances (e.g. Botox), - to produce fur clothing and about other 'uses'.In particular, the project deals with the ethical, legal, political, economic and social issues involved.The project takes up current expert discussions, e.g. on animal welfare and animal rights. The central principle in animal welfare ethics is that unnecessary suffering should be avoided. It follows that the use of animals is not a problem per se. What is discussed is what animals are used for and how.In the discussion of endowing animals with rights (e.g. fundamental rights), the cognitive, social and cultural competences of animals come into focus. When these skills are restricted (e.g. by crating), their suffering in turn becomes more obvious and demonstrable. Courts could refer to the fundamental right of animals to freedom of movement and overturn existing legislation.<< Objectives >>The aim of the project is that the topics of animal welfare and animal rights are dealt with more frequently in the classroom. Teachers receive information and materials. In this way, topics with a high potential for social and political conflict can be addressed and comprehensively discussed with pupils. Disturbing images are not used. The primary target group of the project are teachers of general education schools as well as head teachers and other educational staff.The secondary target group is pupils from the age of 10.During the 30-month project period, the team will develop different results for the further training of teachers - in relation to the topics of animal rights and animal welfare. This involves, for example, the following:Legal scholars and experts from other disciplines demand personal rights for animals (or for certain groups). They argue that animals are sentient beings (not only in terms of pain) and have socio-cognitive abilities.This claim may be irritating. However: the chimpanzee Cecilia was found alone in a concrete pit in Argentina in 2016. A judge then ruled that animals cannot be classified as things in the legal sense because they have sentience. Primates are to be recognised as non-human legal persons who possess fundamental rights. It is still unclear what will happen to 'Happy', a female elephant that has been kept alone in a zoo in New York for 20 years. The highest court will decide whether 'Happy' is a legal person and thus has a right to freedom (habeas corpus) and may move to a reserve with other elephants.It is interesting to see what consequences these rulings may have - in the medium term - for farm animals. For lawyers, etc., it is not a matter of granting rights only to cognitively highly complex animals: It had been proven that animals like chicken, pigs, cows etc. suffer in factory farming.Within the project, we are developing materials that provide a basis for discussion regarding animal rights. Subjects for their use are, for example, political education, ethics and biology. It should be emphasised that the project addresses the individual level, i.e. the change of eating and consumption habits. However, it includes other levels. Behavioural changes alone cannot solve the complex problems, but they are important steps.First, teachers learn more about the political, economic and cultural conditions that create animal suffering and at the same time lead to serious environmental damage. Furthermore, teachers are enabled to train critically thinking students who can make independent informed judgements about the impacts of industrial animal farming. In other words, the deepening of civic competences is an important goal (cf. Council Recommendation on key competences for lifelong learning 2018/C 189/01). And teachers learn how they can open up opportunities for young people to get involved at school, civic or political level.<< Implementation >>TEAMThe project brings together partner organisations from different fields: General education, higher education and extracurricular education. This is an excellent prerequisite for using the results across sectors. The team consists of representatives - of the Messerli Institute for Cognitive Research at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna,- the association Mensch-Tier-Bildung in Berlin,- the École supérieure d'art et de design d'Amiens, France- the elementary school ‘Am Arkonaplatz’, Berlin- the Demokratiezentrum Vienna and- the Institute for Didactics of Democracy at the Leibniz University of Hanover (coordinator).PROJECT MEETINGS and DISSEMINATION of the resultsDuring the project period, the group meets five times to work together - face to face - on the development of the results. Another important agenda item at each meeting is to disseminate the results effectively and to the appropriate audience. It is a matter, for example, of which institutions are additionally addressed so that the network is constantly expanding and new cooperations are created.The ALICE project reaches 300 teachers, head teachers and decision-makers in education authorities through so-called multiplier events; the events will take place in Austria, France and Germany from mid-2023.EVALUATIONWhenever a result is ready for the trial run, e.g. the in-service training modules, it is tested by teachers. The result is then revised on the basis of feedback from the team responsible. External actors are also involved in the development of the results, giving feedback on prototypes, among other things. COMMUNICATION AND COOPERATIONDaily communication takes place in Moodle, where important documents are also available for all to see at any time: e.g. the dissemination plan; explanations of the respective results, upcoming deadlines, etc. In the time between the face-to-face meetings, the internal, mutual evaluation of the prototypes and results also takes place in Moodle.Once a month the partners meet in a video conference. This is a good way to clarify questions and check on the progress of the project. USEResults are disseminated through eTwinning, EPALE, the Erasmus+ Projects and Results Platform, the ALICE project website and other channels (twitter, fb). Existing networks with schools, school authorities, teacher training institutions, universities (teacher training) etc. will be expanded during the project.