Thorsten Sterk
@thorstensterk.bsky.social
📤 1774
📥 1014
📝 2821
It‘s the democracy, stupid! www.buergerrat.de/en
pinned post!
Hello BlueSky, I made a starter pack of riders of the deliberative wave. Anyone missing?
add a skeleton here at some point
12 months ago
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On 7 November, a citizens' jury on the topic of ‘Heat protection in Marzahn-Nord’ will begin in the Berlin district of Marzahn-Hellersdorf. At the end of the process, a resident survey will be conducted on the recommendations of the mini-public.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/citi...
#CitizensAssembly
3 days ago
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What role should citizens' assemblies play in Germany in the future? This topic will be discussed in workshops on randomised citizen participation from 12 to 26 November. We cordially invite you to attend.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/citi...
#CitizensAssembly
4 days ago
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“Election means equal right to consent to be ruled. Sortition means equal chance to exercise rule itself” - great read by
@nickcoccoma.bsky.social
.
#CitizensAssembly
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What is Democracy?
Sortition is fundamental
https://democraticconstitutionblog.substack.com/p/what-is-democracy
10 days ago
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Can mini-publics strengthen trust in democracy? Andreas Meinlschmidt from
@offenegesellschaft.bsky.social
reports on the results of a study on the Bördehalle citizens' jury in Welver.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/a-ci...
#CitizensAssembly
20 days ago
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On October 28th. the panel ‚On the road towards COP 30: engaging citizens in global climate negotiations‘ explores the possibilities and tensions of direct citizen engagement in global climate governance.
eveeno.com/110452876
#CitizensAssembly
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On the road towards COP: Engaging citizens in global climate negotiations
a panel featuring Nicole Curato (University of Birmingham), Bernardo Jurema (RIFS Potsdam), Andreas Bummel* (Democracy without Borders), and Azucena Moran (RIFS Potsdam)moderated by Melisa Ross (Uni...
https://eveeno.com/110452876
26 days ago
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In the German city of Greifswald. sixty residents of the city, selected at random, will have the opportunity to contribute their perspectives, ideas and wishes for the Greifswald of tomorrow until 2028.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/brin...
#CitizensAssembly
about 1 month ago
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How can Europe be made fairer across all generations? Learn about the European Citizens‘ Panel ‚Intergenerational Fairness‘ by joining this
@meeteu.bsky.social
online event on October 14th.
meeteu.eu/events#post-...
Background:
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/trea...
#CitizensAssembly
about 1 month ago
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Should a Permanent European Citizens’ Assembly be established alongside the European Parliament? Register now to participate in this this roundtable on October 14th in Brussels in-person or online!
#CitizensAssembly
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Democracy in Crisis: Should a Permanent European Citizens’ Assembly Supplement the European Parliament? - European Alternatives
A European Parliament – Democratic Odyssey Roundtable📍 European Parliament, Brussels🗓️ Tuesday 14 October 2025 | 10:00 – 12:00 REGISTER HERE TO PARTICIPATE ON-SITE REGISTER HERE TO PARTICIPATE ONLINE ...
https://euroalter.com/events/democracy-in-crisis-should-a-permanent-european-citizens-assembly-supplement-the-european-parliament/
about 1 month ago
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Belgium has been a trailblazer in the establishment of permanent and institutional citizens’ assemblies. Find out more on 14 October via
@europe.fidemocracy.org
YouTube Live Stream!
www.youtube.com/live/UCxYhnK...
#CitizensAssembly
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Permanent Assemblies in Belgium
YouTube video by FIDE - Federation for Innovation in Democracy
https://www.youtube.com/live/UCxYhnKwTLs?si=7aFRLhOSvtyHHwm9
about 1 month ago
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In the German city of Aachen, a citizens' assembly recommends the introduction of free public transport for recipients of transfer payments, disabled people, children and trainees.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/make...
#CitizensAssembly
about 1 month ago
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„One-off assemblies are like one healthy meal. Better than nothing, but it won’t give you a healthy lifestyle. To rebuild trust in democracy, we need something lasting.“ Read
@cchwalisz.bsky.social
interview with David Van Reybrouck on the future of citizens‘ assemblies.
