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Slides for a workshop on the future of citizen participation in Europe, hosted by the Ministry for Citizen Participation of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
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CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN THE UNITED STATES
Workshop: How to Make Citizen Participation Relevant in European Regions
Stuttgart, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
December 5, 2012
THE CONTEXT: HOW HAVE CITIZENS*
CHANGED?
More educated
More skeptical – different attitudes toward authority
Have less time to spare
Better able to find resources, allies, information
* “citizens” = residents, people
THREE MINUTES AT THE MICROPHONE
Retrieved from Cincinnati.com, July 27, 2012
SUCCESSFUL TACTIC: PROACTIVE RECRUITMENT Map community networks;
Involve leaders of those networks;
‘Who is least likely to participate?’
Use online as well as f2f connections;
Follow up!
SUCCESSFUL TACTIC: SMALL-GROUP PROCESSES
No more than 12 people per group;
Facilitator who is impartial (doesn’t give opinions);
Start with people describing their experiences;
Lay out options;
Help people plan for action.
SUCCESSFUL TACTIC: FRAMING AN ISSUE
Give people the information they need, in ways they can use it
Lays out several options or views (including ones you don’t agree with)
Trust them to make good decisions
SUCCESSFUL TACTIC: ENCOURAGING CITIZEN ACTION
SUCCESSFUL TACTIC: ONLINE TOOLS
Particularly good for: Providing background information Data gathering by citizens Generating and
ranking ideas Helping people
visualize options Maintaining
connections over time
STRENGTHS OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Making policy decisions, plans, budgets Catalyzing citizen action Building trust, fostering new leadership Connections = disaster preparedness Attachment = economic vitality
LIMITATIONS OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (AS WE PRACTICE IT TODAY)
Lots of work for temporary gain Inefficient – every organization on its own Community moves back to ‘politics as usual’ ‘Engagers’ set the agenda, not the ‘engaged’ Limited impact on equity Laws on participation out
of step with practices
WHAT IS CIVIC INFRASTRUCTURE?
The regular opportunities, activities, and arenas that allow people to connect with each other, solve problems, make decisions, and be part of a community.
NEW MODEL ORDINANCE ON PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Available at www.deliberative-democracy.netDeveloped as a collaboration of:
“PORTSMOUTH LISTENS” PORTSMOUTH, NH
Ongoing process since 2000
Several hundred participants each time
Addressed a number of major policy decisions: bullying in schools, school redistricting, city’s master plan, balancing city budget, whether to build new middle school
JANE ADDAMS SCHOOL FOR DEMOCRACY WEST SIDE OF ST. PAUL, MN
50-200 people in “neighborhood learning circles” every month since 1998
Involves recent Hmong, Latino, Somali immigrants
Young people involved in circles and other activities
Cultural exchanges - food, crafts, storytelling Has resulted in new
projects, initiatives, festivals, and changein INS policy
PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING IN BRAZILIAN CITIES
Commitment from gov’t to adopt budget;
Wide range of ways to be involved;
A carnival atmosphere;
Started small, now huge – 60,000+ people
SLIDES AVAILABLE AT:WWW.SLIDESHARE.NET/MATTLEIGHNINGER
GUIDES:HTTP://BIT.LY/M1PVMP HTTP://BIT.LY/IWJGQN
RESOURCES
www.participedia.net
www.deliberative-democracy.net
www.soulofthecommunity.org
www.everydaydemocracy.org
www.publicagenda.org
www.kettering.org
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
1. Make engagement easier, more efficient
2. Build trust
3. Give residents more control of the agenda
4. Better address inequities
5. Increase community attachment and economic growth
6. Increase residents’ sense of legitimacy and “public happiness”
Why build stronger civic infrastructure?