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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
