Cooperation with the University of Business and Law in Lviv

The Academy of Direct Democracy has begun cooperation with the University of Business and Law in Lviv.

The aim of this cooperation is to educate Lviv students about the functioning of modern democratic systems, in particular direct democracy and the role of a conscious citizen in the decision-making process within a state governed by the rule of law.

The lecture series in Lviv, spanning two semesters, combines academic reflection with practical knowledge about the problems and challenges of current models of democracy on the one hand, and direct democracy on the other, based on such instruments as referendums and citizens’ initiatives.

It is an open secret that Europe is currently engaged in a debate on the condition of democracy, marked by growing public scepticism towards its functioning, but at the same time by the potential to defend democracy by emphasizing the role of an active society and independent media, without the participation of corrupt political elites.

Lviv students are given a unique opportunity to learn about the nuances of direct democracy—real, authentic, grassroots democracy—with the citizen playing the leading role, perceived as the sovereign within the community in which they live.

Moreover, we know that despite the threats of the postmodern world, there is potential to defend democracy through civic action, systemic change, and the bottom-up development of civil society.

Education is essential for this. In this context, the cooperation between the Academy of Direct Democracy and the University of Business and Law in Lviv appears as a harbinger—one swallow does not make a spring, but it is undoubtedly a clear sign of its arrival.