#CitizensAssembly
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Democracy’s next wave: A conversation with David Van Reybrouck
From sortition to preferendums, Van Reybrouck speaks with Claudia Chwalisz about why citizens must be at the heart of 21st-century democracy
https://substack.com/home/post/p-174955850
about 1 month ago
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In the German state of Saarland, a Citizens' Assembly has developed proposals for achieving climate protection targets. The results were presented to the state parliament on 29 September 2025.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/crea...
#CitizensAssembly
about 1 month ago
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DemocracyNext is working with three local authorities on a project to democratise urban planning through citizens' assemblies. The organisation will be providing information about this in online events on 30 September and 2 October.
www.buergerrat.de/en/events/
#CitizensAssembly
about 1 month ago
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From 26 to 28 September 2025, 100 young people from across the EU will gather in Brussels for the first time to discuss the decline of wild pollinating insects and develop recommendations for action on this issue for the EU institutions.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/youn...
#CitizensAssembly
about 2 months ago
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On 20 September 2025, the second Citizens' Jury of the Hanseatic city of Lüneburg will begin. The topic to be addressed by the 30 participants: Consumption-free places for children in the city centre.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/citi...
#CitizensAssembly
about 2 months ago
0
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With the LOSLAND project,
@mehrdemokratie.bsky.social
and
@rifs-potsdam.bsky.social
have supported local authorities throughout Germany in shaping a future fit for their grandchildren with mini-publics. The English version of the project brochure is now available
www.rifs-potsdam.de/en/output/pu...
2 months ago
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Join me on September 11th in Cologne!
#CitizensAssembly
add a skeleton here at some point
2 months ago
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The American ballot initiative is a powerful tool. But it is also broken. To preserve the ballot initiative and its democratic promise, its defenders need an answer. They may find it in citizens’ assemblies.
#CitizensAssembly
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Putting the Initiative Back Together - Harvard Law Review
The American ballot initiative is a powerful tool. Initiatives can innovate: Four states can credit ballot initiatives for legislative redistricting commissions that removed redistricting...
https://harvardlawreview.org/print/vol-138/putting-the-initiative-back-together/
2 months ago
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What democratic Innovation not only in the USA should look like. Follow
@north.america.fidemocracy.org
to learn more!
#CitizensAssembly
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What is a Citizens' Assembly? Making the case for a democratic innovation
YouTube video by FIDE - Federation for Innovation in Democracy
https://youtu.be/DkYEfhK50IY
2 months ago
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Other German states already have them, and now Brandenburg is set to follow suit: randomly selected citizens' assemblies. The state parliament is expected to pass a resolution to this effect in September 2025.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/bran...
#CitizensAssembly
3 months ago
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In the German state of Baden-Württemberg, a randomly selected citizens' forum is calling for an extension of non-smoker protection.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/non-...
#CitizensAssembly
3 months ago
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How can open-mindedness, diversity and tolerance be made visible in Neubrandenburg? This question has been under discussion for some time. On 23 July 2025, a Citizens' Jury submitted its recommendations on this issue to the city council.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/goal...
#CitizensAssembly
4 months ago
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An EU Citizens' Panel on intergenerational justice will begin in September. Interested parties can submit their ideas and visions online until the end of July.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/trea...
#CitizensAssembly
4 months ago
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In an appeal to the German federal government, the Initiative for an Effective State calls for the increased use of citizens' assemblies.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/stre...
#CitizensAssembly
4 months ago
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On 8 July 2025, a Citizens' Jur< submitted its recommendations for the redevelopment of the Westschnellweg in Hanover to the Lower Saxony State Authority for Road Construction and Transport (NLStBV) and the Lower Saxony Ministry of Transport.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/31-i...
#CitizensAssembly
4 months ago
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Since 5 July 2025, around 50 randomly selected citizens have been discussing the protection of non-smokers in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The aim is to prepare an amendment to the state law.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/citi...
