Deliberative Democracy: A gathering for breaking the gridlock
Jointly with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Democracy Fund organized a special webinar dedicated to deliberative democracy and how this concept can be applied to enhance citizen engagement in public spheres.
According to Oliver Escobar, Professor of Public Policy and Democratic Innovation at the University of Edinburgh, deliberative democracy is when institutions, organisations and communities engage in collective sense-making and decision-making via public deliberation.
This form of democracy is based on considered judgment, inclusion, respect and reflection. In a world where division and polarization are very apparent, deliberative democracy can be the answer needed for communities and their vision for the future according to experts who joined the dialogue.
Leaders can also benefit from having their constituencies involved in these processes. As stated by Ian Walker, Executive Director of newDemocracy Foundation, “people in elected office find it really complimentary when people from all walks of life, different jobs, different backgrounds stand next to them and say, ‘this is a fair decision’.”
The landscape
According to , although show unwavering support for the ideal of democracy, there has been an increase in those supporting leaders who may undermine it.
Stress, insecurity and anxiety are increasing across societies, and oftentimes fear is a polarizing feeling, as outlined by Josefin Pasanen, Research and Partnerships Specialist at UNDP. The more insecure people are, the more polarized they become.
“Polarization is something that runs very deep. It runs deeper than differences in opinions, and it tends to sort people into categories defined by a single identity, us versus them,” says Pasanen.
Projects pushing progress
The impact of deliberative democracy can be seen through UNDEF project partners’ work on the ground. Silvia Cervellini is the Cofounder and coordinator of , a partner of UNDEF, and joined the webinar. She showcased the impact of citizens’ assemblies for informed and inclusive participation in decision-making on sustainability in Amazonian cities. Delibera’s work has developed a regional deliberation hub, co-hosting four climate assemblies in Latin America and other initiatives in Brasil.
Photo courtesy of Delibera Brasil/ Michel Ribeiro
Action ahead
So, what can we do to break the gridlock? Improving processes for international cooperation, policy changes and implementation can all help. In order to solve issues faced by people of diverse backgrounds, the participants argued it’s important to capture and approach diverse opinions to better address diverse challenges.
“To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the world must act swiftly to ensure that no one and no places are left behind. To advance this agenda we need to rethink how we engage citizens and foster inclusive participation in governance,” said Annemarie Hou, Executive Director of the UN Office for Partnerships.
It’s time to see a transformative shift in trends and effective accountability. Deliberative democracy can ensure inclusive participatory and representative decision-making.
Watch the conversation .
About UNDEF’s work
UNDEF has been an early funder in the deliberative democracy space. From the landmark publication “Enabling National Initiatives to Take Democracy Beyond Elections” jointly published with to the funding of projects on deliberative democracy and climate change, UNDEF has been playing a leading role in promoting the application of deliberative principles to citizen participation. UNDEF’s projects and handbook have been widely referenced by global media and practitioners, including in The Guardian, by UNDP, OECD, and most recently by Agence Française de Développement and International IDEA in a report on deliberative democracy and climate change.
