The Council of Europe project “Strengthening multilevel governance and local democracy to support Ukraine's recovery” is launching a call for applications for the online training “Deliberative democracy and Citizens’ Assemblies: innovations for civic participation”.
The training is open to national experts, facilitators, and representatives of civil society organisations (CSOs) working in the field of democratic governance and civic participation in Ukraine.
The aim of the training is to provide national experts and CSO representatives with knowledge and practical skills to effectively support public authorities in the implementation, facilitation, and coordination of Citizens’ Assemblies. The training seeks to strengthen the participants’ capacity to apply deliberative democracy tools—specifically Citizens’ Assemblies—as a means to foster inclusive, participatory decision-making at all levels of governance.
In 2025–2026, the Council of Europe Project plans to provide expert and organisational support to three public authorities in the implementation of Citizens’ Assemblies. Participants who successfully complete all modules of the training may be considered for roles as experts, coordinators, or facilitators during the implementation phase.
Training dates: 28 May, 2 and 10 June 2025, from 10:00 to 14:00 (Kyiv time, timing may be slightly adjusted).
Format: Online (Zoom), with simultaneous English–Ukrainian interpretation.
Trainers: international experts in deliberative democracy from the Federation for Innovation in Democracy – Europe (FIDE):
- Yves Dejaeghere
- Nabila Abbas
- Kyle Redman
Training topics include:
- fundamentals of deliberative democracy and citizens’ assemblies;
- international standards and guidance from the Council of Europe and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities;
- design, organisation, and facilitation of a Citizens’ Assembly: key aspects and challenges;
- case studies from Council of Europe member states;
- lessons learned from Zviahel and Slavutych;
- practical exercises and group work.
To apply, please fill in the registration form at the following link. Application deadline: 25 May 2025, 23:59 (Kyiv time).
During the selection process, particular attention will be paid to applicants’ motivation to support the implementation of deliberative mechanisms in Ukraine, as well as their experience in the field of civic participation.
The Zoom link, training agenda, and supporting materials will be shared with selected participants by the end of the day on 26 May 2025 to the email address provided during registration.
The training is organised within the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” for 2023-2026 and the project “Strengthening multilevel governance and local democracy to support Ukraine’s recovery”, implemented by the Council of Europe Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.
