All-Island Better Democracy Network come together in Dublin

Members of the All-Island Better Democracy Network recently came together for a co-working day, network meeting and workshop in the Temple Bar offices of Codema, Dublin’s Energy Agency. 

The objective of the network is to connect people across the island of Ireland working to improve public participation and engagement in decision making processes. By creating more opportunities for members of the public to be able to meaningfully engage in decision making processes, our democracy can be stronger. 

Coworking Day

Network members from across Ireland travelled to Dublin on 8th August 2024 for the third network meeting. The day started off with some co-working, allowing members to work in the same space and hear about the different projects people are working on.

Network Meeting

During the Network Meeting, members had the opportunity to speak one-on-one and share their reflections on the following questions:

• What trends are you noticing in the democracy sector that are impacting your project/work?
• What is challenging in your work/the project right now?
• How can we collaborate, and how can the network help you?

Members discussed shared challenges including accessing funding for participatory projects, the rise of the far right and narratives spreading in communities, and the need for a culture shift to encourage more participation in policymaking.

Workshop: DIY Citizens’ Assemblies

Citizens’ Assemblies have been a valuable tool in achieving real social change in Ireland. The process involves bringing together people from different backgrounds, with different experiences and worldviews and asking them to learn about a specific topic, discuss and deliberate, and come to some consensus to provide recommendations for the government on how to address the issue. 

Ideally, a citizens’ assembly is made up of a representative sample of the wider public. Participants hear from experts in the field of whatever topic they are there to consider, and there will be a facilitated discussion in which everyone has the opportunity to share their views. It is a deep learning process that involves thoughtful consideration of the issue at hand, and informed decision making at the end of it. Learn more about citizens’ assemblies.

Generally, citizens’ assemblies are commissioned by the government or a public agency, but this workshop asked if there is another way – could civil society organisations, or even communities, set up and run a citizens’ assembly to address difficult or important issues we’re facing in society? 

Participants heard some examples of past civil society-led citizens’ assemblies, including the People’s Assembly for Nature and the Kendal Climate Citizens’ Jury, both based in the UK. In groups, participants then discussed some of the key features of a citizens’ assembly, and what the trade-offs might be if a process like this was to be run outside of official public channels, including how to get political buy-in and ensuring key features of inclusive processes such as paying participants and making sure the selection of participants is representative can be done on lower budgets.

Growing the network

The day saw some lively discussions and provided opportunities for people to network, explore solutions to challenges, and discuss different ways of working. One key point was in agreement: the more the network grows, the stronger it will be. 

If you are working in the area of public participation, engagement or deliberative democracy and you are interested in joining the network, you can find out more on the All-Island Better Democracy Network website.