Manifesto 25

Client: n/a
Location: Global
Year: 2025
Focus: Education futures, self-directed learning, advocacy, alternative education, democracy

A bold call to reimagine education as a collective act of resistance and hope

Manifesto 25 is a global initiative to confront the widening disconnect between what education systems promise and what they deliver. Developed by Dr. John Moravec in collaboration with educators, learners, and community leaders around the world, the manifesto outlines 25 principles for reimagining education in a time of compounding global crises. It builds on the legacy of Manifesto 15 by offering a framework for action rooted in trust, equity, and relevance.

Approach

Manifesto 25 was created in response to growing concerns about the role of education in a world marked by disinformation, authoritarianism, climate breakdown, and social fragmentation. While education is often framed as a solution, many systems continue to operate through outdated models that reinforce control, standardization, and exclusion. These conditions inspired the creation of Manifesto 25 as a tool to support communities in reclaiming education as a space for critical thinking, human dignity, and collective imagination.

The manifesto was developed through an open, international drafting process that included educators, researchers, and organizers from across sectors. Special attention was given to perspectives from the Global South and communities facing systemic marginalization. Through webinars, workshops, and community input, the document evolved to reflect both shared concerns and the diverse realities of those working to transform education from the ground up.

Each of the manifesto’s 25 points speaks to a shift in purpose, practice, and power—from compliance to curiosity, from content delivery to co-creation, from institutional authority to community-led learning. Rather than prescribe a single model, Manifesto 25 invites people to adapt its ideas to their own local conditions. It was intentionally released with a Creative Commons license to encourage remixing, translation, and collective ownership.

Deliverables

The project includes:

• The full Manifesto 25 publication, available in English and Spanish under a Creative Commons licenseA companion resource hub at manifesto25.org
• Public presentations, including keynote addresses and global webinars
• An open invitation for educators, learners, and institutions to adapt and remix the manifesto for local action
• Planned releases of annotated versions and a companion book for school and policy communities

Impact

Manifesto 25 has helped catalyze a growing international conversation about the future of education. It offers a shared vocabulary for those already working at the margins of formal systems—and for those trying to shift the center. Since its release, the manifesto has been adopted by educators in over a dozen countries as a reference for curriculum design, community organizing, and institutional critique. It continues to serve as a tool for collective sensemaking, advocacy, and the creation of more just and responsive learning systems.