Building sustainable futures through civic deliberation and collaborative governance
In an open letter to the UK Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister earlier this year, a group of representatives from civil society organisations referred to the need for a ‘new politics of the future’. They warned that short-termism in contemporary politics on issues such as climate change and social injustice could endanger democracy in the UK. They argued that a longer term perspective is needed in order to achieve meaningful progress in these areas.
In recognition of the changing nature of the issues facing society and a growing need for democratic participation, new ways to involve citizens in government and governance are being tested and becoming established.
The Greater Geraldton Region in Western Australia faces particular challenges and development opportunities. In reaction to this, the city authorities are leading an innovative project to create a collaborative vision and plans for the future. This project is engaging the local and regional community to develop a collective vision for a long-term sustainable development and growth framework for the region. The resulting plan aims to provide all sectors of the region with a greater level of clarity, certainty and ownership over their desired future direction.
The DECC led Low Carbon Communities Challenge (LCCC), supported by Sciencewise-ERC, and the Alberta Climate Dialogue: Deliberative Democracy and Climate Change in Alberta and Beyond by the University of Alberta are very different projects. However, like Geraldton, both are exploring how the direct participation of citizens in problem-solving can enhance our shared ability to respond effectively to complex problems like climate change. The projects are working through a model that starts ‘from the ground up', reflecting wider examples in deliberative democracy where citizens are first assembled at the local level and then connected with interrelated levels of policy-making.
See here for more information on the LCCC project and the landmark ‘Big Energy Shift’ out of which this programme grew.