Participatory democracy: newsroom
UChange methodology introduced in Greece
On March 6th and 10th, the UChange follow-up training took place online as part of the first School on Participatory Democracy in Greece, held in Athens. Representatives from universities, the national parliamentary assembly and public institutions came together under the guidance of a Council of...
The transformative potential of deliberative democracy
The simple logic of bringing a randomly selected group of citizens into one room, to find – after having received a thorough preparation, and with the support of professional facilitators – common ground and joint solutions to complex or highly controversial issues, is time and again fascinating...
DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY a must-have for thriving democracies?
On Monday 24 March, the Council of Europe hosted an exchange of views on “Deliberative democracy – from ‘nice-to-have’ to essential for thriving democracies” with experts from Ireland, Germany and France. The event, which was organised by the Directorate for Democracy within the framework of the...
Pioneering democracy under wartime conditions: Ukraine concludes its first Citizens' Assemblies
In November 2024, Ukraine’s first-ever Citizens' Assemblies concluded in the municipalities of Zvyahel and Slavutych. These three-weekend events, spanning October to November, brought together approximately 45 residents from each community. The Zvyahel Assembly focused on "Creating urban spaces...
Empowering Future Leaders: UChange Workshop at İstanbul Kent University
Building on the successful implementation of the 2nd and 3rd Schools of Participatory Democracy in Istanbul and Ankara in 2023/24, efforts in Türkiye continue to promote citizen engagement and youth participation by applying participatory tools such as the UChange game methodology, developed by...
Roundtable and Training on How to Organise a Citizens’ Assembly in Prague
In Czechia, citizen assemblies are largely unexplored, with public administration having little knowledge of their potential. Civil society organisations are familiar with the concept, but practical experience is minimal. Therefore, the Council of Europe and the Government Commissioner for Human...
School on Participatory Democracy in the birthplace of democracy
On 4 to 8 December 2024 the first School on Participatory Democracy in Greece kickstarted in Athens, gathering close to 30 participants representing both public authorities and civil society organisations to deepen their understanding on participatory democracy tools. The School, which is a...
Participatory Democracy: A Key Factor in Ukraine’s Resilience
On 12 November 2024, the conference "Participatory Democracy: A Key Factor in Ukraine’s Resilience" brought together representatives from partner communities, civil society organisations, and experts to discuss the results of the two-year collaboration within the Council of Europe project...
Meeting of the Network for Citizen Participation & Deliberation in Europe
The 4th meeting of the Network for Citizen Participation & Deliberation in Europe took place at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on 4-5 November 2024. This gathering, organised by the German Bertelsmann Stiftung (BMST), FIDE, and the Council of Europe, brought together key representatives from...
Ukraine's second Citizens' Assembly in action: How citizens shape decision-making during wartime
On 19-20 October, Slavutych became the next community to host a Citizens’ Assembly in Ukraine. The Citizens' Assembly on the topic “How can we improve the household waste management system in our community?” was launched by the Slavutych City Council with support of the Council of Europe project...
