Festival 2022 > Agenda

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Festival 2022 > Agenda

4th Public Participation and Deliberative Democracy Festival

Agenda

Brussels | Ispra | Online | Download the Agenda

The event will take place in the CDMA Building, Rue du Champ de Mars 21, 1050 Ixelles, Brussels.

The interactive sessions taking place after lunch will be happening in parallel in adjoining rooms. These interactive sessions will not be recorded nor live-streamed. For all the other session you can watch the live stream in the Live now section of the website.

DAY 1 | 20 OCTOBER 2022 | BRUSSELS

Welcome over morning coffee
Opening session

with an opening address by Carlos Ferreira de Morais Pires, Member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Mariya Gabriel.

President Biden’s Summit for Democracy 2023

Learn what’s planned for deliberative democracy and Citizens’ Assemblies and how you can best participate and take advantage of this unique global opportunity. The session will leave ample space for participants to discuss the proposals presented.

SPEAKERS: ART O’LEARY (SECRETARY GENERAL, ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF IRELAND & CO POLITICAL LEAD ON BEHALF OF THE IRISH GOVERNMENT OF THE DDCA COHORT), GAËTANE RICARD-NIHOUL (Deputy Head of Unit DG Communication, European Commission & CO POLITICAL LEAD ON BEHALF OF THE EC OF THE DDCA COHORT), GRAHAM ALLEN (UK PARLIAMENT MP 1997-2017 & CONVENOR OF THE CITIZENS’ CONVENTION ON UK DEMOCRACY AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE DDCA COHORT), IAIN WALKER (NEWDEMOCRACY FOUNDATION & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NEWDEMOCRACY THE MAIN NGO SPONSOR OF THE DDCA COHORT).
Citizens’ participation and deliberative democracy across borders!

The Conference on the Future of Europe: lessons learnt and next steps 

moderator: Gaëtane Ricard-Nihoul (Deputy Head of Unit, DG Communication, former member of the Conference Common Secretariat)
panellists: Colin SCICLUNA (Head of Cabinet of the Vice-President Dubravka Šuica in charge of Democracy and Demography, former Head of the Conference Common Secretariat), Nicolas Morávek (Member of the European Citizens’ Panel on Climate change, Environment, Health, and Citizens’ Representative in the COFE Plenary), Pia AHRENKILDE HANSEN (Director General, DG Communication, European Commission), Valentina BALZANI (Member of the European Citizens’ Panel on Democracy, Values, Rights, Rule of Law, Security, and Citizens’ Representative in the COFE Plenary)
Break
Engaging children and young people to participate in the workings of democracy: Success stories

The Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme, implemented jointly by Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers and the European Education and Culture Executive Agency, supports a broad range of organisations. These include civil society organisations active at local, regional, national and transnational levels, equality and human rights bodies, national, regional and local authorities, academics, research institutes and think tanks. Through its different strands, the programme provides pathways for children and young people to actively participate in the democratic life of their communities. Using a selection of ongoing projects, this interactive panel will present good practices and lessons learned in getting more young people and children participating in the workings of democracy.

Moderator:LIESA SIEDENTOPP (PROGRAM MANAGER at THE EUROPEAN EDUCATION AND CULTURE EXECUTIVE AGENCY (EACEA)) 
Panellists: Gilles Pelayo (Head of Unit at European Education and Culture Executive Agency), Karolina Babicka (Legal Adviser Europe programme at International Commission of Jurists), Katrin Grabner (Children’s rights expert at SOS Kinderdorf Austria), Nora Wolloch (Executive Manager at World Summit Awards)
Lunch
Parallel interactive sessions

Democracy gym at the public library: Getting ready for engagement!

Public libraries can be spaces for public participation! This session aims to increase the awareness of public libraries being dynamic and versatile partners for programmes and activities around democracy targeted at a young public. The session will start with an interactive part letting the participants experience a “democracy fitness training" on site. A presentation will showcase a best practice example of a participative process from the Lisbon public libraries network. We will conclude with an exchange with the audience. We aim to reach the interdisciplinary audience gathering at the festival whether they are public participation actors or policy makers.

