About ASEDG

At a time when democracy is weakening and citizens are disengaging from political life, a collective inspired by the Swiss democratic experience felt the urgent need to act in favour of democracy and governance. Convinced that education is an essential lever for empowering citizens and revitalising democratic participation, they founded the Association suisse pour l'éducation à la démocratie et à la gouvernance (ASEDG) in Geneva in 2025.

ASEDG is a non-profit organisation serving both an international and Swiss audience. It promotes democratic values, active citizenship and good governance, and works towards inclusive, equitable and sustainable societies. Its activities aim to strengthen civic competencies and encourage engagement among young people and adults, both in Switzerland and abroad.

Recognised by the Republic and Canton of Geneva, ASEDG holds public interest status and benefits from a tax exemption. The association is politically and religiously neutral.

Our Vision

"Educating today's citizens to be tomorrow's responsible ones"

We foster bridges to share best practices and co-build innovative educational programmes. Our ambition: to strengthen civic competencies and encourage the engagement of young people and adults alike in social and political life.

Our Mission

Connect

Connecting, training and acting for a living, participatory and inspiring democracy.

Promote

Promote democratic values and principles of good governance through education, continuing training and the exchange of practices.

Train

Train citizens capable of actively participating in democratic processes and contributing to transparent, inclusive and equitable management of public affairs.

Our Values

While ASEDG draws inspiration from the Swiss democratic and educational experience, its approach is grounded above all in respect for local realities, cultures and community knowledge. Its projects rest on five core values:

  1. Respect for cultures and local knowledge
    Valuing traditions, languages, community practices and local forms of governance in every project.
  2. Co-construction and balanced partnership
    Developing projects in close collaboration with local stakeholders, in a spirit of mutual exchange and reciprocal respect.
  3. Democratic citizenship
    Promoting participation, dialogue, critical thinking, responsibility and civic engagement, while taking into account the social and cultural contexts of each community.
  4. Inclusion and active participation
    Involving teachers, young people, women and local communities in educational and decision-making processes.
  5. Participatory education and empowerment
    Using active teaching methods to strengthen the capacities of local actors and their agency within society.

Our Areas of Action

ASEDG develops its activities around four main areas, reflecting its commitment to a living, inclusive and responsible democracy.

Civic Education

We facilitate the sharing of educational resources, tools and training aimed primarily at teachers, trainers, educators and civil society organisations, in order to develop democratic culture and train engaged, critical and responsible citizens.

Youth Participation

We encourage young people, youth organisations, educational institutions and community actors to become genuine agents of change, by giving them the means to express themselves, propose concrete solutions and actively participate in decisions that affect them. Through dialogue spaces, collaborative initiatives and tailored support mechanisms, we stimulate their engagement in social, civic and democratic life, while valuing their creativity, ideas and capacity for innovation.

Responsible Governance

In a co-construction approach with our partners and local actors, we support public institutions, local authorities and civil society organisations in their participatory governance and responsible management practices. Through training, tools and the sharing of best practices, we promote dialogue, participation and the pooling of expertise, in order to contribute to more transparent, effective and public interest-oriented governance.

Participatory Democracy

Drawing on best practices from the Swiss democratic experience (direct democracy, popular initiatives, referendums, consensus-building, federalism, etc.) and on innovations developed in different countries, we contribute to strengthening democratic dialogue and making decisions more inclusive and legitimate. We support citizens, public authorities, associations and local initiatives in developing mechanisms that foster civic participation and bring citizens closer to decision-making processes.

Discover our projects

Our Approach

A Collaborative Process

ASEDG prioritises a co-construction approach with local partner stakeholders (institutions, educators, civil society organisations), in order to ensure the relevance and sustainability of its actions.

This approach is organised around the following points:

  • Sharing and exchange of practices
    Fostering mutual learning between local and international actors.
  • Local grounding
    Designing programmes adapted to cultural and social realities.
  • International cooperation
    Valuing Swiss experience while integrating practices from diverse contexts.
  • Lasting impact
    Strengthening civic and institutional capacities over the long term.

