Resilience in Times of Democratic Backsliding in Central Europe

The CENTRAL Leadership Program, a student- and researcher-driven initiative led by HU (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) students and early-career scholars, aims to strengthen leadership skills and prepare young researchers for challenging roles in politics and diplomacy, with a special focus on pressing democratic challenges in Central Europe. As part of this program, the event Resilience in Times of Democratic Backsliding in Central Europe, organized by Corinna von Lacroix and Gustavo Hernandez Calderón, will offer a 4-hour session combining a panel discussion, Q&A, film screening, and networking opportunities. The event brings together voices from academia, civil society, and the arts to examine rising authoritarian populism, shrinking civic spaces, and the normalization of hate speech, with particular attention to minority communities including migrants, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and racialized groups. (CLP)

Corinna von Lacroix is an MA student in _Ethnography: Theory - Practice – Criticism_, with a focus on contemporary constructions and politics of gender, sexuality, and kinship.

Gustavo Hernandez Calderón is an activist, author, scholar. MA in Global Studies, specialized in queer peacebuilding and social resilience.