Moderator: Ilona Kish (PL2030 director)
Panellists: Susana Silvestre (Head of Division of Monitoring, Communication and Public Participation at the Urban Planning Department in the Lisbon City Council), Asmund Bertelsen (Democracy Worker and Project Manager at Aarhus Public Libraries), Sara Bindeballe (Event Coordinator at Aarhus Public Libraries)

Local Labs: Kickstart local action

This session will introduce you to a process tailored to the needs of local communities: the Local Labs. Inspired by design thinking and hackathons, they allow diverse teams to quickly develop, test and implement solutions to pressing local issues. Together with experts on citizen participation and engagement, we will try out some of the tools used in the Local Labs. You will receive tangible tips and tricks on how to boost your next participation adventure.

moderators: Marie Wutzler (Project Manager at Innovation in Politics Institute), Mathis Dippon (Programme Manager at Innovation in Politics Institute)
Experts: Jaimie Just (Coordinator of Citizenship team & Adviser on Equality and Diversity at CEMR), Nadia Di Iulio (Programme Manager & Thematic Hub Coordinator for Citizens' Engagement at ALDA Europe)

Street Workout

Based in Madrid, Spain, the Federación Española de Street y Workout y Calistenia works with youth to get involved in the Street workout movement. Street workout is a type of sport performed in outdoor parks or public facilities. This interactive session will introduce the sport through a live demonstration and explain its participatory aims that explore issues to do with accessibility, affordability and democracy regarding breaking down societal barriers in the urban environment.

SPEAKERS: Vincent VERHOEF (CHAIRMAN, INTERNATIONAL calistHENICS AND STREET WORKOUT FEDERATION) & CARLA ARRABITO MIRÓ
Break
Social Innovation in support of EU Missions

EU Missions offer a new way to bring solutions to some of the greatest problems on our time, at scale. EU Missions focus on adapting to human-induced climate change, decarbonizing cities, restoring oceans, coastal areas, and inland water bodies, offering better and longer lives to people diagnosed with cancer and their close ones, and protecting and restoring soil health while establishing beneficial synergies with other challenges like human-induced climate change mitigation. The identification, design, and rollout of these solutions requires innovation that integrates technological and social creativity. The session will focus on how to make such integral innovation happen.

moderator: Fabienne Gautier (Head of unit Common Missions & Partnerships Service, DG RTD, European Commission)
panellists: Katrine Soma (Wageningen Economic Research, Wageningen University and Research), Madeleine Clarke (Executive Director at Genio - Scaling Social Innovations to Solve Complex Problems), Neville Reeve (Advisor, Common Policy Centre, DG RTD, European Commission)
Break
Young Arctic Voices

This panel discussion will be a hybrid session connecting with JRC Ispra site.

How to bring local, traditional and Indigenous Knowledge together with the 'western' approach to science to improve research and environmental observations across cultures? In this session Indigenous youth from the Arctic will discuss and raise awareness for their ideas and visions on how to combine these different knowledge systems based on their life experiences. Together, among European and Arctic youth, we will exchange different perspectives and discuss how to make young people’s voices heard in the Arctic. Be prepared for a very interactive and participatory session and a productive dialogue with us. We are looking forward to meeting you all!

MODERATOR:SEBASTIAN PLATE (RESEARCHER FOR FORESIGHT AND PARTICIPATION AT ELLERY STUDIO, BERLIN)
SPEAKERS: AMALIE BOURUP (STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GREENLAND), ANJA MÁRJÁ NYSTØ KESKITALO (ADVISOR IN THE SAAMI COUNCIL'S EU UNIT)
Aperitif

During the aperitif a performance will be live streamed from the JRC Ispra site, find the details of the artwork below. 