#CitizensAssembly
4 months ago
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After two weekends of intensive discussions, 40 randomly selected citizens from all over Germany presented their recommendations for a fairer tax and fiscal policy in Erfurt on 29 June 2025.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/citi...
#CitizensAssembly
4 months ago
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From today, a Citizens' Assembly in France will discuss how long the French school year and school day should be - and whether the summer holidays should be shortened.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/citi...
#CitizensAssembly
5 months ago
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How do we want to move around our neighbourhood? What contributes to our sense of well-being? Cologne's first Citizens' Assembly developed seven goals and more than 100 ideas to answer these questions. On 16 June 2025, the final report of the mini-public was published.
#CitizensAssembly
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Seven goals for better mobility in Cologne
How do we want to move around our neighbourhood? What contributes to our sense of well-being? Between March and May 2025, Cologne's first citizens' assembly developed seven goals and more than 100 ide...
https://www.buergerrat.de/en/news/seven-goals-for-better-mobility-in-cologne/
5 months ago
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What does balanced mobility for all residents look like in
@stadtaachen.bsky.social
? A Citizens' Assembly has been discussing this issue in the west German city since 14 June 2025.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/citi...
#CitizensAssembly
5 months ago
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How can open-mindedness, diversity and tolerance become visible in Neubrandenburg? This question has been under discussion for some time. Since 12 June 2025, a Citizens' Jury has been seeking answers.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/goal...
#CitizensAssembly
5 months ago
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"Taking part in this process has taught me that it helps to talk with people who think differently from me - and that we can find common ground.“
#CitizensAssembly
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Norway's citizens want to share their fortune with future generations and the world
In this week's DemNext Deep Dive, Hugh Pope, DemocracyNext International Advisory Council Member, speaks with members and organisers of Norway's Future Assembly on the Oil Fund
https://substack.com/home/post/p-165698620
5 months ago
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Throughout history, all civilisations follow the same pattern. They rise, they peak and they collapse. What can we learn from that?
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Civilisations All Follow The Same Pattern
YouTube video by Michael Button
https://youtu.be/Ys_DZi2fUv4?si=_II5EgWIe27Z4dA5
5 months ago
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Why stupid people gain power - Machiavelli's dark truth in leadership psychology
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Why the Most Foolish People End Up in Power – Machiavelli Knew This
YouTube video by Philosophy Coded
https://youtu.be/Ix4nKNDKhTQ?si=KQtfz56PkkZfuB2Y
5 months ago
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Every advanced civilization - from Rome to the Maya, the Ming Dynasty to the Islamic Golden Age - has followed the same chilling pattern: the death of critical thinking, the rise of short-term narcissism, and the rejection of expertise. We are on the same path.
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Why Every Great Civilization Falls to Idiocracy – The Pattern We Never See Coming
YouTube video by Philosophy Coded
https://youtu.be/dcAzzTIN0lc?si=VQV9M7Ymg919DFmg
5 months ago
2
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What does scaling democratic deliberation mean and what is the role of AI in enabling it? Join co-authors
@sammymckinney.bsky.social
and
@cchwalisz.bsky.social
on June 17 for the launch of a new DemocracyNext paper exploring five dimensions of scaling democratic deliberation!
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Five dimensions of scaling democratic deliberation: With and beyond AI · Zoom · Luma
As interest grows in AI's potential to transform democratic deliberation, the concept of “scaling” has emerged as a key aspiration - but what does scaling…
https://lu.ma/sp12xakw
6 months ago
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On 18 May 2025, a randomly selected Citizens' Panel decided on 22 recommendations on the design of the European Union's next long-term budget.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/22-r...
#CitizensAssembly
6 months ago
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CONNECTING COMMUNITIES: STRENGTHENING GLOBAL DEMOCRACY THROUGH LOCAL ASSEMBLIES Join Community Organisers on May 20th for an interactive webinar exploring how community assemblies can strengthen local democracy.
