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New Nordic Deliberation Partnership
In a shared ambition to strengthen the Nordic democracies, the partnership Nordic Deliberation has now been founded.
The goal is to reduce the gap between citizens and the political system, ensure robust democracies and accelerate the Nordic deliberative wave.
Nordic Deliberation Partnership joins forces to strengthen Nordic democracies In a shared ambition to strengthen the Nordic democracies, the partnership Nordic Deliberation has now been founded. The goal is to reduce the gap between citizens and the political system, ensure robust democracies and accelerate the Nordic deliberative wave. Facts
Our society is facing complex challenges and declining trust and participation in democracy. The purpose of Nordic Deliberation is to strengthen the implementation of deliberative democracy in the Nordic countries with the ambition to give citizens more influence over their own lives and environments. In collaboration with researchers, we will show how such processes can strengthen and complement our representative democracies.
says Zakia Elvang, Partner at We Do Democracy, one of the founding members of the partnership.
Inspire the world
Through systematic collaboration on democratic innovation, Nordic welfare states can ensure robust democracies and serve as an inspiration to the rest of the world, according to Nordic Deliberation. The partnership was founded to facilitate these future collaborations and consists of the leading actors working with deliberative democracy in the Nordic countries: We Do Democracy in Denmark, Sitra in Finland, DigidemLab in Sweden, Analyse & Tal in Denmark and Norway, and SoCentral in Norway.
Deliberative wave in Europe and the Nordics
Deliberative democracy is growing rapidly globally, and democratic innovation is increasingly becoming internationally oriented with collaborations and projects across borders. Over the past five years, the trend has also gained momentum in the Nordic region, where 53 citizens’ assemblies have been held since 2019.
With many similarities between the democratic systems and welfare models, there is much to be gained from closer cooperation between the Nordic actors. Nordic Deliberation will act as a hub for this collaboration and a gateway to the entire Nordic democracy sector.
The partnership will contain a database of methods and facts about deliberative democracy in the Nordic countries, and it will be a competent consortium that can take on major international tasks within deliberative democracy.
says Zakia Elvang, We Do Democracy.
For more information, please contact Zakia Elvang at zakia@wedodemocracy.dk.
What is deliberative democracy and why do we need it?
Deliberation means that we arrive at something through talking together. In a representative democracy, a small group of elected politicians make decisions on behalf of the people. Deliberative democracy can expand and complement representative democracy by involving more people in decision-making – and doing so with time for discussion, reflection and mutual understanding.
Research shows that deliberative processes – such as citizens’ assemblies – can lead to better policy development, enable politicians to make difficult decisions and increase trust between citizens and authorities. It can also counteract polarization and show that it is indeed possible for citizens to change their minds after listening to others’ perspectives on the topic.
Read more about deliberative democracy and citizen assemblies here https://borgersamling.dk/omborgersamlingsommetode.
What is the purpose of the Nordic Deliberation partnership
- Be a central point of contact with an overview of the democracy sector in the Nordic countries.
- Facilitating networks and events for high-level decision-makers and officials working with or interested in deliberative democracy.
- Training and capacity building for the democracy sector – both civil servants and private actors who want to work with deliberative democracy.
- Capacity to take on large-scale deliberative projects as a Nordic partnership.
- Methodological knowledge bank for best practices in organizing, designing, facilitating and impacting deliberative democracy.
- Database of former citizens’ assemblies in the Nordic countries.
Who are the founding partners of Nordic Deliberation?
Sitra
is the Finnish innovation foundation that works independently in foresight research and in promoting qualitative and quantitative economic growth. Sitra works with three strategic goals: sustainability solutions, a fair data economy and democracy and participation. Sitra is responsible for numerous high-impact innovation projects.
Contact: Project Manager Hannu-Pekka Ikäheimo, hannu-pekka.ikaheimo@sitra.fi, Specialist Onni Pekonen, onni.pekonen@sitra.fi
We Do Democracy
is the leading consultancy in Denmark within democratic innovation and deliberative democracy. WDD has designed and facilitated 15+ citizen assemblies at the municipal level and worked internationally as expert advisors to senior leaders in the public and private sectors. WDD is co-founder of Copenhagen’s democracy hub, Democracy Garage.
Contact: Managing partner, Zakia Elvang, zakia@wedodemocracy.dk
SoCentral
is a non-profit company founded in 2012 that works with municipalities, businesses and citizens to develop a more sustainable society. SoCentral facilitates and drives collaborative projects with the aim of creating concrete examples of how we can improve society through better resource utilization. Since 2020, democratic innovation has been an area of special interest for SoCentral. They have conducted citizen assemblies in Norway and, in collaboration with researchers, have shown how such processes can strengthen and complement our representative democracy.
Contact: Partner, Cathrine Skar, cathrine@socentral.no
Analysis & Numbers
is a data analytics cooperative based in Copenhagen, Oslo and Aarhus. Analyse & Tal specializes in quantifying complex challenges: mapping social phenomena and trends, measuring attitudes and behaviors, and quantifying digital and social movements.
Contact: Partner in Denmark, Sarah Steinitz, sarah@ogtal.dk, Partner in Norway, Aylin Dursun, aylin@ogtall.no, Partner in Norway Konrad Jervell konrad@ogtall.no
DigidemLab
is a worker-owned cooperative that designs and develops methods for political and democratic innovation. They are passionate about participatory democracy and support practices that empower people to influence the decisions that affect their lives.
Contact: Jonas Linde, jonas@digidemlab.se
