Educating for a Democratic Europe

The European Wergeland Centre promotes education as a tool to strengthen and safeguard our democracies.

Courses and trainings

Annually, around 20,000 teachers and educators join our online and in-person trainings on democracy and human rights education. Explore our learning platform or check the news section for upcoming opportunities.

Online Learning Plattform

Learning resources

We provide free, high-quality teaching resources—online and offline. Every year, we create new materials to strengthen education for democracy and human rights. Last year, we added 23 new resources to our collection.

Explore Resources

Latest News and Events

We are Looking for a New Director

Education builds democracies. As Director of the European Wergeland Centre, you will lead our work for democracy, participation and human rights both across Europe and in Norway.

A participant at the Erfaringskonferansen for education for democracy and human rights

Why Libraries Matter More Than Ever to Democracy

As public life increasingly moves online and access to cultural activities becomes increasingly restricted by high prices and subscription models, one place continues to buck the trend: the local library. For the European Wergeland Centre it is a valued partner and a cornerstone of democracy.

Navigating Uncertainty: Teaching Human Rights in Wartime Ukraine

The battlefield in Ukraine can be found not only at the front, but also inside young peoples’ phones. Can human rights training help young people think critically and stay resilient in wartime?

Graduates in Education for Democracy

Graduation ceremony of the first 123 graduates of the Master’s program “Identity, Education, and Competences for Democratic Culture.”

Democracy Loses when Teachers Stay Silent

Democracy does not rest solely on laws and elections, but on skills that must be learned. When teachers shy away from difficult topics in the classroom, the debate moves to echo chambers where extreme divides dominate.

ROMANIA: The Children Who Wait at the Gate

In the small Romanian neighbourhood of Livada, a new day centre is giving Roma children more than lessons – it’s giving them pride, hope, and a chance to dream of a different future.

More news

The European Wergeland Centre is a resource centre on education for intercultural understanding, human rights and democratic citizenship. Our headquarters are in Oslo, Norway. We have field staff in Ukraine, Greece and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The centre was established by the Council of Europe and Norway in 2008.

About us

Wergeland projects involve a wide range of stakeholders from policy, research and practice with activities ranging from training courses to participation in expert groups on policy development.

Wergeland activities and services are free and open to all 46 member states of the Council of Europe.