The World Forum for Democracy serves as a global platform for reflection and action, aiming to inspire concrete solutions to contemporary democratic challenges. This year the WFD looks at "Democracy and Diversity - Can We Transcend the Divides?"
The WFD featured a dedicated space that hosted an CoE Education Department’s kiosque that showcased the examples of the best practice, recent initiatives and undertakings, including the progress and impact of various educational projects through leaflets, videos, and documentaries.
A Forum Talk was also organised in co-operation with the Education Department and focused on the Challenges of Digital Democracy.
At this Forum Talk, a delegation from Albania, representing the Ministry of Education and Sport, the National Students Parliament, and selected pilot schools involved in the CoE project “Strengthening Democratic Citizenship Education in Albania”*, took part at the World Forum for Democracy 2024, held in Strasbourg, France, from November 6-8, 2024.
Over three intensive days, the Albanian delegation actively participated in discussions, workshops, and exhibitions, sharing Albania’s approach to democratic education and youth engagement. They highlighted innovative efforts to foster democratic values and civic participation among young people, positioning Albania as a proactive contributor to the Forum’s mission.
In addition, Mr. Geart Ferhati, Vice President of the Albanian Students Parliament and active CoE Project’s partner, was selected as a panellist at the Forum and also presented a pioneering I-Vote platform, an online voting solution designed to empower students to participate in school elections. This innovative platform is being currently being piloted within the frameworks of the CoE project “Strengthening Democratic Citizenship Education in Albania”* and exemplifies Albania's commitment to integrating technology into democratic and inclusive education processes, giving young people a direct and meaningful participative role within their educational institutions and beyond.
On the sidelines of the WFD, the Albanian delegation held a productive exchange with Mr. Villano QIRIAZI, Head of the Department of Education of the Council of Europe and met other CoE colleagues to discuss avenues for future co-operation.
* The project "Strengthening Democratic Citizenship Education in Albania" is implemented by the Council of Europe and funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.
