Democracy Labs: a completed project to strengthen the memory and defence of democracy
We are bringing the ‘Democracy Labs’ project to a close, an educational initiative developed in the province of Valencia with the aim of strengthening European democratic memory, encouraging critical thinking and promoting citizenship committed to democratic values and human rights. The project, developed in collaboration with the Provincial Council of Valencia, has provided a space for reflection and learning aimed mainly at young students, focusing on education as a key tool for the defence of democracy.
‘Democracy Laboratories’ has been developed in a social context marked by the rise of disinformation, the polarisation of public discourse and the questioning of democratic values. In the face of these challenges, the project has proposed a participatory and innovative methodology that connects European democratic memory with the problems of the present, enabling students to understand how the past directly influences current realities and the construction of the future.
The initiative has been aimed at students in the 4th year of Compulsory Secondary Education and the 1st year of Baccalaureate, working directly with four different educational centres in the province of Valencia. Throughout the project, ten educational units were designed that address, from a critical perspective, issues such as European democratic memory, media literacy, the identification of disinformation, and the importance of human rights as the basis of any solid democratic system.
The content included in this material has been implemented through face-to-face workshops in four educational centres, designed as authentic ‘laboratories’ for debate and reflection. In these workshops, students actively participated through collaborative dynamics, case studies, debates and practical exercises that allowed them to develop critical skills and greater civic awareness. The materials were validated in these very spaces, enriching the content thanks to direct interaction with teachers and students.
The last workshop also coincided with the commemoration of the Day of Remembrance and Tribute to all victims of the military coup, the War and the Dictatorship, which is celebrated every 31 October, as established by Law 20/2022 on Democratic Memory. This date provides a particularly significant framework for reflecting on the value of education in democratic memory and on the collective responsibility to keep alive the memory of those who suffered repression and violence.
Democratic memory thus fulfils a dual function: honouring the victims and serving as a basis for preventing denialist, revisionist or authoritarian discourses that jeopardise democratic coexistence. In this sense, the project has sought to provide students with tools to identify and question misinformation, understanding how manipulated accounts of the past can influence the present.
The final assessment of ‘Democracy Labs’ is very positive. Throughout its development, the project has contributed to creating safe spaces for dialogue, where students have been able to express opinions, confront ideas and build collective knowledge. This approach has reinforced the idea that democracy is not an abstract concept, but an everyday practice that requires active participation, critical thinking and a commitment to human rights.
As a result of the work carried out, the educational materials developed during the project have been consolidated as valuable resources for future use. After being evaluated and improved based on classroom experience, these contents will be made publicly available on the Valencia Provincial Council website, allowing them to be used by other educational centres, organisations and professionals interested in education on democratic memory.
The completion of ‘Democracy Labs’ is not an end point, but rather another step in FIBGAR’s commitment to the defence of democracy, justice and human rights. The legacy of the project lies both in the resources created and in the impact it has had on the participating students, who have come to understand that knowing the past is an essential condition for building a more democratic, critical and respectful future for human dignity.
December 23 2025
