While most European states are not able to create humane conditions for those who have fled war zone sin the Near East in recent years, the dedication of Europe’s civil society proves that solidarity is alive and that the vision of a democratic Europe will not be abandoned. Community action – whether in smaller communities or in larger cities – is becoming a guiding principle for many. As a result, actions and organizations from civil society strongly infulence European democracies, changing and reshaping them.

What kind of potential do these actions of civil society hold for the advancement of European democracies in connection with the most recent refugee movement? What can be learned from historical experiences with the wars in Yugoslavia, but also from current experiences in Sweden? How is the refugee movement changing European democracies and what can be learned from civil society’s activities, which have been emerging since last year?

The AKTIONSTAGE: REFUGEES – MIGRATION – DEMOCRACY, which are being supported by a number of organizations, are dedicated to exploring these questions from a theoretical and practical perspective and are attempting to understand the current situation through historical and geographic comparisons.

Find more information on the Aktionstage conference program and events here.

Organized by Initiative Minderheiten, Center for Advanced Studies South Eastern Europe (CAS SEE), ERSTE Stiftung, Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen (IWM), Asylkoordination österreich, arge region kultur, GBW Minderheiten and Interkulturelles Zentrum (iz), Karl-Renner-Institut.

In cooperation with ÖBB-Holding, Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien, Stadtkino im Künstlerhaus, REMESO (Institute for Research on Migration, Ethnicity and Society, Linköping University), oiip – Österreichisches Institut für Internationale Politik, IDM (The Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe) and Donau-Universität Krems.