Articles
Mini-publics and the public: challenges and opportunities
The broader public being aware of and engaged with the work of deliberative mini-publics is central to their democratic value. Yet, how to generate this engagement in practice remains relatively underexplored. In this conversation, Sarah Castell and Stephen Elstub discuss why public engagement is so important – and so challenging.
Make it make sense: the challenge of data analysis in global deliberation
Global Deliberative processes are gaining traction, and they bring with them a fresh set of challenges for design and implementation. Not least is the question of how to systematise discussions from thousands of citizens across languages and cultures. In this piece, Iñaki Goñi discusses his work with ISWE Foundation developing a data strategy that looks beyond “Big Data” by foregrounding “Little Data” along with a normative commitment to democratising how and by whom that data is curated.
We need to talk about climate (assemblies): Graham Smith in conversation with Canning Malkin
In his latest book, We Need To Talk About Climate: How Citizens’ Assemblies Can Help Us Solve The Climate Crisis, Graham Smith aims to systematise the latest collective knowledge on climate assemblies in order to answer key questions facing climate governance and democracy. What difference do climate assemblies make, and how they can help us adapt to and tackle the climate crisis? In this interview, fellow climate assemblies researcher Canning Malkin talks to Graham about the book and its key insights.
Flexible and interconnected? The deliberative potential of public hearings
Public hearings are often demonised as tokenistic consultations where the usual suspects gather to air their views to disengaged politicians. Despite some valid critiques, Ruth Lightbody argues that they can and do prove themselves to be valuable formats for public engagement, fulfilling many democratic goals.
Opening the black box: facilitation in a changing world
Facilitation is central to many forms of deliberation, but has received surprisingly little attention in the study of deliberative democracy. Rosa Zubizarreta and Oliver Escobar came together to talk about why this might be the case, and why it is important to make the work of facilitation and facilitators visible in deliberation, and in democracy more widely.
Abriendo la caja negra: la facilitación en un mundo cambiante
La facilitación es fundamental en muchas formas de deliberación, pero ha recibido sorprendentemente poca atención en el estudio de la democracia deliberativa. Rosa Zubizarreta y Óliver Escobar se unieron para hablar sobre por qué podría ser este el caso, y por qué es importante visibilizar el trabajo de la facilitación y las/los facilitadoras/es en la deliberación, y en la democracia en general.
Inclusive by default: strategies for more inclusive participation
In theory, participatory processes offer a meaningful route for everyday people to have more power over decisions that affect their lives. In practice, participation faces challenges in ensuring that everybody is really included. In this article, global participation hub People Powered discuss barriers to participation and offer approaches to help make participation inclusive by default.
Democracy and Artificial Intelligence: current practices and visions into the future
What potential does artificial intelligence have for supporting deliberative democracy? In the second of this two-part series, Nardine Alnemr and Rob Weymouth are joined by software developer Brian Sullivan to think through what roles might be appropriate for AI in deliberative democracy, and what the implications are in practice. Read the first part of this series here.
Democracy and Artificial Intelligence: old problems, new solutions?
Does Artificial Intelligence hold the potential to remedy our contemporary democratic ills, or further foment them? In the first of this two-part series, Nardine Alnemr and Rob Weymouth discuss how the relationship between Artificial Intelligence and deliberative democracy is currently framed, and why this might be problematic.
Introducing the Unheard: from exploitation and oppression to interconnection and regeneration?
The topics discussed during deliberative processes often impact the lives of people and nonhuman entities who are not present, and whose voices remain unheard. In the field of democratic innovations, interest is growing in experimenting with different practices to widen the scope of interests that are usually considered during a deliberative process.
Inclusive topic selection: reflections on Mostar’s first citizens’ assembly
The topic for deliberation in a citizens’ assembly is often predetermined. But in Mostar, this process was opened up to the city’s residents. In this conversation, two of the organisers of Mostar’s first assembly, Damir Kapidžić and Yves Dejaeghere, reflect on the implications and practicalities of opening up topic selection.
Five lessons from the College of Guarantors of the French Citizens’ Convention on the End of Life
The Guarantors of the French Citizens’ Convention on the End of Life had a unique level of access to the deliberation, its design and governance. In this article the guarantors share their insights on the micro deliberative details of the Convention and their wider implications, along with recommendations for future processes.
Matching Facilitation Methods to Deliberative Purposes
Imagine three groups of people deliberating the same question. All three groups were recruited the same way, they are deliberating in similar rooms, and they have the same materials available. Does it actually matter how the facilitation of these deliberative processes is carried out? Dirk von Schneidemesser, Dorota Stasiak and Daniel Oppold explain why it matters, and how different facilitation styles affect deliberation.
Editorial Team 2013-2019
EditorsLaura Black is a Professor in the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University. Her research focuses on group communication in deliberation and dialogue, including conflict management, facilitation practices, storytelling, and the relationship of...
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