Our Action Means

ASEDG implements two action means:

Support

in designing educational projects and training programmes adapted to local contexts, particularly in environments where democracy is fragile or in a consolidation phase.

A free, secure platform

for pooling tools, resources and best practices in democratic education.

Access the platform

Official Recognition and Public Interest Status

The Association suisse pour l'éducation à la démocratie et à la gouvernance (ASEDG) is a Swiss non-profit organisation based in Geneva, committed to promoting civic education, democratic values, citizen participation and good governance.

Registered in the Geneva commercial register under number CH-660.8.081.025-6 (UID: CHE-146.344.226), ASEDG holds a public interest recognition granted by the Geneva cantonal tax administration.

By decision of 8 January 2026, the cantonal tax administration confirmed that ASEDG's objectives fulfil the public interest conditions pursuant to articles 9 para. 1 let. f of the Law on the Taxation of Legal Entities (LIPM) and 56 let. g of the Federal Law on Direct Federal Tax (LIFD).

As a result, ASEDG is tax-exempt from the 2025 fiscal year onwards.

The Committee

Marc Antoine Bordin

Marc Antoine Bordin

Co-founder and President

Holder of a doctorate in social and economic sciences (sociology) from the University of Geneva, as well as a master's degree in sociology. He also completed several training programmes at the Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration (IDHEAP) at the University of Lausanne, including a CAS in public policy evaluation, as well as continuing education courses on federalism and multi-level governance, public policies and institutions, and public enterprise management.

He has extensive experience in training, human resources and public administration in Geneva. He has taught and conducted research at the University of Geneva and at the International Institute for Labour Studies of the International Labour Organisation.

He is currently developing the international training platform edhub4democracy.org, dedicated to education in democracy and political governance.

Julia Claire Collis

Julia Claire Collis

Co-founder and Vice-President

Specialist in special education, educational and career guidance, training, and social and professional integration. Currently a senior manager at the State of Geneva.

Holder of a Master's degree in Educational Sciences from the University of Geneva and a Federal Diploma as a vocational, educational and career counsellor, she has extensive experience in training, support for young people and adults, career management and training engineering.

Engaged in Geneva public life, she served for twelve years as a municipal councillor in the Municipality of Meinier-GE, where she notably chaired the Social Commission and the Municipal Council.

David Bitencourt Domiciano

David Bitencourt Domiciano

Treasurer

Holder of a degree in business management and management economics from the University of Geneva, as well as a degree in operational management, he brings his expertise in management, analysis and institutional support to ASEDG's objectives.

Specialist in employment policies, vocational training and data analysis, he has extensive experience in Geneva public administration. Currently data quality manager at the State of Geneva.

His expertise covers statistical analysis, project management, training needs assessment, quality monitoring of services and management of labour market-related mechanisms.

Samuele Marcoli

Samuele Marcoli

Member of the Scientific Committee

Holder of a master's in Public Management and Policy from IDHEAP and a bachelor's in philosophy and political science from the University of Lausanne, he has worked with Swiss and international organisations active in development, human rights and citizen participation.

He is currently working as a development worker in Colombia with Comundo, supporting communication projects related to human rights and the strengthening of local communities affected by conflicts and humanitarian crises. He has also collaborated with FEDEVACO, the Institute of Federalism in Fribourg and the Swiss Embassy in Guatemala.

Manuel Guzman Quiroa

Manuel Guzman Quiroa

Member of the Scientific Committee

Holder of a Master's in socio-economics with a specialisation in demography and population studies from the University of Geneva, as well as a degree in international economics, money and finance from Toulouse 1 Capitole University.

A scientific collaborator engaged in the fields of social and solidarity economics, sustainable development and civic awareness. He has conducted analysis and research on responsible economic models and sustainable governance in Geneva, and has actively participated in projects led by Swiss and international NGOs in Central America.

ASEDG Statutes

The statutes of the Association suisse pour l'éducation à la démocratie et à la gouvernance are available for download.