In recent years, liberal democracy, once considered the stable foundation of many societies, has come under increasing scrutiny and contestation. Across Europe and beyond, we are witnessing a surge in authoritarian rhetoric, changes in how we define civil liberties, strategic use of misinformation and a growing questioning and hostility towards pluralism. Whether you are a teacher navigating politically charged classrooms in your daily practice, a journalist facing new forms of pressure, a civil servant encountering legal ambiguity or a member of an NGO defending human rights, these changes are not abstract to you, they are already shaping the environments in which you work. This online training is designed to help professionals better understand the current wave of democratic backsliding and how dissensus over liberal democracy can become harmful. Through a series of three short modules, we explore how democratic norms are challenged, by whom, and to what end, and the instruments to distinguish between legitimate political disagreements and forms of dissensus that dismantle democratic principles. You will engage with real-world cases, develop critical perspectives on misinformation, and gain insight into how narratives are weaponised against the rule of law, independent media, minority rights, and institutional checks and balances. The aim is to help participants respond and act in their workplace, in their community, or in their civic practices.

Goals are to:

– Understand how the foundations of democracy are challenged and how you can flag this.

– Understand what the global risks are.

– Understand the pathways of contestation and what citizens can do if interested or compelled to respond.