CSPO Events
Citizens’ Assembly School
Citizens’ Assemblies are innovative forums where a randomly selected group of people comes together to learn, deliberate, and make recommendations on complex policy issues. These assemblies reflect the broader community, ensuring that all voices, especially those often underrepresented, are heard. It’s democracy in action, where participants are empowered to critically engage with evidence, discuss different viewpoints, and collaboratively propose solutions.
In this program you will learn indispensable skills and knowledge to conduct successful deliberative processes. Train from local and international experts to start driving democratic innovation!
Zakia Elvang
Executive Director, We Do Democracy
Sessions:
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The secret sauce of citizens’ assemblies: deliberative facilitation
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Deliberative Facilitation
Yves Dejaeghere
Executive Director, FIDE – Europe
Session:
- Youth/Student Assemblies : Deep Division and Polarization – Lessons from Mostar
Sarah Yaffe
Director, MASS LBP
Sessions:
- An Overview of Citizens’ Assemblies in North America: Regulatory Assemblies and Digital Assemblies
- Youth/Student Assemblies
Philip Lindsay
Democracy Innovation Program Manager, The Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and the Humanities
Session:
- CUNY Assembly Process: how to build and leverage CA ecosystems
Peter MacLeod
President and Founder, MASS LBP
Session:
- Landing with the Administration – how to build in follow-up and ensure government accountability
Marjan Ehsassi
Executive Director, FIDE – North America
Welcome remarks.
Linn Davis
Program Co-Director at Healthy Democracy
Sessions:
- Democratic lottery, recruitment, and inclusion
- An Overview of Citizens’ Assemblies in North America: Petaluma Fairgrounds Advisory Panel
Laura Wood
Vice President, Local Policy Lab
Session:
- The Local Policy Lab’s Democracy Plan
Jonathan Moskovic
Innovations Advisor to the Brussels Parliament
Session:
- Citizens’ Assemblies – Perspectives from around the world: Brussels and Mixed Deliberative Committees – Solving Public Problems with Elected Representatives
Jacob Birkenhäger
Head of Business Unit, IFOK
Session:
- Citizens’ Assemblies – Perspectives from around the world: The German Deliberative Experience and Social Cohesion
Ian Walker
Executive Director, newDemocracy
Session:
- The most important question – How to frame a remit for impact
Hollie Russon Gilman
Senior Fellow, New America
Session:
- Moderator – An Overview of Citizens’ Assemblies in North America
Forrest Sparks
The Assembly Project
Sessions:
- CUNY Assembly Process: how to build and leverage CA ecosystems
Christine Lopes Metcalfe
Program Director, Local Policy Lab
Sessions:
- Citizens’ Assemblies – Perspectives from around the world, Moderator
Art O’Leary
Chief Executive of Ireland’s Electoral Commission
Session:
- Solving intractable problems: learnings from Ireland’s experience in building a robust deliberative culture
Amanda Borth
Associate Researcher, Consortium for Science Policy and Outcomes, Arizona State University
Session:
- Democracy & Science: Integrating Community and Stakeholder Values into Deliberation Design
Arthur Daemmrich
Director, Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes and Local Policy Lab
Welcome remarks.