Programm
Democracy is a collective act of care
23. 5. 2025
18:00 bis 21:00 Uhr
Funkhaus, Argentinierstraße 30A, 1040
Democracy is a collective act of care
‘Democracy as a collective act of care’ is a complementary event to the Democratic Odyssey’s Vienna Assembly, designed to highlight the lived experiences of systemic crises through the lens of grassroots movements, collective action and contested democratic spaces. By grounding the broader deliberations of the Assembly in real-world struggles, the event amplifies voices often pushed to the margins of institutional politics, fostering a deeper sense of urgency and care.
The event will be hosted at Funkhaus Wien, a location of profound historical resonance. As the former broadcasting center during one of Austria’s most turbulent political eras, the Funkhaus stands as a reminder of both the power and vulnerability of communication in democratic life. Once a target of insurgents during the July Putsch of 1934 and later absorbed into Nazi propaganda machinery, this space has witnessed the instrumentalization of media in times of authoritarianism. Hosting the event here is a deliberate gesture: reclaiming a space once used to suppress dissent and turning it into a site for dialogue, resistance, and reimagining democracy.
Event Agenda
18:00 – 19:00
Living Together in Freedom
Lena Wilderbach – Jineolojî Center
In collaboration with Wiener Festwochen
What does love have to do with revolution? Rooted in the Kurdish women's movement, the concept of Hevjiyana Azad—living together in freedom—offers a radical rethinking of relationships as the foundation for social transformation. This workshop invites us to imagine new relational forms as antidotes to crises of violence, exploitation, and disconnection.
More info
18:00 – 19:00
Rethinking Participation (Glass Room)
This panel gathers the Vienna Office for Participation, the Initiative for Voting Rights for All Residents - Pass Egal- , and the Festwochen Citizens’ Council to explore how democratic engagement can be redefined in a city where many residents are denied the vote. How do we expand the idea of who counts as a participant in democracy? How do we move from symbolic inclusion to structural change?
19:00 – 20:00
Assemblies from the Margins (Glass Room)
From protest assemblies in Serbia to autonomous governance in Rojava and activist students in European universities, this conversation brings together practices of radical democracy that emerge in contexts of exclusion and repression. What can mainstream institutions learn from these experiments? How might the margins reshape democracy itself?
20:00 – 21:30
Democratic Odyssey Civic Arts Interventions (Foyer)
Artistic expressions and performative moments will weave through the foyer, activating themes of democratic imagination and collective care.
20:30 – 22:00
Free Tapas and Drinks (Bar)
Odyssey participants and the general public are invited to gather, snack, and toast to democracy. Vouchers provided for free tapas and drinks (upon registration)
22:00 – Late
Love is a Verb (Concert Room)
In collaboration with Wiener Festwochen
Music as resistance. Sound as care. This concert celebrates queerfeminist expression, sonic experimentation, and the transformative power of love in the face of fragmentation. From electroacoustic mappings to atmospheric vocals, it’s an invitation to feel, move, and connect.
More info
Veranstalter*in: European Alternatives and Festwochen
Art der Veranstaltung: Diskussionsveranstaltung/Vortrag/ Gespräch / Talk / Konferenz
Zielgruppe(n): Kinder und Familien, Jugendliche und Schulen, Erwachsene, Senior*innen, Mädchen und Frauen, LGBTQI+, Menschen mit Behinderungen
Abhaltung:
Webseite: https://www.festwochen.at/haus-der-republik
Anmeldung notwendig: ja
Link zur Anmeldung: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScn6eKt21fKE4zDyreR343ZQ0Jwc-7ylhYandfjwCcIgTI8kw/viewform?usp=header
Kosten:
Kinderbetreuung (vor Ort): wird nicht angeboten
Räumliche Barrierefreiheit: nicht gegeben
Veranstaltungssprache(n): englisch
Themenblockzuordnung: Beteiligung