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Aftab Erfan on Citizens' Assemblies as Growing Pro-Democracy Tool, Published in The Conversation
What if citizens were called to policymaking duty the way they are called to jury duty?
All over the world, ordinary people are finding out what that’s like when they’re selected by civic lottery to participate in a citizens’ assembly, a democracy innovation that may just be the antidote to the polarization of the world we need.
Our executive director recently published a piece in The Conversation, where she discusses the role and evolution of citizens' assemblies.
B.C. pioneered the use of citizens' assemblies 20 years ago as a tool for democratic engagement and decision-making. The concept has since gained traction globally, a growing trend in pro-democracy reforms helping to bridge gaps between governments and citizens by fostering informed and representative deliberation on important issues.
In B.C., multiple local citizens’ assemblies have been set up, some of which our action-research team at Simon Fraser University is facilitating:
In Victoria-Saanich, 48 members will be discussing the case for municipal amalgamations this fall;
In Burnaby, 40 community members presented their recommendations on the city’s official community plan in July after seven days of deliberation;
The town of Gibsons heard from its 25-member assembly that deliberated for five days on its official community plan in May;
The city of New Westminster is piloting a standing 36-person citizen’s jury to replace several council advisory committees and provide advice on a variety of topics.
