22 July 2024

Real Deal Summit 2024: Pioneering Citizen Participation for a Green and Just Transition

From June 19-21, 2024, Central European University in Budapest hosted the Real Deal 2406 Summit, an event dedicated to the integration of people and the planet within the green and just transition framework. 

Real Deal Summit 2024: Pioneering Citizen Participation for a Green and Just Transition

Source: REAL DEAL

Academics, researchers, civil society representatives, and practitioners gathered to discuss deliberative democracy and effective citizen engagement, pivotal for the European Green Deal. The summit featured numerous presentations, each offering unique insights into various aspects of citizen participation and sustainability.

You can watch the full sessions in the links below:

Session 1:

https://www.youtube.com/live/hRNOG_h4Z0M?si=lL6V2KmrzrsFfjFk

Session 2:

https://www.youtube.com/live/Wy9v5uJKQCo?si=TB7HueTcXYI4SGNX

Enhancing Diversity and Representativeness

Presenter: Bea Sándor, SORT-EU Network Manager, Head of Sortition Europe Operations

Bea Sándor's presentation focused on enhancing the diversity and representativeness of citizens' assemblies. She highlighted optimal recruitment methodologies, including traditional processes, two-step lottery systems, and hybrid strategies. Case studies from the Herefordshire Citizens’ Climate Assembly and the Birmingham Citizens’ Panel on Net Zero demonstrated successful implementations. She also addressed challenges, such as lower response rates from underrepresented groups, and provided strategies to mitigate these issues.

Download the presentation here. 

Stakeholder and Citizen Deliberation for the European Green Deal

Presenter: Else Giesbers, PhD candidate, Wageningen Economic Research

Else Giesbers presented the synthesis report on stakeholder and citizen deliberation for the European Green Deal. She emphasized resolving conflicts between planetary boundaries and democratic sovereignty. Her evaluation strategy included templates for organizers and participants to gather data before, during, and after events. Initial findings highlighted the need for extra effort and resources for inclusion and equity, with strategies like random selection and open calls supporting diverse participation.

Download the presentation here. 

Online Participation for the European Green Deal

Presenter: Dr. Thomas Blanchet, Technical University Berlin

Dr. Thomas Blanchet discussed the potential and limitations of online participation. He introduced the Real Deal Online Platform, designed to foster stakeholder interactions and debates. The platform offers tools such as proposals, surveys, and meetings to enhance digital and physical participation. Dr. Blanchet emphasized the importance of coordinating online and offline activities and simplifying language for broader accessibility.

Download the presentation here. 

Bridging Academic Research and Community Needs

Presenter: Flóra László, Director, Civic Engagement, Arts and Culture Unit, Central European University

Flóra László presented on the Science Shop initiatives, aiming to bridge the gap between academic disciplines and practice. The ethos of maintaining an "open door" policy and breaking the "ivory tower" mentality was emphasized. She detailed the process for engaging students in meaningful research through course projects, thesis work, internships, and capstone projects. Successful collaborations between students and civil society organizations were highlighted as examples.

Download the presentation here. 

Feminist Approaches to Citizen Deliberation

Presenter: Dr. Anke Stock, Senior Gender Expert & Lawyer, Board Member at Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF)

Dr. Anke Stock's presentation focused on feminist methodologies for inclusive and equitable dialogue. She emphasized the need for awareness of power imbalances and collaboration with bottom-up activism. The selection process ensured representation from underrepresented groups using diversity criteria, and the creation of a supportive environment was a priority.

Download the presentation here. 

Interactive Modeling and Public Opinion

Presenter: Carlo Jaeger, Researcher

Carlo Jaeger proposed interactive modeling to foster self-reflection among academics and citizens. He highlighted the diversity of European citizens and the differences in public opinion across demographics. Jaeger warned of the risk posed by the split between academics and middle-of-the-road citizens, using Macron's 2018 gasoline price policy as an example.

