Expert voices to debate trumpism, migration, and new narratives at the opening of the 6th Citizenship School

The opening event will feature Gerardo Pisarello, Laura Arroyo, and Moussa Bourekba, who will examine threats to democracies from political, journalistic, and academic perspectives.

With a revamped program, the 6th Citizenship School will address issues such as the climate crisis, civil rights, and technopolitics, promoting more inclusive leadership.

The sixth edition of the Citizenship School will kick off with an urgent and necessary debate: “Democracies at Risk: Trumpism, Migration, and New Narratives.” The event will take place on Thursday, May 8, in the conference hall of the La Petxina sports-cultural complex in Valencia, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

The current context demands deep reflection. Trumpism has not only transformed the U.S. political landscape but has also exported a dangerous precedent by normalizing hate speech, criminalizing migration, and systematically dismantling civil rights. Europe is not immune to this shift, with xenophobic parties gaining ground in national parliaments and European institutions, where they promote explicitly discriminatory policies under security-driven rhetoric.

In response, the debate will present three complementary perspectives: academic, to understand the mechanisms of democratic backsliding; journalistic, to analyze the media’s role in shaping narratives; and political, to explore possible institutional responses.

The roundtable will include three key voices: Gerardo Pisarello, MP and Secretary of the Congress Bureau; Laura Arroyo, a journalist specializing in political analysis and communication; and Moussa Bourekba, a researcher at CIDOB. Moderated by Boutaina El Hadri, Director of the School of Citizenship, the discussion will reflect on the challenges facing democracies today and the role of migration, political discourse, and the media in this context.

“We are witnessing a global authoritarian backlash that scapegoats migrants,” warns Boutaina El Hadri, “but also a historic opportunity to build new narratives based on diversity.”

The Citizenship School is an educational and empowerment initiative for migrants seeking to strengthen their political and social participation. In its sixth edition, it has established itself as a benchmark in citizen leadership with a renewed program covering key issues like the climate crisis, Trumpism, technopolitics, and diversity in multicultural contexts.

This edition stands out for its international dimension, with participants from Portugal, Italy, and Lithuania, expanded training sessions in Valencia and Alicante, and a unique educational experience including visits to the European Parliament and the Valencian Courts. New features include Dialogue Circles, spaces for direct exchange between students and political leaders, as well as mentorships to deepen understanding of European institutions. All this aims to provide practical tools for political action rooted in active, critical, and inclusive citizenship.

The Citizenship School is a global citizenship and development education project led by Jovesólides and Acoec ONGD, in collaboration with the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and funded by the First Vice Presidency and Ministry of Social Services, Equality, and Housing through personal income tax (IRPF) allocations and the European Union.

To stay updated, follow the hashtags #EscuelaDeCiudadanía and #MigrantesEnPolíticaYa on social media.