The role of the council is the coordination of all activities within EUDEC. Council is elected during a General Meeting (GM). The last full Council elections took place hybrid in August 2026.
You can directly contact the council at council@eudec.org
The current members of the EUDEC Council are:
🛠 More information coming soon
Katrin Brait – Austria,
Chairperson (Official Officer)
Even as a child, I wondered why it was so hard to make my own choices. When I became a mother, being able to make our own choices as a family became essential. As a staff member at a democratic school in the Netherlands, I supported children and the people around them on their own learning and life paths, something I believe every child has a right to. Now it feels like the natural next step to support the EUDEC community with my experience, insights and talents.
Alongside my passion for learning and problem solving, I try to bring as much movement and nature into my life as possible. Dancing, skiing, gardening and being around horses are my favourites. For balance, you can also find me taking slow walks and meditating.
Finn Freudenberg – Germany,
Vice-chairperson (Official Officer)
Donata Norkiené – Lithuania
After earning my Master’s in International Protection of Human Rights and navigating the political world for a while, entering education was a shift I never expected. But it made sense of it all! My EUDEC journey began in Freiburg back in 2012, and since then, I’ve considered myself a dedicated advocate for democratic education. I am a co-founder of Demokratine mokykla, which opened in 2015 as the first democratic school in Lithuania.
In my free time, you can usually find me reading or writing, simply enjoying the beauty of a well-crafted word. Honored to join the Council and share my energy to support the meaningful mission of this Community!
Olga Kulesza – Poland
Yasin Sancak – Turkey
Since coming across A. S. Neill’s work in 2003, I have been exploring how to build democratic/alternative schools in Türkiye. In the pursuit of a more participatory education, I had the chance to study and practice permaculture, eco-village design, and food cooperatives.
I consider it highly valuable to establish communities that integrate education with ecological perspectives and to develop sustainable and inclusive business models, such as cooperative schools within the framework of the social economy.
I enjoy cycling, basketball, playing go (baduk) and card games…actually, any game!