The second Impuls Academy took place from March 31 to April 6, 2025 —the NaturSinne seminar center in the Bucklige Welt region became a hub for organizing, strategy, and social movements. Around fifty participants and numerous speakers came together to hone their skills, strengthen networks, and generate new momentum for social and political change.
But the academy was much more than just five courses: In short morning sessions, the groundwork was laid for respectful interaction. At the “Market of Initiatives,” participants shared their own struggles and issues. A free half-day provided space to process their impressions and go on excursions together—and in the evenings, they discussed issues regarding the future of society, made music together, and shared inspiration.
Just as in 2024, 2025 also demonstrated that the Impuls Academy is creating something that has been missing in Austria until now—an intensive space for education and networking among social movements. A space to share knowledge, recharge, and connect across different struggles. 2025 demonstrated just how much energy is generated when activists from different backgrounds come together—and that we are still a long way from reaching our goal. The Academy will continue to work on incorporating even more diverse perspectives and making its programs more accessible.
The Impuls Academy 2025 has strengthened new alliances, provided encouragement for upcoming struggles, and demonstrated that change happens where we organize.
Kurse
Campaign Design & Strategy
How Does Effective Protest Work?
Protest actions are tools for driving social change. Whether through raising awareness or applying pressure—the approaches are as diverse as the organizations within social movements. In this course, we’ll explore how we can design our actions to be as effective as possible, in line with various theories of change.
Diversity. Power. Conflicts.
How can we foster collaboration on an equal footing?
In self-organized and/or emancipatory organizations, it’s often assumed that power is distributed evenly or plays no role at all. But the reality is often quite different. This seminar addresses precisely this issue.
Campaign Strategy
How can we win?
There are various paths that can lead to a political goal—but we often get lost in a maze of strategic possibilities. In this course, we want to work together to find solutions and draw up clear political roadmaps: well-thought-out campaigns with clear goals.
Organizing
How do we break out of the bubble?
At its core, organizing revolves around the question: How can I motivate people to take action based on how personally affected they are? In this course, we want to discuss with you what organizing is and how we can use organizing methods in social movements to build majorities for transformative politics.
Radical Media Work & Storytelling
How do we tell stories that change our world?
How can we ensure that the political discourse isn’t left to the right—and even shift it to the left? This week, we’ll cover everything you need to know about press and media relations to get left-wing messages into the media.
