September 1–4, 2026 · Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
Dedicated to the memory of the at least 20,000 children killed in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military since 7 October 2023, and to the 38 children killed in Israel during the Hamas-led terrorist attacks of 7 October 2023. For them, there was no democracy — and there will be no education.
About the conference
The Fourth International Conference of Scuola Democratica is devoted to examining the vital interplay between learning and democracy — two essential pillars for building societies that are just, inclusive, and sustainable.
The theme Learning for democracy / Democracy for learning not only reaffirms the enduring significance of democratic values but also calls for their critical rethinking and their concrete realization in everyday educational and social practices.
In a global landscape marked by democratic backsliding, widening inequalities, and accelerated digital transformation, it has become imperative to reconsider how education and democracy can be reconnected to cultivate conscious, critical, and actively engaged citizens.
The Conference brings together Italian and international scholars and researchers in a broad, multidisciplinary conversation aimed at reimagining education and training as instruments of emancipation and as living practices of democratic citizenship—rooted in the present, yet responsibly oriented toward the future.
With this edition, Scuola Democratica aspires to confirm and exceed the success of its First International Conference (2019), its Second International Conference (2021), and its Third International Conference (2024).
Scuola Democratica first appeared in Italy in the 1970s, created to support teachers engaged in pedagogical experimentation and in debates on educational policy. Today, Scuola Democratica is an international journal, yet it keeps its Italian name—one to which we remain attached. Since 2010, the subtitle Learning for Democracy has accompanied the journal, chosen by its founder to highlight the wide and complex range of issues the journal has continuously explored and expanded over the years. After fifteen years, it is now time to bring that subtitle to the forefront, to use it as the guiding theme of our Fourth International Conference—Learning for Democracy / Democracy for Learning—the compass that has, in fact, steered the life of the journal throughout its recent history.
Quick Info
Fourth International Conference of Scuola Democratica
until March 15, 2026
Venue
Founded in 1303 by Pope Boniface VIII, La Sapienza is one of the oldest and largest universities in the world — a fitting stage for a conference on the deep connections between knowledge, education, and democratic life.
→ Contact us at our e-mail address: sdconference2021@scuolademocratica-conference.net
→ Follow our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/1stsdconf
