Kolja Dahlin is an advisor, consultant and project manager at We Do Democracy, where he brings his knowledge and experience of participatory processes and citizen gatherings into play. With deep insight into the climate and utilities sector in particular, Kolja works with leading and running complex projects with many stakeholders. He has extensive experience in designing participatory processes that help each organization work with engaged citizens, members or stakeholders.

Kolja works to connect citizens, organizations and authorities through engagement that supports long-term sustainable solutions. He has led and facilitated a number of citizen gatherings, programs and partnerships that involve the active participation of citizens, thus contributing to creating results that bridge the gap between authorities, citizens and other organizations.

Kolja works as an expert advisor in a number of national and international projects including two national citizen consultations in Norway. He has worked with a variety of organizations including the City of Copenhagen, Gentofte Municipality, Tuborg Foundation, TrygFonden, Nyt Europa, Novafos and the Norwegian government.

Kolja graduated from the Department of Political Science at the University of Copenhagen, where he specialized in the connection between climate policy and democratic innovation. In addition, Kolja has worked in the NGO sector and started a number of different political communities. Kolja is driven by creating spaces for ordinary people to help create the solutions that affect their future. Currently, he is particularly interested in how organizations can create active citizenship among their members or customers.

Cases

• The Future Panel
• Københavnertinget – the Copenhagen Parliament – the entire citizens’ parliament of Copenhagen
• Climate Citizen Assembly Gentofte Municipality
• Citizen assembly on climate adaptation in Egedal Municipality
• National People’s Panel on Sustainable Consumption in Norway
• Democratic impact

Core competences

• Program management of large projects, especially citizen collections
• Facilitating conflictual processes
• Advice on member and citizen engagement
• Climate policy knowledge
• Facilitation training with a focus on participatory facilitation
• Teaching experience from university, college etc.
• Developing organizations with a special focus on volunteerism
• Project management