Citizens’ assembly (CA)
What is the “Citizens’ assembly” model?
The Citizens’ Assembly is one of the new formats of participatory democracy. It is aimed at overcoming the formulated internal polarization among society and to find ways out of the deadlocks. The implementation of the model gives an opportunity to consolidate current social potential and make essential decisions at a fatal time for the country.
(Pic: Citizens’ Assembly/Maxwells)
Based on which criteria are the participants selected?
The participants of the Citizens' assembly are selected through a transparent drawing process based on various demographic criteria corresponding to the country such as gender, age, community area, educational level.
Why is the holding of the Citizens' assembly important?
The process of Citizens' assembly restores the citizens’ voice in public decision making by creating an opportunity for the public to give those in leadership positions direct, substantive feedback on key public issues.
The CA effectively recovers the balance of the “political playing field” by engaging hundreds of general interest citizens at a time, effectively and quickly summarizing citizen input, widely disseminating the results through the media, and finding ways of implementation on various levels—from policy making to investment programs.
Which other countries have ever held “Citizens’ assembly”?
The model of the Citizens’ assembly has successfully been used in a number of the developed countries, including Ireland, Germany, Canada, France and even at the UN level.
