Deliberative Masterclass

Deliberative democracy formats – such as citizens’ assemblies and citizens’ things – are rapidly emerging in Denmark and internationally. Common to deliberative processes is the desire for ordinary citizens to play a more active role in shaping policy. Our society is facing wild problems that can’t be solved by expertise alone – we need the good ideas, creativity and acceptance of our citizens to have an effective, healthy and viable democracy. In the Masterclass, you will learn to understand the possibilities offered by deliberative citizen engagement formats – and you will gain insight into how these processes can be an answer to the crises of democracy.

In the Masterclass, you will try your hand at the deliberative toolbox, which includes knowledge and practice on deliberation, drawing lots and representation, mandate and political anchoring, and you will gain insight into how citizens, given the right amount of time and through joint discussions, can create professionally grounded and balanced recommendations.

Deliberative processes are particularly useful in polarized political conflicts or in situations that require citizens’ acceptance and imagination. The Deliberative Masterclass builds on the basic principles of the Deliberative Democracy Initiative, which originate from the OECD’s open standards for Citizens’ Assemblies – and introduces you to what characterizes good participatory processes. The masterclass is aimed at policy developers, civil servants, politicians, civil society actors who want to initiate citizen engagement processes.

On the Masterclass you get:

• Introduction to deliberative democracy, democratic innovation and democratic forms of participation.
• Knowledge, methods and practical experience with the citizen assembly format and the deliberative toolbox.
• Design, management and facilitation techniques in citizen engagement