We have been engaged with the global Democratic Education community since 2019 - we have participated in conferences to learn from an international network of practitioners, and we have visited Democratic Schools to understand the realities on the ground.
Fusing those learnings with our own experiences, we have shared our thoughts on a variety of platforms:
On Democratic / Self-Directed / Non-Coercive Education
- (SZ) "Depathologing Neurodiversity" dialogue at the European Democratic Education Conference (EUDEC) 2024 in the Netherlands, Jul 29 - Aug 4 2024
- (SZ) Keynote on Role of Adults in Democratic Education at the 30th International Democratic Education Conference 2023, Nepal
- (SZ) "Anarchic Relationships" Keynote Talk at the European Democratic Education Conference (EUDEC) 2024 in the Netherlands, Jul 29 - Aug 4 2024
- (DM) Panelist on āļāļāˇāļąāļāļąāˇāļą āļāļāˇāļąāļāļąāˇāļą for āļāˇāˇ āˇāļāļļāˇāļēāˇ podcast āļāļāˇāļāļģāļ¸āˇ"āļāˇ" (Sinhala)
- (SZ) Dialogue with Galkande Dhammananda Thero (Part 1, 2) on Education in relation to Buddhist Philosophy  for āļāļāˇāļļāˇ program on the Walpola Rahula Institutes' āļ´āˇāļāˇāˇ channel (Sinhala)
- (DM + SZ) Interview for Bodhini Samaratunga's Eastern Notes blog on āļ¯āļģāˇāˇāļąāˇāļāˇ āļ āļ°āˇâāļēāˇāļ´āļąāļē āļ´āˇāļĸāˇāļāļąāˇāļāˇâāļģāˇāļ āˇāˇāļē āļēāˇāļāˇ āļ¯? (Part 1, 2)
- (SZ) Interview with āˇāˇāļąāˇāļŊāļąāˇāļŠāˇ āˇāˇāˇāˇāļēāˇ YouTube Channel on Restorative Practices and Parenting (Sinhala)
- (SZ) Panelist at the Screening of QUEST documentary on Suvemäe democratic school-within-a-school on Dec 10, 2023
- (SZ) Flipped Workshop on "How Self-Directed Education could address challenges in Higher Education" at ABSELâs 2021 conference (based on this article for ASDEâs Tipping Point magazine)
- (SZ) Session on "Aesthetic (Art) Education" at International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC) 2020, and a sequel at ZA Share Education Innovation Expo, Taiwan
On Child Rights
- (SZ) "Child Rights in Education" Keynote Talk (partial recording) and Panelist (recording) at the European Democratic Education Conference (EUDEC) 2024 in the Netherlands, Jul 29 - Aug 4 2024
- (SZ) Session on "RIGHTing a Wrong: Conventional Education vs. the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child" at the Liberation of Education Conference, Feb 26-29 2024
- (SZ) Session on "The Biggest Barrier to Rights Affirming Education and How to Dismantle it" at the Learning Planet Festival 2024
- (SZ) Speaker at "Should I have to go to School?" online event by Taiwan Democratic Education Community, Dec 23, 2023
- (SZ) Co-authoring a resolution to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child approved at the 30th International Democratic Education Conference 2023, Nepal (see the final resolution here, read the backstory here)
On Education Policy
- (SZ) Guest Column on the National Education Policy Framework (2023-2033) on the Daily FT (May 9, 2024)
- (SZ) Speech on Education as a Right at the Policy Dialogue organized by the Bandaranaike Academy of Leadership and Public Policy (Jan 23, 2024). Video coverage, Press Coverage
- (DM + SZ) Interview on "Kannangara Reforms" for âSri Lanka Togetherâ YouTube channel (Sinhala)
- (DM + SZ) Interview on "An Education for a Democracy" on Citizenâs Forum (Sinhala)Â
- (SZ) Guest column on "How Education could respond to #covid19" in the Daily FT
On Restorative Practices
- (SZ) Workshop at 12th International Conference of the European Forum for Restorative Justice in Tallinn, Estonia on "Healing our invisible inner-child trauma and ending violence against children: The role of Restorative Justice" May 29-31, 2024
- (SZ) Interview with āˇāˇāļąāˇāļŊāļąāˇāļŠāˇ āˇāˇāˇāˇāļēāˇ YouTube Channel on Restorative Practices and Parenting (Sinhala)
- (DM) Interview on Non-Violent Communication for the āļāˇāļŊāˇāļą program on Siyatha TV (2024) (Sinhala)
- (SZ) Keynote on Restorative Practices at the 30th International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC) 2023, Nepal
- (SZ) Dialogue with Galkande Dhammananda Thero (Part 1, 2) on Education in relation to Buddhist Philosophy  for āļāļāˇāļļāˇ program on the Walpola Rahula Institutes' āļ´āˇāļāˇāˇ channel (Sinhala)
On Parenting
- (SZ) Dialogue with Galkande Dhammananda Thero (Part 1, 2) on Education in relation to Buddhist Philosophy  for āļāļāˇāļļāˇ program on the Walpola Rahula Institutes' āļ´āˇāļāˇāˇ channel (Sinhala)
- (SZ) Interview with āˇāˇāļąāˇāļŊāļąāˇāļŠāˇ āˇāˇāˇāˇāļēāˇ YouTube Channel on Restorative Practices and Parenting (Sinhala)
- (DM + SZ) Session on "Parenting and Self-Directed Education" at AEROâs 2021 conferenceÂ
- (SZ) Webinar on Fatherâs role in parenting for EveryStory Sri Lanka (2020)