CAfSA News no. 2 March 2025

International
EU – A new report from Democracy Next, ‘The European Citizens’ Assembly: Designing the missing branch of the EU government’, discusses what a European Citizen Assembly could achieve as a political institution of everyday people from across the European Union (EU). It also outlines why a standing EU citizen assembly should share some power with the other institutions of the EU, rather than be merely advisory.

Japan – The Japan Mini-Public Research Forum (JMPRF) has now been active in research for ten years. It describes its mission as ‘based on the innovative idea that the participation of randomly selected citizens or “mini-publics” can make a difference in the governmental policymaking process’ (https://democracyrd.org/contributors/japan-forum-for-mini-public-research/).

USA – Deschutes Civic Assembly on Youth Homelessness in the US county of Deschutes, Oregon, recently produced 23 proposals with strong community consensus for further action. DemNext described this as ‘a citizens’ assembly at its best: winning heartfelt support from assembly members; benefitting from real buy-in from local government; [and] overcoming deep local political polarisation’. (See also the observations of Nick Coccoma on this, at https://healthydemocracy.org/blog/2024/11/20/a-visitors-perspective-deschutes-civic-assembly-on-youth-homelessness/)

The US-based Pew Research Centre conducts an annual 24-country survey on democracy. Its latest finding is that 59% of people are dissatisfied with the way that democracy is working in their country. In all countries except Sweden, a majority of people do not think that politicians care what people like them think (https://demnext.substack.com/). A similar survey by the ANU in 2016 found that only 14% of Australians believe that ‘politicians know what ordinary people think’ (2016 Australian Election Study, ANU).

National
The group newDemocracy has made a submission to the Inquiry into Victoria’s Upper House Electoral System (see https://www.newdemocracy.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Vic-gov-upper-house-electoral-reform-submission.pdf). It points out that ‘This inquiry is an opportunity for the Victorian Parliament to innovate using a deliberative democratic method that has been proven effective internationally and locally’ (i.e. citizen assemblies). It concludes by recommending that ‘the proposals for Vic Upper House reform be put through the rigour of a Citizens’ Assembly’.

SA
Planning for the national conference on citizen assemblies on Saturday June 14 in Adelaide is well on track. As well as featuring leading national advocates for deliberative democracy Nick Gruen and Tim Dunlop, we now have ex SA Premier Jay Weatherill as a presenter and panel member. In addition, well known Sydney commentator Elizabeth Farrelly, critic, academic and former architect, as well as founder of The Better Cities Initiative, will now chair the conference. We are also thrilled to announce that David Van Reybrouck, author of the highly influential book, ‘Against Elections – the Case For Democracy’, will join us by video link on the Saturday afternoon.

We greatly appreciate the offer by the Don Dunstan Foundation to assist in publicising the event. A workshop is planned for the following day at the same venue specifically for local government staff and councillors. Programs and registration for both days will be available in April when the CAfSA website is completed and published.

Recommended:
Tim Dunlop, who is speaking at the conference as a firm supporter of CAs, often refers to their brilliant potential to revive democracy in this age of serious disillusionment with politics and parties. In his latest blog (https://tdunlop.substack.com/) he reflects on the upcoming federal election campaign, and recommends an article in the London Review of Books by Prof Perry Anderson of ULCA – blog and article both well worth a read!