The second edition of “Democracy Beyond Elections: A Handbook on Citizens' Assemblies” is now available to download free of charge, the newDemocracy Foundation has announced. The handbook aims to serve as a practical guide for political leaders, public officials and practitioners who want to design citizens' assemblies properly and put them to effective use.
Citizens' assemblies are an institution gaining ground internationally. The basic idea is simple: everyday people, selected by lottery — known in English as a civic lottery — are invited to deliberate on some of the most important issues facing their societies. They are given time, information and the opportunity to think together. The issues assigned to such assemblies vary, from climate change to constitutional reform.
The handbook brings together examples from these experiences and draws practical lessons on how to design such a process properly. The second edition was developed by newDemocracy in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Democracy Fund. It draws on the knowledge and experience of Democracy R&D, a growing global network. The foundation expresses its gratitude to the researchers, supporters, practitioners, innovative leaders and citizens who took part, noting that their stories, knowledge and photographs helped create a resource for anyone seeking to expand citizens' role in democratic decision-making.
The significance of the initiative lies in the search for forms of democracy beyond elections and in expanding citizens' role in democratic decision-making.
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