A EUROPEAN CITIZENS ASSEMBLY BY SORTITION
Do you also believe that political parties politics are no longer working?Let’s take back power and experiencereal democracy in action, witha Citizens’ Assembly by Sortition.
EUMANS, a pan-European movement for grassroots democracy, invites you to take part in a Citizens’ Assembly by Sortition on Democratic Innovation, taking place on March 7-8 at the Université Libre de Bruxelles.
The desire to give a contribution and experience an innovative democratic process is the first step in making a real difference. Participants will engage in discussions with experts, equipping them with the knowledge to make informed decisions.
Why participate?
As a European citizen, your voice is essential in shaping the future of our democratic processes. This assembly will explore how we can effectively advocate for citizens’ rights through democratic innovation, starting with the topic of abortion rights and expanding to broader discussions.
This will be a unique event, where you will:
✅ Dialogue with experts and activistson innovative participatory democracy tools
✅ Work with fellow citizens to develop concrete proposals for democratic reform
✅ Contribute your voiceon key issues like civil rights and the future of citizen participation in Europe
Who can participate?
We are looking for 100 participants from 8 different countries ensuring:
- A balance between randomly selected and volunteer participants
- Gender parity in representation
- Inclusion of young people, minorities, and individuals from diverse educational and professional backgrounds
Key topics we will explore
- The democratic and institutional structure of the EU
- Current tools for citizen participation: strengths and areas for improvement
- Innovative approaches to combining deliberation with other democratic processes
- Effective advocacy strategies to strengthen our rights
What to expect?
Day 1 (March 7): Informative session for all 100 participants, featuring:
9-10: Accreditation and welcome
Please arrive on time.
Université Libre de Bruxelles. Salle Eugène Dupréel. Bâtiment S. Entry 4 / Avenue Jeanne
Campus MAP : https://www.ulb.be/fr/plans-et-acces/solbosch
10-10.45: Initial greetings
- 10.: Lorenzo Mineo – Coordinator of Eumans European Activities
- 10.15 : Words from European Commissioner Šuica
- 10.30 : Stefano Sotgiu – Prossima Democrazia
10.45-12: First panel. How participatory and deliberative practices, combined with
traditional institutions better support social change (ie : abortion case, previous
successful assemblies etc)
● 10.45-11: Paul Blokker – Professor in Political Sociology, Department of Sociology and
Business Law, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna
● 11-11.15: Kalypso Nikolaidis – Chair in Global Affairs, School of Transnational Governance,
EUI / Director of Research, Transnational Democracy Programme / Emeritus professor,
University of Oxford
● 11.15-11.30: Gianluca Sgueo – Senior Associate Researcher at the Centre for
Digitalization, Democracy and Innovation of the Brussels School of Governance & Professor
at the Sciences Po School of Public Affairs
● 11.30-11.45: Jane Suiter – Professor, School of Communications | Dublin City University |
Director, Institute for Future Media, Democracy and Society (FuJo)
12-12.30: questions and answers
12.30-13.30: lunch break
13.30-15: Second Panel. What tools in the EU for citizens’ action in the affirmation of
civil or social rights? How to improve them? What's the role of CSOs?
● 13.30-13.45: Carlos Pérez Padilla – Information and Communication Officer, Citizens'Dialogues Unit at the DG COMM of the European Commission
● 13.45-14: Daniela Vancic – Policy & Advocacy Lead at Democracy International e.V.
● 14.-14.15: Marianna Leite – Director of Program at the Center for Economic and Social
Rights
● 14.15-14.30: Tina Tomšič – My Voice My Choice, the European Citizens Initiative
15-16: questions and answers
16.-16.15 : closing remarks
Marco Cappato – President of Eumans
Day 2 (March 8): Deliberative session for 50 randomly selected participants, focusing on:
9-10: Accreditation and reception
10-11: Group work: How to create deliberative paths of rights advocacy starting from
civil society?
11-11.30: coffee break
11.30-13: Group work: How to create deliberative paths of rights advocacy starting
from civil society?
13-14: lunch break
14-15: Plenary: presentation of recommendations and votes
15-16: plenary: feedback
Join us in Brussels to make your voice heard and help shape the future of European democracy!
Organizers