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Connecting Communities: Strengthening Global Democracy through Local Assemblies - Community Organisers
https://www.corganisers.org.uk/news-events-and-publications/find-an-event/connecting-communities-strengthening-global-democracy-through-local-assemblies/
6 months ago
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Norway's sovereign wealth fund should invest more money in combating the climate crisis and promoting health, while accepting lower profits, according to a randomly selected Future Panel. Its findings were presented to the public on 13 May 2025.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/what...
#CitizensAssembly
6 months ago
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The media are in a state of upheaval due to the internet. Polarisation and disinformation are consequences of this. In Baden-Württemberg, a Citizens' Forum is therefore to develop proposals for a sustainable media landscape from June 2025.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/maki...
#CitizensAssembly
6 months ago
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"Few things are as certain as the fact that power makes us stupid. And few things are so stubbornly and systematically ignored. According to the motto: 'To whom the good Lord gives power, he will probably also give wisdom'. I think the results of this process speak for themselves." A. Ibrahim
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Nutt Los (@
[email protected]
)
Wenig ist so sicher als wie der Umstand, dass Macht uns Menschen dumm macht. Und wenig wird so hartnäckig systematisch ignoriert. Nach der Devise: "Wem der liebe Gott Macht gibt, dem wird er wohl auc...
https://mastodon.social/@NuttLos/114483542103717913
6 months ago
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At the ‘betterLÄND’ youth forum, randomly selected young people from Baden-Württemberg developed ideas on how the Ministry of the Environment can better involve and represent young people. The final report was published on 7 May.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/what...
#CitizensAssembly
#Betterländ
6 months ago
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How do we want to live together in Dresden? This question was at the centre of the Citizens' Assembly “City of Peace Dresden”. The results were presented to the public on 8 May 2025 in the Frauenkirche and handed over to the state capital.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/how-...
#CitizensAssembly
6 months ago
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French President Emmanuel Macron announced the convening of a Citizens' Assembly on the question of how long the French school year and school day should be - and whether the summer holidays should be shortened.
www.buergerrat.de/en/news/citi...
#CitizensAssembly
#ConventionCitoyenne
6 months ago
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French President Emmanuel Macron has announced plans to launch a 'citizens' convention' to determine how long the French school year and school day should be - and whether the summer holidays ought to shortened.
#CitizensAssembly
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Macron calls for 'citizens' convention' on French school holidays
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced plans to launch a 'citizens' convention' to determine how long the French school year and school day should be - and whether the summer holidays ought to...
https://www.thelocal.fr/20250505/macron-calls-for-citizens-convention-on-french-school-holidays
6 months ago
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Extremism will flourish unless we do democracy differently.
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Extremism will flourish unless we do democracy differently
As Scots become less trusting of the government, who wins the 2026 election is the least of Holyrood’s worries
https://www.thetimes.com/article/3b6ffa63-fac7-49fb-857a-5e18af9c62b2?shareToken=9d827588039bdcc2f6f7901389b40dde
6 months ago
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@tbouricius.bsky.social
is one of most visionary thinkers on democracy. On this podcast episode, he explains how he discovered citizen assemblies and why he now considers himself a "recovering politician."
#CitizensAssembly
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Terry Bouricius on Democracy
The Theory and Practice of Sortition
https://nickcoccoma.substack.com/p/terry-bouricius-on-democracy?r=5gsz9h&triedRedirect=true
6 months ago
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reposted by
Thorsten Sterk
Jeff Sharlet
6 months ago
My 11 yr old, not even a Star Wars fan, instantly recognized that White House is declaring Trump a Sith Lord. Thing is, lots of people giggling over that, but I wouldn’t put it past them to have done that deliberately, an “emperor” troll.
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„Our society constantly ignores the fact that far more than 90% of people do not have the resources, the strength, the time, the money or the self-confidence necessary for ‚democracy’ to come about in the way it imagines: By private decision, on private initiative"
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Nutt Los (@
[email protected]
)
Unsere Gesellschaft ignoriert beständig, dass weit mehr als 90% der Menschen gar nicht die Ressourcen, die Kraft, die Zeit, das Geld und auch nicht das Selbstbewusstsein haben, die nötig wären, damit ...
https://mastodon.social/@NuttLos/114444870420845131
6 months ago
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