Greetings
Chair and introduction: Susanna Cafaro - Università del Salento
Authorities: Mayor of Brindisi; Rector - Università del Salento; President of the Province; Apulia Region Representative; Director of the Department of Law - Università del Salento
Partners Greetings: Martì Grau Segù - Maison Jean Monnet; Mauro Spedicati - Association for Supranational Democracy; Karl Baumann - Institute for the Development of a Global Democratic Republic (IDGR); Ghislaine Bouillet-Cordonnier - Albatross Foundation and Finding Happy
Session I: Democracy and Culture
Chair: Mauro Spedicati - Association for Supranational Democracy
Keynote Speech: Council of Europe, The Culture of Democracy
Alessandro Valenti, Regenerating Individuals to Regenerate Communities: the Role of Culture - Screenwriter
Ghislaine Bouillet-Cordonnier, Smiley Ball Game - Albatross Foundation and Finding Happy
Session II: Democracy and Education
Chair: Silvia Solidoro - Università del Salento
Riya Saini, A Culture- and Education-Driven Approaches to Strengthening Democratic Engagement Beyond Borders - Indira Gandhi National Open University
Daniel Chigudu, Democratic Citizenship in the Anthropocene: Reimagining Civic Education for Climate-Vulnerable Youth in Africa - Ruhr University Alliance, University of South Africa
Stefania Attolini, Teaching Environmental Democracy - Université Catholique de Lyon
Michele Fiorillo, Supranational Civic Education - Scuola Normale Superiore
Carmela D’Angelo & Corey Magyar, The Brindisi Model: International Education as Democratic Agency in Europe’s Periphery - International School of Brindisi
Lunch break (1.15 pm)
Poster Session (2.30 pm) International School of Brindisi
Session III: Democracy and Well-Being (co-organized with IDGR)
Chair: Karl Baumann - IDGR
Antonio Parenti, European Union and Well-Being - European Commission
Lars Münter, Health Equity as a Democratic Imperative: The European Health Union Initiative - Nordic Wellbeing Academy
Nina Sønderberg, EHDS - More than Health Data; a European Health Democracy System? - Nordic Wellbeing Academy
Edoardo Montin, Future Forward: The Hackathon on Health & Education That Reboots Democracy - European Health Future Forum
Session IV: Democracy and Inclusion (co-organized with the University of Padova)
Chair: Matteo Bassoli - University of Padova
Matteo Bassoli, Navigating Turbulent Waters: A Comparative Analysis of Local Responses to “Refugee Crises” in Barcelona and Milan through Homestay - University of Padova
Polina Zavershinskaia, Examining the Institutionalisation of the Commemoration of the Roma and Sinti Genocide within the European Union - University of Padova
Elisa De Matteis & Tommaso Greppi, Analysis of Media Trajectories on Refugees in Europe (2015-2025): A Time Series Clustering Approach - University of Padova
Dinner
Chair: Saverio Di Benedetto - Università del Salento
Greetings: Georgia Tramacere - European Parliament
Keynote Speech: Jan Wouters, The Promise of EU Democracy: Reconnecting European Citizens - KU Leuven University
Session V: Democracy and Active Citizenship
Chair: Claudia Morini - Università del Salento
Magdalena Smieszek, Democracy Beyond Borders in the Age of AI: Toward a Cosmocitizen Culture - Cosmocitizens Foundation
Henry de Waele, Extrapolating the Right to Petition to Reinforce Supranational Democracy - An Enhanced EU System as a Global Role Model? - Radboud University Nijmegen & University of Antwerp
Kateřina Kočí, Markéta Votoupalová & Danijel Crnčec: Public Participation in the Development of NECPs: Evidence from EU External Energy and Climate Governance in Energy Community Countries (presented by Danijel Crnčec) - Ljubljana University
Lucia D’Asta, Digital Democracy and European Constitutionalism: Rethinking Participation and Governance in the Information Society - LUM University
Session VI: Democracy and Institutional Innovation (with the support of the REACT PRIN project)
Chair: Francesco Spera - Università del Salento
Karl Baumann, Planetary Participation - Democracy Beyond Borders for Climate and Sustainable Development - IDGR
Jaap Hoeksma, The European Road to Democratic Sovereignty - Free University of Amsterdam
Roberto Castaldi, Towards a Democracy Defence Sovereignty - eCampus University
Cesare Ceccato & Amanda Ribichini, Federalist Peace Forum - Young European Federalists (JEF)
Alice Pisapia, Re-shaping EU’s Competences for Digital Sovereignty - Universitas Mercatorum
Lunch Break (1.15 pm)
Group Discussion on the Panel Topics (2.30 pm)
Facilitators: Francesco Viggiani, Elisabetta Marzo, Jacopo Lillo, Isabella Salsano, Fabiana Magnolo, Eduardo Giugliano, Federica Brancaccio, Giulia Perrone, Michele Pieroni
Plenary Session (3.30 pm)
Group Reports
Conclusions and Farewell: Susanna Cafaro