Download the presentation here. 

Project Updates and Virtual Learning Hubs

Presenter: Cecile Kusters, Researcher

Cecile Kusters provided updates on various work packages within the project. She discussed WP2 (Civil Society Forum for Sustainability) and WP4 (Synthesis report, Delphi panel, Summit report, protocol/guidelines, and tools). The development of a virtual learning hub, the Deliberation Academy, was mentioned, aiming to incorporate outcomes into practical guidance and tools.

Download the presentation here.

Climate Assembly in Skopje

Presenter: Hans-Liudger Dienel, Technische Universität Berlin, nexus Institute

Hans-Liudger Dienel detailed the bilingual Climate Citizens’ Assembly in Skopje, integrating Macedonians and Albanians. The assembly met six times, covering topics such as energy, transport, and public health. Public engagement was highlighted, including the public handing over of the Citizens Report to the Prime Minister of Northern Macedonia. Combining climate policies with other societal issues was emphasized as a success factor.

Download the presentation here.

Citizen Participation in the European Green Deal

Presenter: Dr. Ingeborg Niestroy, Project Coordinator & Scientific Project Lead

Dr. Ingeborg Niestroy discussed the Horizon 2020 call for the European Green Deal, covering 74 projects in 10 areas. The REAL DEAL Consortium aims to connect sustainability and democracy communities, involving structurally marginalized groups and ensuring multi-level governance. Various formats for citizen deliberation were tested, with participatory processes contributing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Download the presentation here.

Citizens Assemblies in Denmark and Italy

Presenter: Luigi Di Marco, Member of the General Secretariat of ASviS

Luigi Di Marco explained the European Semester framework for coordinating and monitoring economic and employment policies across the EU. He detailed citizens' assemblies held in Denmark and Italy, focusing on recruitment processes, knowledge input, and assembly participation. Key findings showed that interested citizens could effectively contribute to complex policy processes through deliberative methods.

Download the presentation here.

Ethical and Inclusive Participatory Processes

Presenter: Maryia Rohava, Senior Research Analyst, Trilateral Research

Maryia Rohava emphasized responsible research, open science, and citizen science, addressing ethical and legal aspects. She highlighted ethical considerations in participatory processes, ensuring inclusiveness, empowerment, and recognition of intersecting forms of discrimination. Data protection and feminist ethics of care were discussed, integrating gender-specific needs into participatory processes.

Download the presentation here. 

Innovative Tools for Democracy

Presenter: Nora Kiefer, Project Lead & Participation Expert, Make.org Germany

Nora Kiefer introduced new ways to engage citizens in democratic debates, addressing accessibility challenges. She presented three key tools: Consultation, Dialogue, and Panoramic.AI. Commitments to broad public involvement and trusted results through anti-trolling protection, human moderation, and advanced analysis were highlighted. Successful participation criteria and the impact of large-scale online consultations were discussed.

Download the presentation here. 

Real Deal Ethics Framework

Presenter: Real Deal Ethics Team

The Real Deal Ethics Team focused on responsible research and citizen science, addressing ethical and legal aspects of participatory practices. They highlighted the importance of addressing uncertainties and complexities, fostering equal participation, and ensuring inclusiveness.

Download the presentation here. 

Field Studies and Case Studies

Presenters: Piet Sellke & Ingeborg Niestroy

Piet Sellke and Ingeborg Niestroy presented results from field studies in 13 countries and at the EU level. They discussed national level cases and the European Semester, including preparatory phases with focus groups and Delphi methods. Citizens' assemblies involved multiple sessions with expert inputs, and stakeholder engagement was achieved through roundtables and focus groups.

Download the presentation here.

Conclusion

The Real Deal Summit successfully brought together a vibrant community dedicated to sustainability, providing a platform for sharing knowledge and best practices. The event reinforced the importance of inclusive and participatory approaches in driving environmental change.