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.

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.

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.

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.

Are proponents of sortition overclaiming? What claims to representativeness can we really make about deliberative mini-publics? This correspondence unpicks some of the key claims and proposes ways forward for representation claims in deliberative practice.

This conversation unpacks the difference between equity and inclusion and how deliberative mini-publics and various forms of public engagement can truly support meaningful and equitable inclusion of diverse voices in policymaking and beyond.