Kuannersuit / Kvanefjeld: The mountain that became the epicentre for a democratic discussion about Greenland’s future

The Kuannarsuit/Kvanefjeld plateu in South Greenland is thought to contain the world's second-largest deposit of rare-earth oxides, sixth-largest deposit of uranium and one of the largest multi-element deposits of its kind in the world. This session will present an artwork that refract the different facets, local perceptions and decision-making around the plans for the mining of Kvanefjeld. Fragments of interviews, children's toys, impacts from melting glaciers, radiation monitoring of polar bears, radioactive rocks, tweets from the US president and traditional knowledge create a swirling fractal narrative about the discussion about a mountain that has become the epicentre for a democratic discussion about Greenland’s future. Lise will be in conversation with Adriaan Eeckels.

ARTIST: LISE AUTOGENA (PROFESSOR OF CROSS DISCIPLINARY ART AT SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY)
MODERATOR: ADRIAAN EECKELS (COORDINATOR OF THE SCI-ART PROJECT, JRC, EUROPEAN COMMISSION)

 

DAY 2 | 21 OCTOBER 2022 | BRUSSELS

Welcome over morning coffee
Introduction to the second day
Intergenerational conversations on the future of civic education
with European Commission Vice-President for Democracy and Demography, Dubravka Šuica, and Director-General of the Joint Research Centre, Stephen Quest

During this session, we will take stock of reflections, recommendations and ideas that resulted from a series of participatory events on the topic of civic education futures that took place in a number Member States. Organised with the support of European Commission Representations, the events gathered citizens from different generations to discuss how, where and what we need to learn to be ready for active citizenship, particularly in the context of new participatory and deliberative initiatives proposed by the European Commission.

Citizen representatives: David Kapusta (Slovakia), Dominik Omerović (Croatia), Jenny Oštarić Vunjak (Croatia), Knud Arne Nielsen (Denmark), Kristoffer Emil Bruun Bjerregaard (Denmark), Lukáš Vícen (Slovakia), Nicole Makóová (Slovakia), 
Break
Past, present and future of digital participation: Are we heading towards a metaverse for democracy?

This workshop will be addressing the past, present and future potential and challenges of using civic tech platforms for democracy, especially when policy-makers want to use them to engage with (young) people. Based on past and current experiences, including the lessons learnt from the COFE, experts will be showcasing local and EU best practices of e-democracy and explaining how to ensure citizens' participation. Focus will then shift towards the future and how the development of virtual reality and the metaverse could play a role in people’s engagement in society and democracy. Discussions will also highlight how technology can be made more accessible and inclusive, especially when citizens are expected increase their use of civic tech to voice their concerns to their representatives.

moderators: Antoine Vergne (Co-director of Missions Publiques), Elisa Lironi (Programme Director for European Democracy at the European Citizen Action Service)
panellists: Alejandro Moledo (coordinator at the European Disability Forum), Wietse Van Ransbeeck (co-founder & CEO of CitizenLab)
Lunch
Parallel interactive sessions (no livestream)

Deliberating paths towards NetZeroCities: Designing ecosystems and infrastructure for engagement

As part of our current work on the NetZeroCities Mission Platform, the EU Mission for 100 climate-neutral and smart cities platform, this session explores the possibilities of setting up infrastructures of youth engagement at the city level. It aims to think beyond single institutions or processes to collaboratively deliberate a path towards net-zero emissions. This fishbowl conversation will critically assess the idea of multi-level, interrelated, decentralised decision-making systems that engage children and the youth at the city level, and how by setting up democratic infrastructures and ecosystems, young people's voices can be heard and powerfully activated.

