The Democracy Centre Vienna is an independent scientific institution working in the fields of democracy research and civic education. Our empirical and theoretical research serves the furthering of scientific knowledge, the strengthening of democratic political discourse and the transfer into educational applications.

Democracy is an open and dynamic process that constantly has to be redefined in civic and political cooperation. As a continual process of learning and adapting, democracy depends on the conscious and active development through its citizens. As a form of government, social organisation and way of living, democracy signifies both the starting point and the goal of our activities.

In our work, the connection between social, economic, cultural, and ecological aspects of coexistence is a key guiding principle. Political negotiation processes cannot be viewed in isolation from the consequences of climate change, which affect different social groups in different ways. That is why awareness of environmental protection and sustainability are among our fundamental principles on which we base our work and which shape our activities in education and research.