Léieruert fir Demokratie, Uechtsamkeet a Selbstbestëmmung
LuDUS is an initiative to establish and develop a democratic place of learning where young people can learn in a self-determined way and participate on an equal footing, accompanied by benevolent, non-judgemental adults. LuDUS is modelled on free, democratic schools such as Summerhill (UK), the Sudbury Valley School (USA), the Hadera Schools (Israel), Kapriole (D) and Les Quatre Sources (B). The initiators believe that young people must be given the opportunity to make decisions from an early age, to try out and explore things that interest them, and to play and carry out projects in mixed-age groups with partners of their own choosing.
Non-profit organisation
LuDUS asbl
through membership fees and donations
No
Becoming a member, looking for buildings, active cooperation (concept, lobbying, funding opportunities), initiatives to spread the idea of democratic education, visits to democratic schools abroad
Website administrator
The aims of LuDUS are (1) to promote the natural curiosity, self-knowledge and social responsibility of children and young people; (2) to once again understand education as a natural human right and not as a one-sided imposition defined by adults; (3) to grow self-confident, critical, responsible citizens who actively support the UN's sustainability goals, among other things.
When children visit and help shape democratic learning centres from an early age, they retain the curiosity, imagination, spontaneity and openness that they are usually "trained" to lose at school. As a result, a generation is growing up that is far better able to cope with the huge ecological and social problems of the present and near future than today's adults, who are largely conformist and consumer-orientated (due to their school careers).
The target group is young people from the age of 4, but of course also all adults who are open to new ideas and want to ensure that the precious potential of the next generation can develop unhindered.
LuDUS has already carried out a pilot project. The challenges were (1) finding a suitable and affordable location, (2) developing, implementing and communicating the concept, (3) obtaining support from the Ministry of Education.