MODERATOR: ADRIANA COLQUECHAMBI (CLIMATE DEMOCRACY AND NETZEROCITIES PROJECT LEAD at DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY)
panellists: Ermioni Chatzimichail (Clean Mobility Coordinator for Generation Climate Europe), Lise DESHAUTEL (Policy-making, Citizen Participation and Independent Consultant for citizen participation in climate policies), Saha Balaganesh (Policy and Open Government manager at Democratic Society)

New frontiers for youth political participation: Lessons from outside the West

This dynamic session gathers activists, democracy practitioners and policymakers to look at three types of democratic innovations that have been used around the world to harness civic space and investigate how they can be applied to a European context in a world café format. The aim of the sessions is to see how these democratic innovations can be used to channel youth participation and revitalise trust in democracy. The workshop draws on the latest research from the European Democracy Hub Exploring Worldwide Democratic Innovations. This research project was supported by the Robert Bosch Stiftung.

Moderator: Richard Youngs (Carnegie Europe)
Panellists: Biljana Spasovska (Executive Director at Balkan Civil Society Development Network), Emiel Bijlmakers (Demsoc), Tim Hughes (Democracy and Participation Lead at OGP)

How to adapt parliamentary architecture to participatory democracy?

Particitiz will hold a one-hour session which will start with a short 'TEDx'-style presentation by the author of the book « Habiter la démocratie. L'architecture des parlements”, Emilien Paulis on the the current set ups of parliaments in the world. This presentation will lead to the main question: “Deliberative democracy is becoming more important. What kind of space do citizens need in parliaments to be able to participate in public debates?” Following this presentation, participants are invited to gather in a space where they can find pictures representing the structures of different parliaments and a facilitator invites the group to share its vision, in a creative way, of the space for citizens in a parliament for a more participatory democracy.

moderator: Cécile Molle (Project and communication manager at Particitiz)
speaker: Emilien Paulis (Post-doctoral researcher at Université du Luxembourg)
Break
Youth voices in the Conference on the Future of Europe: Loud enough?

The Conference on the Future of Europe included participants as young as 16 years old: 1/3 of participants to the Panels were below 25. In many Member States, youth associations were involved in the organisation of national panels and events. In parallel, several online consultations were launched to hear from young Europeans about their visions of the future of Europe. But was the over-representation of young people enough to secure their successful inclusion in the Conference? Were all “YouthS” represented? What challenges and barriers did they encountered that hindered their active participation? This Panel asks young people for their recommendations.

Moderator: Yves Mathieu (Founder and Co-Director of Missions Publiques)
Panellists: Alexis Prokopiev (Director of Public Affairs, Make.org), Caterina Rende Dominis (National Event Croatia participant, Member of the Citizen Component, Member of the Youth Association “Youth in the EU”), Kacper Parol (CoFoE Panel 1 participant, Member of the Citizen Component, Founder of Youth NGO “Impulse”), Matous Belohlavek (CoFoE Panel 2 participant, Member of the Citizen Component), Sarah Ascencio (French participant to the online Consultation “Parole aux Jeunes”)
Break
CEPS Young Thinkers – how to foster pan-European youth communities?

The session is about the role of the CEPS Young Thinkers Initiative, launched in 2019, in fostering inclusive and diverse EU policy. In conversation with the CEPS team, two Young Thinkers and an MEP, will discuss how the Initiative enabled young voices to take center-stage in EU high-level policy dialogues. The youth-led team invites different perspectives on the added value of an early career network to improve cross-generation teamwork. The discussion also looks ahead and asks what can be done to mainstream youth voices in EU policy and what is needed to build a pan-European community of young thinkers interested in policy, science and foresight.

Moderator: Rosanna Fanni, CEPS Young Thinkers team
Speakers: Francisco Jose López Vélez (CEPS Young Thinkers community), Inés Satué Crespo (CEPS Young Thinkers community), Cinzia Alcidi (Research Director at CEPS), tinatin akhvlediani (RESEARCH FELLOW AT CEPS)
Closing
with David Mair, Head of Unit of Knowledge for policy: Concepts and Methods Unit, JRC, European Commission