Council On Participatory Democracy

***EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE COUNCIL ON PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY***

THE COUNCIL ON PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY

The Council on Participatory Democracy is a self-convocated forum organised by citizens, movements and organisations that analyse, coordinates, and use participatory democracy instruments at a European level to impact the European Union. On this page, you find the information about the upcoming monthly meetings of the Council on Participatory Democracy, the programs, recording and materials of the previous meetings and the ways how you can join.

AN OPEN PROCESS FOR THE COUNCIL ON PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY - THE WEEKLY MEETINGS 

To discuss these proposals and to increase the potential impact of these initiatives, we coordinate weekly meetings - every Thursday at 6 pm CET - to create a space for a Pan-European political debate both on the reforms needed and the means to achieve it through participatory democracy instruments. Register here to receive the link for the weekly online meetings REGISTER HERE TO TAKE PART IN THE WEEKLY MEETINGS

 

4th Meeting of the Council on Participatory Democracy - 25 June 2020 

The 4th meeting of the Council on Participatory Democracy - "Knowledge is (civic) power" - focused on the role of institutional and media communication in the practice of Participatory Democracy in the European public sphere. Knowing that the lack of information undermines the power of formal civic participation instruments, participants discussed the importance of informing citizens concerning their political rights and exchanged best practices of information. 

Whilst Ms. Anne Hardt presented her work on the European public sphere in relation to the use of European Citizens' Initiatives, Ms. Marie Corman introduced the participants to the "Europe for citizens" project, its challenges and opportunities. In conclusion, participants discussed potential ways to push EU institutions to grant equal dignity to participatory and representative democracy through budget amendments and Europe Direct Information Centers. 

Discussants: 

  • Marco Cappato (Former ALDE MEP, Eumans Founder, co-promoter of StopGlobalWarming.eu European Citizens Initiative)
  •  Anne Hardt (Democracy International) - The role of information in fostering a European public sphere
  • Alessandro Ciofini (Pirate Party Treasurer) - promoter of the ECI "Free to share"
  • Cesare Pitea (Associated Professor International Law at Università degli Studi di Milano) - United Nations: Staderini/De Lucia Vs Italy case
  • Marie Corman (Europe for Citizens project) - Challenges and opportunities of the project
  • Virgilio Dastoli (European Movement Italy) 

WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE MEETING HERE 

PREPARATORY DOCUMENTS AND COLLABORATIVE NOTES HERE

 

3nd Meeting of the Council on Participatory Democracy - 28 May 2020 

During the 3rd Meeting of the Council on Participatory Democracy - "Political Hackathon for Sustainability. From Covid19 to climate emergency in the cities of the European Union" - together with local administrators, practitioners, activists and movements, we discussed about how citizens can use participatory democracy instruments at local level to push the European Union to achieve the historical result of climate law(s) that put the EU at the forefront of research, innovation, and ecology.

Participants have been introduced to innovative democratic tools implemented in Brussels - mixed/deliberative commissions - but also to the European Citizens' Initiative StopGlobalWarming.eu proposing a price on CO2 emissions.

Discussants: 

  • Marco Cappato, promoter of StopGlobalWarming.eu 
  • Pepijn Kennis, Bruxelles Regional MP - Agora Bruxelles 
  • Marcin Gerwin, Citizens Assemblies Designer - citizensassemblies.org
  • Alain Deneef, Founder of SECO - Salon of European Civic Organisations and author of Demain Bruxsels. Une vision pour libérer notre ville
  • Cornelia Florina Germanpromoter of the open letter on air pollution and waste management in the Eastern European countries.
  • Ilaria Ghaleb, environmental activist Change4planet
  • Gordana Djurović, President of the Montenegrin Pan-European Union
  • Prof. Rodolfo Lewanski (Associated Professor, University of Bologna)

 

WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE MEETING HERE 


2nd Meeting of the Council on Participatory Democracy - 23/24 April 2020 

During the 2nd Meeting of the Council on Participatory Democracy, we reviewed the outputs of the previous session: the Petition to the European Parliament EU CAN DO IT on the measures to address the Covid19, the social, economic and climate crises which led to the activation of an urgency procedure and a discussion in the PETI Committee obtained for the 30th of April, and the self-convocation of a European civil society appointment on the 9th of May. 

Titles of the sessions: 

Why we are here.
Knowledge is power: Participatory Democracy instruments and the role of the media and information. 
Deliberative design and tech for democracy: best practices and tech-enabled deliberative processes to make the change happen.
What if... the Conference on the Future of Europe.
Citizens for the Rule of Law. The Time is NOW.
Transnational citizens' politics.

"Let's use Europe" session: 
Proposals and actions for the Environment 
Proposals and actions Civil freedoms / Focus on a European Way for Cannabis Legalization 

General Assembly and conclusions

WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE FIRST DAY 
WATCH THE VIDEO OF SECOND DAY 

OUTPUTS AND COLLABORATIVE MATERIALS 

 

1st Meeting of the Council on Participatory Democracy - 19/20 March 2020 

Over 100 European citizens joined the first self-convocated online assembly to discuss the reforms needed for Europe now during the Coronavirus outbreak. And the means to achieve them.

The Coronavirus outbreak unveils all the fragilities of the European Union as we know it. And it calls urgently for a strategy to manage health, economics and welfare measures, civil protection, the incentive for technology and research, the guarantee of rule of law and fundamental rights.

Title of the sessions:

Day 1 - How citizens' participation can tackle the COVID19 emergency and relaunch European Democracy.

The mandate of the Conference on the future of Europe and the role of the citizens in shaping the Conference process.
Participatory Democracy: strengthening existing instruments and ensure democratic innovation
Democratizing the EU: from the reform of the Treaties to the reforms that can guarantee an EU more democratic, more sustainable and more free.

Day 2 - Participatory Democracy tools to do what.

WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE FIRST DAY.
WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE SECOND DAY.

OUTPUTS:
- #EuCanDoIt: an urgent petition to the European parliament calling for a EU response to the COVID19 social, economic and climate crisis.
- On April 30th, the petition will be presented in front of the PETI Committee of the European Parliament.

COLLABORATIVE MATERIALS


LIST OF INITIAL PROMOTERS 

Want to join as a promoter and as a participant? The Committee is open - you can join as an individual citizen, as a member of your organisation, as an organisation. If you want to join the Committee with your organisation send an email to virginia.fiume@protonmail.com And don't forget, we do have weekly meetings every Thursday at 6 pm.

 

 

eumans






Ecit

European Alternatives
 

the good lobby

centre action laique

 

Alliance for Europe
 

Oderal Sortition Democracy