IAP2 2018: Inclusion in Public Participation

High-quality public engagement depends upon input from a wide variety of participants, beyond the “usual suspects.” However prospective participants can face a number of barriers to participation, including physical access, economic access, transportation, time, social and cultural access, literacy and technical skills, safety concerns, or the need for child or elder care.

Read more about our recent work on inclusion in public participation, and download resources that can inform your work below:

• In 2018, we conducted research to support the Government of Canada to embed the principle of inclusion into Canada’s 4^th Open Government Action Plan, including a series of interviews with civil society organizations across the country that work with three traditionally under-served communities who may face barriers to participation: women, LGBTQ2S peoples, and newcomers to Canada.

Read our final report on Inclusion in Open Government, for 6 key challenges to inclusion, and strategies that can increase accessibility in public participation initiatives.

• In 2014, the Centre for Dialogue hosted Reconciling Injustices in a Pluralistic Canada, one of the most comprehensive events ever held in Canada to highlight the knowledge and expertise of stakeholders involved in reconciling injustices. The event focused on six specific historical and contemporary Canadian injustices to provide a diverse range of experiences that could contextualize a broader conversation about how Canadians respond to injustice in the future.

• Our final report Reconciling Injustices in a Pluralistic Canada: Shared Principles and Approaches draws together participants’ reflections on shared approaches to    reconciliation that might be of interest to affected communities, and principles for handling common challenges that occur during reconciliation efforts.