SEEDS
Security Education by Empowering Democratic Strength
Security in Austria encompasses not only economic stability and protection from crime, terrorism, pandemics, and disasters, but also state sovereignty and the lived experience of democratic values and freedoms. Geistige Landesverteidigung (GLV) — broadly translatable as “ideational national defence” — is enshrined in Austria’s Federal Constitutional Law as part of comprehensive national defence, and emphasises the defence of democracy as a core societal responsibility. Civic education in schools plays a key role in this regard, fostering a broad understanding of democracy and making security policy issues accessible. The research and development project SEEDS (Security Education by Empowering Democratic Strength) builds on this foundation: it aims to advance a contemporary understanding of Geistige Landesverteidigung and to develop specific civic education methods for lower and upper secondary levels. The goal is to empower pupils to actively shape democracy and to advocate for democratic values in an informed and reflective way.
In the first step, a structured needs analysis was conducted to systematically capture existing approaches, challenges, and perceptions of Geistige Landesverteidigung in educational contexts. This was based on comprehensive desk research as well as qualitative and participatory surveys with pupils, teachers, and experts from the fields of education and security.
Building on these findings, a practice-oriented understanding of Geistige Landesverteidigung in the context of civic education was developed, particularly with regard to existing and missing content, teaching formats, and structural conditions. On this basis, we are developing a toolkit for teachers that conveys key GLV topics in an age-appropriate and target-group-sensitive manner for lower and upper secondary levels. Participatory methods, such as joint validation sessions with teachers and piloting in school classes, ensure the toolkit’s applicability and practical suitability.
The toolkit offers a low-threshold and hands-on approach to Geistige Landesverteidigung topics for classroom use. It imparts knowledge and the capacity for action, enabling pupils to critically reflect on democracy and to defend it responsibly. In this way, a connection is forged between Geistige Landesverteidigung and civic education, in the spirit of actively strengthening and sustainably protecting democracy.
