The 12th International Democratic Education Conference -IDEC- will be held this year in India from Fri 3rd Dec to Sun 12th Dec 2004 at Bhubaneshwar, the capital city of the state of Orissa in India.

Each year, IDEC is held in a different country, creating an opportunity for children, teachers, parents, schools, activists, individuals, organizations, government bodies and NGO's to discuss and share their ideas, concerns and experiences around democracy in education. The conference reflects the spirit and ideas of democracy that are practiced in the schools and organizations that participate in the gathering.

IDEC started in 1993 as a meeting of a few like-minded people and has gathered momentum over the years with more individuals and schools coming to the conferences from different regions of the world. It offers a space for those interested in education to participate meaningfully, which is why it is not just for two-three days, but for a longer period.

IDEC creates an opportunity for the host country to witness the diversity of programs and projects working with children, youth and adults in participatory models of education that exist throughout the world. It breaks down the myth that projects supporting child participation and natural models of learning are few and far between by bringing together a variety of these unique projects from all corners of the world.

It is not only a time for groups and individuals already actively involved in participatory models of education to connect but also a time to outreach and network with others. It is crucial to expand the discussions and dialogues outside the confines of those already engaged in these models of learning, so that we may learn with and from each other. Together we must create bridges so as to support more and more children to become active participants of their own learning and dynamic members of their local communities.

Previous conferences have been vital in helping countries and regions strengthen the connections and networks between groups. IDEC has supported the development of regional networks and organizing within the local regions. In 1999, IDEC was held at A.S. Neill's Summerhill School in England. Following this, the next IDEC was held in Tokyo, Japan, where the conference organizers utilized the opportunity to create a network of schools and projects working democratically with youth from Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines. In previous years, IDEC has also been held in the USA, New Zealand, Israel and Ukraine.

Although IDEC is not an organization, there have been discussions and movements towards creating a more formal group among the participants of the conference within the past few years. This discussion is still in process, however an informal network of groups supporting democracy in education has been established and a commitment from individuals to outreach to schools and projects within their local areas has become a focus.