http://www.idec2005.org/

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Registration and Money

We want to register as a group, but don't yet know how many of us will be able to come, what should we do?

Please fill in the form on our website with the number of people who are definite, even if this is just one. Use the comments field to give an estimate of the total number of interested people. We will be able to handle this. There is now (in February) no danger of being late for registration.

We don't have the money to pay in full at this time. What do you suggest we do?

It isn't necessary to pay immediately after booking. We can deal with this issue too, so there shouldn?t be a problem.

How much will the conference fee be for students?

There is a discount of 50% for younger students (those less than 10 years old).

If I attend without living on site, do I still have to pay the full price?

If it's really necessary, we can reduce the price by about 10%. Ideally, we would like to have all the attendees staying at the venue. This will offer the most opportunities for informal contact between the attendees which will be both interesting and productive. Moreover we are relying upon the fees from the participants to organize the IDEC well.

Location and Accommodation

Is it possible to attend without being in residence?

It is not excluded in principle, but we are expecting to build a kind of a community during the IDEC, please have a look at our venue-site. We hope to share plenty of time together and we hope all will benefit from the small talks between the workshops and lectures, as well as the personal relationships that can arise by staying together at the venue.

I understand that you are limiting the conference to 300 people - is that due to restricted space at FEZ?

We expect up to 300, plus 200 in part B. Look here: → Program
One reason is the amount of accommodation facilities. Another is the catering requirements; people have to be fed quickly, which could be difficult with a higher number.

How can I reserve a bungalow bed?

Let us know if you need to stay in a bungalow because of some special conditions. You can write an e-mail or put it in the "general"-field of your registration. The distribution of the bungalows spaces will depends on these special conditions.

When I come with small children, will there be some kind of childcare?

We are thinking about having someone to take care of the children during the workshops and speeches, let us know if you are interested.

Program

Are there any guidelines for what you'd like to see auctioned? Do they have to bear relation to democratic education?

Actually we haven't decided anything about this yet; the auction is just one of the ideas to make the conference a bit more diverse. Virtually anything goes, it should be of interest to other people - if people buy only as a purely beneficent donation it may be embarrassing for those who are taking it more seriously.

Is it possible to come a few days before IDEC starts, to help with some of the preparation?

We still don't know if this will be necessary. Let us know the date of your plans, so we can contact you when the time is right.

How can I apply to be a speaker at the conference?

When you register, write your idea for a workshop into the field for contribution or send us an extra-mail.

Tourism

Would it be possible to stay on a farm in the German countryside?

It depends! For how long? For how many? What expectations do you have? This is the kind of question which may require you to find your own answer. Anything is possible but, unfortunately, we cannot take responsibility for organising everything outside IDEC.

Would it be possible to take a bicycle tour (Outside Berlin)? Would we have to rent bicycles?

Outside - and inside Berlin, many interesting tours are possible. Please have a look at this webpage;
→ http://www.berlin-tourist-information.de/english/presse/basistexte/e_pr_basistext_velo-city.html

What is there to see and do in Berlin?

There is too much to tell; you wouldn't find the time to read it ;-) Please use the webpage:
→ http://www.berlin-tourist-information.de/english/sightseeing/ ,
but please know that this is only one - more or less official - web site. There are many small and so-called independent cultural attractions. These details will not be available yet, a long time ahead of the conference.

How much would it cost to stay in Berlin either before or after the conference?

This depends very much on your expectation and living style. We want to organize some support for our guests, even in some towns outside Berlin. If you are hosted by friends, you need some money for transportation (which is quite expensive for larger distances - but we have a kind of organized hitchhiking, which is about 25 Euro for 500 km / person). In Berlin a 7-days-pass is about 25 Euro.

How much does it usually cost to eat, when one travels in Germany?

All prices are very similar to the U.S., in particular, supermarkets and cheap fast food restaurants (which are often better quality here)! It might be even cheaper, sometimes you find something for less than two Euro. A normal meal in a restaurant starts at five Euro.