Following a period of democratic setbacks, Polish civil society and political leaders embrace deliberation and citizens' engagement as a path to recovery. Organizations that had been active for over a decade before this political change cultivated the foundation for a new civic culture that drives this transition. Thanks to them Poland is leading the way with the most citizens' assemblies organised in the Central Eastern European region.

The Spring School on Climate Citizens’ Assemblies will gather local experts as an international network to Warsaw to draw the conclusions of strengthening democracy with deliberative processes. The usual 2 days training building on the fundamentals of designing a citizens’ assembly expands this year with an optional 3rd day deep dive on children and youth participation.

PROGRAM

  • Understand the motivation and benefits behind implementing Citizens' Assemblies.

  • Explore the power and implications of the mandate given to Citizens' Assemblies. This session provides clear information on the trade-offs involved in setting the assembly's agenda.

  • Sortition is a core element in deliberative practices. What makes it so innovative? How to ensure representation and legitimacy through a democratic lottery?

  • Governance has a key role in how different teams and groups communicate with each other during the assembly. It also determines the selection of experts and the provision of information to assembly members.  How much governance is enough, and can too much governance become a burden?

  • From information to deliberation. Learn the key methods to bring citizens from wide-ranging discussions to drafting specific recommendations on a policy issue.

  • From preparing and adapting the public administration to ensure the process is understood and the recommendations are fit for purpose to supporting members after the assembly. This final stage is key to maximising the assembly's impact.

    • Communications: Integrating stakeholders

    • Evaluation

    • Facilitation

  • Available soon.

SPEAKERS

  • Head of Research at Missions Publiques

    Camille joined the Missions Publiques team after four years working in academia as a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow: her own research questioned the inter-linkages between citizen participation, deliberation and political identities in the EU. Since then, Camille has been working extensively with EU institutions towards the institutionalisation of deliberative mini publics at the European level. She now coordinates the Horizon Europe Project ScaleDem, which explores new avenues to scale the impact of democratic innovations across contexts.

  • Programme Manager, FIDE - Europe

    Kyle has designed and operated several of newDemocracy's major citizens’ assembly projects, including for the ACT Government, Local Government Victoria, Western Sydney University, and the City of Sydney.

    He has also worked with international partners to design democratic innovations in Brazil, Malawi, Spain and more. He is an Executive Board Member of the Federation for Innovation in Democracy - Europe, and a member of Australia’s Open Government Forum. He has also co-authored the United Nations Democracy Fund handbook Enabling National Initiatives to Take Democracy Beyond Elections, and the recently published book The A, B & C of Democracy.

  • Participatory & Deliberative Design Specialist

    Kelly facilitates collaborative opportunities for diverse groups of people to learn together, make decisions and take action. She specialises in deliberative and participatory approaches. She works across different themes, places and levels of the system.

    Until the end of 2024, Kelly led the community engagement practice at TPXimpact and worked with a multidisciplinary team to improve outcomes for people, place and planet.

  • Chair, KNOCA Knowledge Network on Climate Assemblies

    Graham Smith is Professor of Politics and Director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy at the University of Westminster and Chair of the Foundation for Democracy and Sustainable Development.

    Graham is an international expert on climate assemblies and was recognised by Apolitical as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Academics in Government. He is the author of Can Democracy Safeguard the Future?

  • Civic participation specialist, Shipyard Foundation

    Kasia has prior experience in central administration. In her current work, she focuses on enhancing public dialogue and deliberation, especially on a local level. She helps local governments and various institutions in planning and conducting public consultations. She coordinates citizens’ assemblies and smaller deliberation formats such as citizens’ juries and councils, mostly on climate- and environment-related issues. She co-authored several publications on how to run an assembly/a jury.

  • Executive Director, FIDE - Europe

    Yves worked as a senior researcher in political science at KULeuven and the University of Antwerp and as a guest professor at several other universities in Belgium and France. He was also a visiting researcher at the University of Oxford (UK).

    He has acted as an expert amongst others for the European Court of Auditors, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and a number of local, regional and national governments.

  • Trainer, Facilitator, Deliberation expert

    Zuzanna is a trainer and facilitator with nearly ten years of experience in designing and leading group processes using NFE methodology: from youth seminars, through local level assemblies, all the way to European Citizens' Panels. The originator and co-creator of the internationally recognized Training Camp for Citizens' Assemblies' Coordinators with over 100 alumni worldwide. She supports deliberative processes in and outside of Poland in various capacities: as an expert advisor, designer, coordinator, facilitator, and more. Her greatest professional joy is helping people feel empowered and meaningful. She is also a ceramic artist in the making (with a degree from the Fine Arts University in Wroclaw) and a passionate home cook.

  • Coordinator, Particiaptory and Deliberative Processes, Fondacja Pole Dialogu

    Eva is the Head of Participatory and Deliberative Projects at the Field of Dialogue Foundation in Poland. She has designed and coordinated deliberative processes at municipal and national level, in Poland and abroad. As a facilitator she also supported European Citizens Panel on Energy Efficiency. Together with Center for Blue Democracy she co-created a Training Camp for CA Coordinators that helped practitioners and civil servants in discovering what assemblies have to offer in their context. Her special interests include institutionalizing deliberative tools and embedding them in local and national law.

Training Workshop on Citizens' Assemblies

with Children and Youth

  • Co-Director, Children Rights International Network

    Lianne Minasian co-directs CRIN, primarily leading on internal management and governance. This includes ensuring their various strands of work run smoothly and focusing on strategic direction and fundraising. She loves supporting the whole team in using their individual and collective talents to work together. She is also extremely passionate about our climate work, including collaborating with our Climate Advisers. She’s interested in how we can continue to be bold in our ideas and ways of working with others. She greatly values honesty, kindness and passion.

  • Children Rights International Network

    Katie is a child rights specialist with nine years of experience of child and youth participation in (inter)national governance, advocacy, deliberative democracy, planning and environmental/climate justice.

    She’s passionate about reshaping democracy with, and for, children and youth, and bringing generations together to create joyful, sustainable and safer communities and places for us all to live, work, learn and play in.

    Since 2020, she’s been working on how citizens’ assemblies and other forms of deliberative democracy can better involve children and young people, having been the child participation lead for Scotland’s Climate Assembly and part of an intergenerational team to design and deliver Ireland’s Children and Young People's Assembly on Biodiversity Loss. She’s seen and felt the transformative impact of this work on individuals (children, young people and adults), communities, decision makers and democratic processes more broadly, and excited to be currently building on this intergenerational form of participation transnationally and globally.

REGISTRATION FORM

SCHOOL PASS

Ticket Price: 250€

(incl. 21 % VAT)

A limited number of free tickets are available at the discretion of the organiser. We grant these tickets to participants with limited resources and who will implement the skills gained in the school. If you think you are eligible, there is a dedicated question in the registration form to let us know.

The ticket includes access to the entire programme, catering during the two days and dinner on Thursday, June 5th.

Maximum capacity: 60 participants

Venue:

Registration deadline: Friday, May 30th

Cancellation policy:

  • Before May 6th: total refund.

  • Before May 20th: 50% refund.

  • There will be no refunds given after May 30th.