In 1993, philosophers, professors, and politicians from four countries—Israel, Austria, the United Kingdom, and the United States—gathered in Jerusalem for a conference called “Democratic Education in a Multicultural Society.” Following this, a group of teachers and students from democratic schools were invited to Hadera for two days, where they enthusiastically discussed and shared their own experiences and ideas about education at the Democratic School of Hadera. In order to continue exploring, exchanging, and learning about democratic education, they decided to establish a forum, a platform, and an annual gathering. Since then, a school or organization has volunteered to host the conference each year, continuing up to the present.

​The first four years of this conference were known as the Hadera Conference, driven by Yaccov Hect, David Gribble, and Jerry Mintz. Yaccov continuously raised funds for IDEC, while David sent out two to three newsletters each year. However, promoting through traditional mail was challenging. Eventually, Jerry Mintz provided a website that began to connect the flow of information on democratic education around the world.

​IDEC : International Democratic Education Conference

IDEC, is not an organization, but over the years, it has gradually become a community with a cohesive energy, a large family.

​The organization of IDEC varies each year, with each gathering being distinct and unique. Once the next host is jointly decided, they have the authority to determine the date, schedule, costs, accommodation, and format of the conference. The duration of the conference varies; for example, the first IDEC lasted only two days, while the 1997 conference lasted for 14 days.

​Most participants are students from democratic schools. At the IDECs held in Sands School in the UK in 1997, in Tokyo in 2000, and in Berlin in 2005, the participants were almost all young people. If the conference lasts longer, there are usually some travel arrangements, school visits, or different social and cultural exchange activities. Sometimes the agenda during IDEC is pre-arranged with dialogues, speeches, or workshops, but most of the program is organized by the participants after the meeting starts.

In the early years of IDEC, the conference was smaller in scale, and all expenses were raised by the organizing unit. However, as the number of participants increased, user fees became the best method we have found so far. At the same time, the organizing unit also raises some funds to provide scholarships for participants who cannot afford to attend.