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 online at the end of June 2023. 2 Council seats are still empty. There will be a partial-election during the next GM.
Every month, there is a “coordination meeting”. They are open to every members, and all council members should attend. Their goal is talking about what’s going in the association, making sure the people of a circle know what the other circles are doing, and trying to help the members if they have any tension about any subject. It’s not a place for decisions: strategic decisions are taken during General Meeting (GM), non-strategic decisions are taken in circles.
The current members of the EUDEC Council are:
Martina Paone
Circle: Research and theory generation
Belgium
I am Martina, and I currently serve as Council Member for Research at EUDEC. I am co-founder and director at QUEST (Quality Education in Europe for Sustainable Social Transformation) a European network that supports children’s rights in education through the promotion of democratic, inclusive and sustainable practices.
I have an academic background (PhD in Political Science and in International Relations) coupled with expertise in grassroot social actions at the intersection between education and democracy.
I am certified sociocracy facilitator and enjoy supporting organisational changes towards collaborative and inclusive systems.
Paula Urban
Circle: Community animation
Germany
Hello, I’m Paula! I used to be a student at the “Freie Schule Leipzig”. I was there for ten years and have, now that I am 19, been in the public school system for 2 years. It has been very intriguing for me to see how unknown democratic education is, and I’d love to help change that.
So, I’m very happy to be here, and I am looking forward to support members in their discussions regarding EUDEC member relations, while also hoping to increase or restrengthen the presence of students and young people in EUDEC.
Ishaan Pandley
Circle: Support of schools and school-projects
Germany
Gabriel Groiss
Circle: External communication and lobbying
(+ Official officer: Chair)
Germany / Spain
My name is Gabriel Groiss, I’m living with my family in Berlin.
I’m an Educator working since 2007 in different educational settings, but mainly in Nature Pedagogy and Democratic Education.
I was the Pedagogical Director of the former Free-Democratic School in Nature “PlayaEscuela El Médano” on the Canary Islands, we founded in 2016.
Since 2023 I’m the Pedagogical Director of the “Naturkindergarten Berlin Mitte”.
As the coordinator of EUDEC’s External Communication and Lobbying Circle I’m working to gain an increasing recognition of Democratic Education on an academic, political, legal, and in consequence also on an economical level, so more and more families will have access to a self-directed education, where responsible democratic participation is the living culture of Human Rights.
Humankind won’t be free until we liberate children!
Looking forward to working together!
Charlie Moreno-Romero
Circle: Events
Originally from Colombia but residing in Estonia.
I’m an active learner, always eager to delve into fresh opportunities and innovate educational practices.
My academic journey spans across disciplines; philology for my bachelor’s, anthropology for my master’s, and a doctorate in education (democratic education and education for social justice and inclusion).
My research and practical expertise lies in various areas such as democratic education, self-directed learning, media literacy, and fostering social justice through education.
Within the realm of social sciences, my curiosity extends to culture, history, media analysis, leisure and identity dynamics, political anthropology, and ethnographic methodologies. Alongside my academic pursuits, I am passionate about music (DJing), trekking and climbing, cooking and reading.
Mike Weimann
Germany
I have been campaigning for equal rights for children and adults since the 1980s.
During this time, I have been involved with Spielwagen Berlin, Netzwerk Spiel/Kultur Prenzlauer Berg, the children’s rights group KRÄTZÄ and IDEC 2005 Berlin. I was one of the founders of the Netzwerk-Schule in Berlin, where I worked for many years.
I have been involved in the EUDEC from the very beginning.
Silvia McClanahan
Germany / Greece
Hi I am Silvia. I live mostly in Germany and sometimes in Greece.
I have a background in art education and in social and cultural anthropology in which I was particularly interested in ways of knowing and learning within/for social/ecological justices and activisms. Exploring possibilities of sharing democratic living and learning spaces with young people I stumbled across EUDEC in 2018.
I like spending my time thinkfeeling more or less loud, with good friends and kin, with good food, with caring for each other and with my silent love for puppeteering 🙂