FAQS Citizens Assembly

Asynchronous Engagement: Participation that happens on your own schedule -like reading materials, posting comments, or voting- rather than being required to show up at specific times. This format helps include people across different time zones and with varying availability. 

Citizen Assemblies: Groups of everyday people (usually 50–150) randomly selected to represent different backgrounds and demographics. They come together to learn about a specific issue, discuss it in depth, and make recommendations to decision-makers. Unlike surveys or focus groups, assemblies give participants time to understand complex topics before forming opinions or drafting proposals.

Co-creation: Working together as equals to identify problems and design solutions, rather than experts creating policies alone. Everyone brings different knowledge and experience to the table, and solutions are collectively shaped and owned by the group, not just decision-makers. 

Consensus: A way of making decisions that focuses on finding common ground rather than just counting votes. Participants discuss, adjust, and refine ideas until most people can agree and feel that their views have been heard and respected.

Decidim: An open-source online platform built for democratic participation. It supports assemblies, participatory budgeting, citizen initiatives, and collaborative decision-making, all grounded in transparency, accountability, and inclusivity. 

Deliberation: Structured group discussions where people share different viewpoints, listen carefully to each other, and work together to find common ground. It's not about winning an argument—it's about understanding the issue from all sides and finding solutions that work for everyone. 

Deliberative Democracy: A way of making political decisions through open and respectful discussion among citizens. People share knowledge, listen to different viewpoints, and weigh evidence before reaching conclusions. The goal is to ensure decisions are informed, fair, and shaped by genuine dialogue rather than by power or popularity alone. 

Digital Citizens Assembly: A citizens’ assembly that takes place entirely online through video meetings and digital tools. This format allows people from different places and backgrounds to take part more easily, while trained facilitators ensure that discussions stay focused, inclusive, and respectful. 

Facilitated Group: A small discussion group led by a trained facilitator who ensures fairness, equal participation, and respectful dialogue. Participants in facilitated groups deliberate together to explore the topic in depth and develop proposals that reflect their shared ideas and priorities.

Facilitator: A trained person who guides group discussions to ensure everyone gets heard and the conversation stays productive. They help manage time, encourage quiet participants to speak up, and keep discussions respectful and focused. 

Hybrid Citizens Assembly: A citizens’ assembly that combines both online and in-person participation. Some activities, like learning and discussion, happen on digital platforms, while others take place face-to-face. This mix helps more people take part, keeps discussions inclusive, and supports ongoing engagement through digital tools. 

Learning Phase: The first step of a Citizen Assembly where participants get balanced information from different experts and stakeholders who may have opposing views. This ensures everyone starts the discussion with solid background knowledge, covering different aspects of the topic. 

Prioritization: A democratic way of deciding which ideas or proposals should come first. Participants review different options and rank or vote on them to show which ones they think are most important. This can be done through simple voting, point allocation, or discussion-based agreement. 

Proposal: A preliminary recommendation developed by participants during small-group deliberations. Proposals reflect the ideas and priorities of each group and are later shared with all participants for further discussion, refinement, and voting in the assembly’s next stages.

Recommendation Phase: The final part of a Citizen Assembly where participants turn their discussions into shared recommendations. These are usually sent to policymakers or institutions for consideration. While decision-makers are not required to adopt them, the recommendations reflect the collective voice and values of the assembly.