The Federation for Innovation in Democracy (FIDE), based in Brussels, Belgium is partnering with Deliberativa to organise the Autumn School on Citizens’ Assemblies, a capacity-building school which represents a groundbreaking approach to democratic governance. The school will be held in Barcelona, Spain from October 17 to 18, 2024, and will bring together a diverse group of citizens, randomly selected to reflect the community’s demographic makeup and to deliberate on important policy issues.
This programme is supported by the Barcelona City Council within Barcelona European Capital of Democracy and organised in collaboration with Platoniq, Red Delib and Ampliando Democracia.
The Autumn School on Citizens’ Assemblies is an opportunity to gain real-world skills and actionable knowledge to start a deliberative journey. For two days, participants will learn from international and local experts on best practices and case studies while working in groups with other professionals and civil servants to make for a collective learning experience.
Through a structured process of learning, discussion, and consensus-building, participants will be able to produce informed and actionable recommendations. This method enhances democratic legitimacy, fosters civic engagement, and ensures that a wide range of voices are heard in the policy-making process.
During the foundational session, participants will explore the core principles and practical considerations for deciding why and when to implement a Citizen’Assembly. The session will cover the unique strengths of Citizens’ Assemblies in addressing complex policy issues, fostering public trust, and enhancing democratic legitimacy.
The school will feature parallel sessions which would include: Communications; Iberian Context; Facilitation and Building the content provision around trade-offs.
In addition, the school will explore the power and implications of the mandate given to Citizens’ Assemblies. This session will provide clear information on the trade-offs involved in setting the assembly’s agenda.
From information to deliberation, participants will have the opportunity to learn the key methods to bring citizens from wide-ranging discussions to drafting specific recommendations on a policy issue.
Participants will receive mentoring to help them prepare and adapt to public administration. This is crucial to ensure that the process is well understood and that the recommendations effectively support members after the assembly, thereby maximizing the assembly’s impact.
Interested participants should please visit https://www.fide.eu/autumn-school-2024/#register to register.
