Council of Europe

Challenge

The deficit of democratic participation is the symptom of disconnect between citizens and institutions. Social media and social networks make audiences directly accessible to politicians and activists any time, any place. They foster thriving interest-based communities but struggle to provide a platform for a broader democratic debate. They have fueled democratic revolutions and citizen protest movements, but can they be instrumental in enhancing representative democracy and everyday governance?

Format

Throughout the Forum, creative labs will enable participants to introduce already tested initiatives as well as new, untested ideas for enhancing citizen participation in democratic debate and decision-making. The lessons from these exchanges will be shared in plenary formats, to enable participants to get a better grasp of the full range of showcased initiatives and identify those that hold the greatest mainstreaming potential. The most promising initiatives, voted by participants, will be given further visibility by the Council of Europe after the Forum.

All participants, regardless of their status or profile, will take places in the debates on an equal footing, as presenters of democratic initiatives, or challengers and discussants.

Method

The Strasbourg World Forum for Democracy 2013 will address the challenge of democratic participation through the method of appreciative inquiry. Instead of dwelling on the problems, so large and complex that they may seem insurmountable, it will showcase initiatives, experiments and ideas that offer a response and a way forward. Focusing on solutions rather than on problems stimulates creativity and the imagination and mobilises people "for" rather than "against". The Forum will provide an opportunity to review the achievements of existing democratic participation initiatives, the obstacles they face and their mainstreaming potential. It will also offer a platform for new ideas on democratic innovation to be critically assessed and built upon in an "open source" style by the community of leaders and innovators participating physically or virtually in the Forum.

Organisation

The Forum is organised by the Council of Europe in partnership with the French government, Alsace Region, the City of Strasbourg and a range of international organisations, think tanks, foundations, and other partners from the public and private sectors.

Interested parties should contact Ms Irena Guidikova + 33 3 88 41 32 19, irena.guidikova@coe.int