Kyiv in Ukraine, Cascais in Portugal, and Heraklion in Greece: these three cities have recently created structures aimed at promoting the participation of their inhabitants in local political life, while opening up to groups often underrepresented in elected assemblies. Organised on November 7 with the support of the Congress, a "Lab" of the World Forum for Democracy, moderated by Véronique Bertholle (France, SOC/G/PD), Deputy Mayor of Strasbourg, presented these initiatives while advocating for their development across Europe.
The "Vcentri Hub" or Decentralization Hub of Kyiv is open to all NGOs in the Ukrainian capital, which can not only meet and express themselves there, but also learn to work together and develop and promote concrete projects. In Cascais, the "Local Participatory System" is aimed at all citizens, who are encouraged to participate both in person and online in the development of local policies. While broadly inclusive, it focuses on young people, migrants, the elderly, and people with disabilities, and allows citizens to express themselves on very concrete subjects, including the beautification of gardens or school surroundings. For the municipality, this structure is all the more necessary as citizens are increasingly distancing themselves from political life: "after the 1974 Revolution, there was 8.5% abstention in local elections, and now it's 62%, because people don't feel concerned, so we need to stimulate their interest and allow them to express themselves," emphasize José Dalmeida and Isabel Xavier Canning, who lead this organization.
Heraklion's "Local Digital Democracy Accelerator" has already presented 235 concrete proposals developed by citizens, and also helps groups not represented in assemblies, as they are deprived of the right to vote, to make their voices heard, particularly foreign residents and migrants. The files prepared in this context are then transmitted to elected officials and decision-makers.
Participatory structures complement local political representation
For Bryony Rudkin (United Kingdom, SOC/G/PD), Ipswich City Councillor, these innovative structures "re-imagine the municipal space" and should serve as an example. Congress youth delegate from Lithuania Sandra Slusnyté finds it "wonderful" that Kyiv, despite the current situation in the country, has managed to create a space open to the expectations of young people, and welcomes, like Ms Rudkin, the establishment of "bottom-up" and circular democracy structures, not just vertical ones. Ulysse Pavard, a young French delegate of the Forum, believes that this type of initiative "can attract citizens who are little interested or little concerned by local political life". He also sees in these achievements "a first step towards political life for many citizens feeling too distant from it". As Isabel Xavier Canning summarized, representative democracy, resulting from elections, is no longer sufficient on its own to reflect all the diversity of society: alongside it, participatory democracy and collaborative democracy must also be developed.
LAB 4: How can diversity be promoted at local level? - world-forum-democracy
