CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY SCHOOL

April 18-20 | Washington D.C.

Are you passionate about democracy? Have you ever wondered how everyday people can shape the policies that govern our lives?

If so, we invite you to join us at the Deliberative School in Washington from April 18-20, 2024.

Citizens' Assemblies are innovative forums where a randomly selected group of people comes together to learn, deliberate, and make recommendations on complex policy issues. These assemblies reflect the broader community, ensuring that all voices, especially those often underrepresented, are heard. It's democracy in action, where participants are empowered to critically engage with evidence, discuss different viewpoints, and collaboratively propose solutions.

From Paris to British Columbia, Ireland, France, and Germany have used it at regional and national levels for topics ranging from abortion to climate policy. Canada has implemented about 50 deliberative processes at the national and city level. Interest is growing in the United States with Citizens Assemblies in Petaluma, California, Montrose, Colorado and several in the planning stages for 2024. The time to expand and scale these processes has arrived.

The political polarization, an increasing disconnection of citizens from institutions, and the political party’s dependency on electoral cycles signals an urgent need to transform democracy. While trust in governments and institutions declines, more than 60% of Democrats and Republicans declare that will cross party lines to vote for a candidate who pledges to consult constituents if elected. These numbers reveal a population that is hungry for meaningful and consequential voice.

Using a democratic lottery has proven effective in resolving polarized debates and long-term issues. However, this deliberation must be impactful, thoroughly designed and based on high standards for citizens to regain trust in their political system and feel their voices heard.

We empower you with the indispensable skills and knowledge to conduct successful deliberative processes. Learn from local and international experts to start driving democratic innovation!

Tickets are sold out.

We await you in the next one!

PROGRAM

DAY 1

Art O’Leary, Chief Executive of Ireland’s Electoral Commission
Iain Walker – Executive Director, newDemocracy
Alex Renirie, Co-Director, Healthy Democracy
- Deep Division and Polarization - Lessons from Mostar (Yves Dejaeghere, Executive Director, FIDE)
- The German Deliberative Experience and Social Cohesion (Jacob Birkenhäger, Head of Business Unit, IFOK)
- Brussels and Mixed Deliberative Committees – Solving Public Problems with Elected Representatives (Jonathan Moskovic, Innovations Advisor to the Brussels Parliament)
- France, the CESE, National Citizens’ Conventions and Policy Impact (Juliette Agez or Kenza Occansey, Vice President, CESE)
Moderated by · Christine Lopes Metcalfe, Program Director, Local Policy Lab
Zakia Elvang, We Do Democracy, Executive Director
- Youth/Student Assemblies (Sarah Yaffe, MASS LBP, Director)
- The Local Policy Lab’s Democracy Plan (Laura Wood, Local Policy Lab, Vice President)
- Building and Leveraging Civic Assembly Ecosystems (Forrest Sparks, Climate Justice Hub, & Philip Lindsay, The Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and the Humanities)
- Deliberative Facilitation (Cont’d) (Zakia Elvang, We Do Democracy, Executive Director)

DAY 2

- Regulatory Assemblies and Digital Assemblies (Sarah Yaffe, MASS LBP, Director)
- Petaluma Fairgrounds Advisory Panel (Alex Renirie, Healthy Democracy, Co-Director)
- Unify Montrose (Matt/Harry, Unify America)
- Millcreek, Utah CA (Civic Genius/Younify/Mayor of Millcreek)
Moderated by Hollie Russon Gilman, Senior Fellow, New America
Amanda Borth, Associate Researcher, Consortium for Science Policy and Outcomes, Arizona State University
Peter MacLeod, President and Founder, MASS LBP
- Youth/Student Assemblies (Sarah Yaffe, MASS LBP, Director)
- The Local Policy Lab’s Democracy Plan (Laura Wood, Local Policy Lab, Vice President)
- Building and Leveraging Civic Assembly Ecosystems (Forrest Sparks, Climate Justice Hub, & Philip Lindsay, The Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and the Humanities)
- Deliberative Facilitation (Cont’d) (Zakia Elvang, We Do Democracy, Executive Director)
Download here

SPEAKERS

Chief Executive of Ireland’s Electoral Commission
Session: Solving intractable problems: learnings from Ireland's experience in building a robust deliberative culture

Executive Director, We Do Democracy
Sessions:
- The secret sauce of citizens’ assemblies: deliberative facilitation
- Deliberative Facilitation

Director, MASS LBP
Sessions:
- An Overview of Citizens’ Assemblies in North America: Regulatory Assemblies and Digital Assemblies
- Youth/Student Assemblies

Executive Director, newDemocracy
Session: The most important question – How to frame a remit for impact

Executive Director, FIDE - Europe
Session: Youth/Student Assemblies : Deep Division and Polarization - Lessons from Mostar

Vice President, Local Policy Lab
Session: The Local Policy Lab’s Democracy Plan

Associate Researcher, Consortium for Science Policy and Outcomes, Arizona State University
Session: Democracy & Science: Integrating Community and Stakeholder Values into Deliberation Design

Director, Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes and Local Policy Lab
Welcome remarks.

Head of Business Unit, IFOK
Session: Citizens’ Assemblies – Perspectives from around the world: The German Deliberative Experience and Social Cohesion

Program Co-Director at Healthy Democracy
Sessions:
- Democratic lottery, recruitment, and inclusion
- An Overview of Citizens’ Assemblies in North America: Petaluma Fairgrounds Advisory Panel

Senior Fellow, New America
Session:
- Moderator - An Overview of Citizens’ Assemblies in North America

Innovations Advisor to the Brussels Parliament
Session: Citizens’ Assemblies – Perspectives from around the world: Brussels and Mixed Deliberative Committees – Solving Public Problems with Elected Representatives

President and Founder, MASS LBP
Session: Landing with the Administration – how to build in follow-up and ensure government accountability

Executive Director, FIDE - North America
Welcome remarks.

Program Director, Local Policy Lab
Sessions:
- Citizens’ Assemblies – Perspectives from around the world, Moderator

The Assembly Project
Sessions:
- CUNY Assembly Process: how to build and leverage CA ecosystems

Democracy Innovation Program Manager, The Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and the Humanities
Session:
- CUNY Assembly Process: how to build and leverage CA ecosystems