<< Results >>1. GRAPHIC NOVELPigs, cows, chicken and other 'farm animals' that belong to a breed have different characteristics and preferences. We present the individuality of animals in a graphic novel. It can be used in different subjects. We portray personalities in short stories or picture sequences; it is also about visualising and further disseminating the latest ethological findings: Complex communication, moral sense, self-awareness, theory of mind, identity and emotions that astonish people.The aim is that people expand their previous ideas about animals and that their empathy and respect increases, e.g. towards farm animals. Because we usually only know them in the form of 'mass-produced goods'.2. PODCASTSThe project team designs podcasts for teachers with a twofold function. On the one hand, they serve as learning material, on the other hand, the podcasts can be used in lessons (e.g. in the subjects ethics, economics/politics, biology, natural sciences (subject in various German federal states).In each podcast, a reference is made to the central Erasmus+ demand to educate agents of change: What can I do to minimise animal suffering? And to do something for climate protection at the same time. However, the podcasts touch not only on the individual but also on the structural level. Industrial animal husbandry is shaped by EU-wide regulations that each member state must implement. In addition, there are podcasts by students for students.3. BLENDED LEARNING TRAINING for teachersThe project consortium is developing a training course for teachers that aims, a) to contextualise their own behaviour and indirect global impacts. b) to analyse the 'use' of animals in relation to animal welfare and the impact of industrial animal husbandry on soil, water and climate. The focus is on the ethical, political and economic issues. The aim is for teachers to improve their knowledge. That they teach controversial topics with greater professional and personal confidence and that pupils can form their own judgements. For all outcomes, the project team does not work with disturbing images. Furthermore, the aim is to engage in dialogue, to shed light on complex problems and to discuss solutions - in other words, individual lifestyles (e.g. eating meat) are not morally judged.The digital part of the training consists of two learning videos. These focus on findings from animal intelligence research:Social intelligenceThis area covers socio-cognitive skills. Social learning involves taking in information by observing others. In groups, recognising group members is important, especially so that alliances can form within which individuals support each other to achieve a common goal. Animals can feel envy when they are treated unequally for equal performance. However, they can also recognise the needs of others and act selflessly by providing assistance or sharing food (prosocial behaviour).The topic 'Personality & Emotion' is about the different ways in which the inner life of an animal individual can be expressed and the methods of investigation. The personality of an individual is constant over a longer period of time and can be described by means of characteristics such as boldness, sociability, dominance or exploratory behaviour. Emotions are more transient internal reactions to current circumstances and situations. Both personality traits and emotions make up each individual.

Conspiracy theories and misinformation have a much stronger impact on public discourse than they did just a few years ago and are now present through a wide range of information channels to a large part of German as well as European populations (Butter 2018). Current empirical findings show an increasing number of people believing in at least one conspiracy theory - in Germany one in four adults- as well as a growing number of older adults (Butter 2018, Decker, Kiess and Brähler 2013, van Prooijen and Douglas 2017). These theories often challenge the foundation of the democratic order, fundamental human rights and European cooperation.Especially regarding the growing number of older adults believing in conspiracy theories, adult education institutions are coming to the fore. In Germany, there are so far mainly isolated, often unique educational offers of individual adult education centers (VHS Rostock, Chemnitz or Friedrichshafen, for example, offer courses). However, so far no overall handling of this phenomenon is known. In the context of the growing presence of conspiracy theories in pan-European space, it is therefore important to find out to what extent these phenomena also in adult education and to develop training opportunities that understand the fight against conspiracy theories and misinformation as a cross-sectional task of adult education in all areas, but especially in political and cultural education, in dealing with these theories. Therefore, in this project, on the one hand the needs of adult education institutions in dealing with conspiracy theories shall be examined and instruments for continuous monitoring should be provided, and on the other hand, a concept will be developed enabling the educators to deal with the theories that are relevant in their context. Particular emphasis is placed on European co-operation in the development in order to ensure an application of outputs in all EU countries.The immediate target group of the project are educators of adult education. Since conspiracy theories are becoming more and more relevant for a growing part of the European society and, as already mentioned above, have become more prevalent among older people in particular, a concept is to be developed that is suitable for all teachers in adult education institutions. Even if educators in the political or cultural field come into contact with them much more frequently than, for example, teachers in the informatics, these programs should not be tailored only to the former. It is important to establishing a resistance to conspiracy theories as a cross-cutting task of adult education institutions. Therefore, the educators should be trained both in the detection of conspiracy theories, and thus the critical questioning of their own fields of vision, as well as in the discursive dealing with them. The indirect target group are students in adult education courses. Here too the focus should only be placed on genuinely socio-scientific areas of adult education, but include learners from all fields. In order to be able to work out a concept as accurately as possible, however, it is first necessary to raise the experience and needs of adult education institutions and to create a tool for continuous examination by the institutions themselves. The immediate target group here is educators in a leading function who will be enabled to accurately identify the needs of their educators and then react to the them using the educational concepts developed in this project.