From 2 to 4 September, ALDA returns to Villa Fabris in Thiene for the third edition of its International School: three days of immersive, high-level training bringing together changemakers, researchers, policymakers, practitioners from the field, and anyone who believes in playing an active part in the common good.
This year’s theme is Youth as democracy builders.
Because the inclusion, exclusion, or disengagement of young people is not a side issue or a generational concern: it is one of the defining factors that will determine how resilient, legitimate, and genuinely representative our democratic institutions prove to be, across Europe and well beyond its borders.
A programme built around three interconnected questions
The three days follow a deliberate arc, moving from diagnosis to action. The first day examines how young people navigate the digital public sphere, tackling disinformation, political awareness, and the integrity of democratic processes. The second turns to representation and inclusion, exploring what genuine youth participation in European and local governance looks like in practice. The third takes the widest view, addressing democratic resilience in fragile and polarised contexts and closing with a Policy Lab designed to translate three days of work into actionable recommendations.
Throughout, the mix of keynotes, panels, workshops, and Policy Labs reflects ALDA’s conviction that learning and doing are inseparable, and that the most valuable outcomes are the ideas, connections, and commitments participants carry back into their own contexts.
To find out more about previous editions, explore this year’s programme, and secure your place,