The Democratic Society is helping councils and communities in Scotland to hold participatory budgeting processes online. What is participatory budgeting? Try the 60-second guide at PB Scotland Our work is part of a national programme to help more people take part in decisions about how public money is spent in their communities. The support we […]
Category archives: Uncategorised
Just Space: Empowering Voices in London
As part of our Space in Common project we’ve been looking at how to make debates about the future shape of GreaterManchester into more inclusive and constructive conversations. At our latest workshop we were fortunate to hear from Richard Lee, coordinator of Just Space about their inspiring experiences in Greater London. What is Just Space […]
The B-word, and its place in a democratic community.
By Marian Cramers The best conversations take place at round tables, with a few diverse people, and an bold, ambitious topic. The BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt has understood this, and has established a tradition of European Tables, culminating in a Forum held last week, to give the ideas generated a big lift. Kelly McBride and […]
GM Democracy Hub
Last Wednesday, Demsoc Manchester hosted the first Greater Manchester Democracy Hub, with The Politics Project. Aiming to identify, map and connect everyone working in the Greater Manchester region to improve democracy in innovative ways, we organised an event for those people to meet, share their work and network. Whilst there is a lot of wonderful […]
European Citizens’ Consultations: call for civil society links
If your organisation would like to be a link, please complete this short form: https://goo.gl/forms/lDzRtYXzAe3urMHq1 The ECC Civil Society Network are seeking expressions of interest from civil society organisations (CSOs) that can function as national links between the core network and the member states. The network aims to make the ongoing conversation around the future […]
Help create a more constructive debate about the shape of Greater Manchester
Deciding what we should build where always seems to stoke intense emotions and conflict. Greater Manchester’s Spatial Framework set out plans for how land could be best used across the city region. The resulting consultation gave voice to a kaleidoscope of different concerns and interests but generated very little in the way of constructive […]
“City Democracy Incubator” joins the shortlist for Advocate Europe!
Advocate Europe is a challenge to find unconventional and transnational ideas that respond to Europe’s present challenges, covering different fields such as civic education, arts and culture, social innovation and advocacy. The initiative is realised by MitOst and Liquid Democracy, funded by Stiftung Mercator. This year 475 ideas were submitted from 42 countries, with 31 […]
Help us research how the EU is trying to open up, and how this can be supported
We are trying to find out what initiatives are already happening to build greater accountability, participation, and transparency into the work of the EU. We also want to find who the people are within EU institutions that are working on these initiatives, and driving this change. We want to speak to these people about how […]
Have people in Northern Ireland given up on democracy?
What do people in Northern Ireland think of democracy? Have they become downheartened, disappointed, disillusioned? If the crowds that came for Democracy Day in Belfast last month are anything to go by, it’s clear there’s a lot of enthusiasm and energy for democracy – and plenty of ideas for how to fix it! Coincidentally meeting as […]
Helping parliaments get closer to the people they represent
By Andy Williamson A key challenge for those trying to engage a broader public in parliamentary democracy is that the processes often appear closed and opaque (because, often, they are). The language is off-putting, the procedures cumbersome and unfriendly, and it’s hard to see what’s going on. It can be hard to see any value […]