The important component of our DECIDE Summer Clubs “We are at home – in Ukraine” is education for democratic citizenship and human rights education (EDC/HRE)
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
When discussing EDC/HRE, the question often arises: how can we explain concepts such as democracy, responsibility, respect for others or the right to be heard to children?
Our experience at DECIDE Summer Clubs 2026 “We are at home – in Ukraine” confirms once again that these values are best learnt not when they are simply explained, but when they are experienced through personal involvement.
Therefore, EDC/HRE has traditionally been an integral part of the summer clubs’ programme. It has naturally blended with careers guidance, creative activities, teamwork, and the children’s daily exchanges.
One of the most popular activities were “Elections for Mayor” and “From Conflict to Cooperation”. During these activities, participants expressed their own opinions, learnt to listen to one another, justify their decisions, negotiate, and jointly find common solutions. In this way, the children learnt about democratic processes not from a textbook, but through their own practical experience.
Similarly, the activities “My Identity” and “This Is Us and This Is Our Club’s Emblem” were met with great interest. They helped children to get to know themselves and one another better, identify shared values, and feel part of a team.
The participants were particularly enthusiastic about the activity “We are at home – in Ukraine”. The children talked about their home country, its symbols and traditions; shared stories about their communities; explained what it means to them to be at home; and completed creative tasks that helped them get to understand themselves and others better.
Equally important was the activity “Peer-to-Peer: How to Cope in Stressful Situations?”, which taught children to support one another, work as a team, and find solutions in the most challenging situations.
‘It was important to us that the children not only learnt about democracy and human rights, but also experienced how these concepts work in everyday life. Through these activities, they learn to listen to one another, reach agreements, work as a team, put forward their views, and respect the choices of others. What is particularly valuable is that these activities are closely intertwined with careers guidance. Regardless of which profession a child chooses in the future, they will need precisely these skills – teamwork, communication, critical thinking, and responsibility,’ explain DECIDE Project trainers.
In many communities, teachers reported that, after the activities, children became more active in expressing their own opinions, listened more attentively to one another, were more willing to work in teams, and took on responsibility with greater confidence when working together.
‘We wanted to create a space where every child felt heard. And we succeeded. The children started to come up with ideas themselves, support one another, calmly discuss different views, and make decisions together. Then you realise that democratic education works exactly as it should,’ say the teachers at the summer clubs.
As previously reported, teachers conduct all these activities based on the materials of the Council of Europe on EDC/HRE, which have been adapted by DOCCU experts for use in the educational process by educational institutions. Find out more about the resources via this link.
The methodological guide “Getting Stronger Together” will also be helpful. The guide is available via this link.
The DECIDE project is implemented by NGO DOCCU and PHZH International Projects in Education with the support of the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine.
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