A group of fifth-semester students in the bachelor's program in Social Work at MCI addressed issues of democratic participation and social co-creation. As part of the project management II course led by Laura Feith González, an independently realized project was created based on a joint ideation workshop. Our students were not only able to deepen their project management skills, but also sharpen their professional perspectives on current social challenges.
The Südwind association and the department of Political Science at the University of Innsbruck brought the interactive traveling exhibition “Step by Step – Spaces for Democracy” by Lichtgrenze e.V. to Innsbruck. The exhibition was held at the faculty of Social Sciences and offered an innovative space for exploring democratic processes and forms of participation. The exhibition was recently open to the interested public and invited visitors to interactively engage with questions of democracy and social participation.
The aim of the exhibition was to make democracy tangible not only as a political system, but also as a lived practice in everyday life. The exhibition “Step by Step – Spaces for Democracy” is aimed at young people, adults, and school classes and conveys an understanding of democracy that goes far beyond elections and institutions. The focus is on dialogue, the ability to compromise, the exchange of different opinions, and genuine participation. Central elements include internal spaces of democracy—such as respect, empathy, courage, and self-confidence - as well as external spaces of democracy, such as freedom of expression and of the press, freedom of religion, access to education, and equality.
The exhibition's closing ceremony took place at SOWI Innsbruck and was very well attended, with around 50 guests. The evening began with a marketplace of initiatives, where visitors could talk to various Innsbruck-based organizations. Among those represented were “Omas gegen Rechts” (Grandmothers Against the Right), “Attac Innsbruck,” “JA Demokratie” (YES Democracy), and “ZEMIT,” who provided insights into their work and invited active participation. In the run-up to the event, two of our students were trained as guides and, together with Südwind, organized several tours for school classes. On the evening of the closing event, the two students also guided visitors through the exhibition and were available for questions and discussions.
At the same time, guided tours of the exhibition were offered, providing space for exchange, discussion, and in-depth questions. A presentation by social scientist Eva Fleischer was another highlight of the evening and led to a lively, forward-looking dialogue with students and guests. “Chrissi” provided an atmospheric finale, creating a special musical ending with her loop station and voice.
The department of Social Work would like to thank everyone who made this exhibition and the closing evening possible, in particular Lichtgrenze e.V. for developing the traveling exhibition, as well as Südwind, the University of Innsbruck, “Omas gegen Rechts”, “ZEMIT,” “JA Demokratie”, “Attac Innsbruck,” Eva Fleischer, and “Chrissi.” Further thanks go to the project group, which took on the planning, organization, and implementation of the closing event with great commitment.
Impressions of the project "Bringing Democracy to Life" ©MCI/Social Work
Eindrücke des Projekts „Demokratie erlebbar machen“ ©MCI/Soziale Arbeit
Discover the program that suits you.