The Council of Europe project “Strengthening multilevel governance and local democracy to support Ukraine's recovery” invites representatives of local, regional, and national authorities to participate in the online training “Deliberative democracy and Citizens’ Assemblies: innovations for civic participation”.
The objective of the training is to raise awareness among representatives of public authorities about deliberative democracy—its aims, benefits, and Сitizens’ Assemblies as one of its key tools that supports inclusive, transparent, and participatory decision-making at all levels.
In 2024, the Council of Europe project on civic participation provided comprehensive support to two Ukrainian communities—Zviahel and Slavutych—in implementing the first-ever Citizens’ Assemblies in Ukraine, marking a historic milestone in the development of deliberative democracy in the country. In 2025–2026, expert and organisational support is planned to be extended to three more public authorities for the implementation of Citizens’ Assemblies.
A Citizens’ Assembly is one of the tools of deliberative democracy that is increasingly used in various countries at the local, regional, and national levels. Key benefits and functions of Citizens’ Assemblies include:
- Increasing the legitimacy of political decisions.
- Developing potential solutions to contentious issues.
- Bringing citizens closer together, enhancing understanding, solidarity, and cooperation.
- Providing collective proposals and decisions after informed and in-depth discussions.
- Informing authorities about citizens' views and experiences and understanding where there is public consensus on a problematic issue.
- Drawing broad attention to important community issues.
Date of the training: 30 May 2025 (10:00-13:00 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
Key topics of the training include:
- Principles and benefits of deliberative democracy, Council of Europe and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities standards.
- The role of Citizens’ Assemblies in strengthening democratic legitimacy.
- Case studies from Council of Europe member states.
- Lessons learned from Ukraine’s first citizens’ assemblies in Zviahel and Slavutych.
- The role of public authorities in acting on Citizens’ Assembly recommendations.
To apply, please fill in the registration form at the following link. Application deadline: 25 May 2025, 23:59 (Kyiv time)
The Zoom link, training agenda, and supporting materials will be sent to registered participants by 28 May 2025 to the email address provided in the registration form.
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.
