Healthy Democracy Fund

DESIGN AND COORDINATE INNOVATIVE DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY PROGRAMS.

IN 2022, HEALTHY DEMOCRACY PARTNERED WITH THE CITY OF PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA, TO CONVENE THE MOST INTENSIVE LOTTERY-SELECTED DELIBERATIVE PROCESS IN THE UNITED STATES TO DATE. A 36-MEMBER PANEL, RANDOMLY SELECTED TO REFLECT THE PETALUMA COMMUNITY, MADE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE PETALUMA FAIRGROUNDS PROPERTY. THE PANEL MET FROM MAY TO JULY 2022 FOR NEARLY 90 HOURS TO GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE TOPIC, IDENTIFY AND PRIORITIZE COMMUNITY VALUES, AND DEVELOP A SERIES OF THREE POLICY REPORTS TO GUIDE DECISION MAKING.

HEALTHY DEMOCRACY CONTINUES TO BE A LEADING ORGANIZATION IN THE INTERNATIONAL FIELD OF DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY AND AN ADVOCATE FOR THE PROLIFERATION OF INCLUSIVE, DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRATIC REFORMS. IN 2022, HEALTHY DEMOCRACY PROMOTED THE CONCEPT AND BENEFITS OF LOTTERY SELECTION AND DELIBERATION TO A WIDE VARIETY OF NEW AUDIENCES AND TRAINED NEW ADVOCATES TO DO SO AS WELL. * DELIVERED PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF LOTTERY-DELIBERATION AND OUR IDEAS FOR SYSTEMIC REFORMS AT THE CITY LEVEL TO PORTLAND CHARTER REFORM COMMISSION. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O. * COLLABORATED WITH THE COMPUTATIONAL DEMOCRACY PROJECT ON A WHITE PAPER ARTICULATING THE IDEA OF AN INITIATIVE CONVENTION SYSTEM THAT WOULD DRAW PANELISTS BY LOT TO DEVELOP NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. * PRESENTED A WEBINAR ENTITLED: WHAT IF THE PEOPLE GOVERNED? HOW CITIZENS' ASSEMBLIES CAN RESTORE TRUST IN LA CITY GOVERNMENT, AN INTERACTIVE INTRODUCTION TO CITIZENS' ASSEMBLIES AND HOW THEY CAN EMPOWER BREAKTHROUGHS IN LOCAL DEMOCRACY. CO-HOSTED BY THE BERGGRUEN INSTITUTE, HEALTHY DEMOCRACY, THE AMERICAN PUBLIC TRUST, HANNAH ARENDT CENTER AT BARD COLLEGE, ABUNDANT HOUSING LA, AND PUBLIC ACCESS DEMOCRACY. * PRESENTED AT VIRTUAL SYMPOSIUM: REINVENTING DEMOCRACY: HOW HOMETOWNS ARE STRENGTHENING AMERICA HOSTED BY THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES FOCUSED ON HOW DIFFERENT METHODS OF GROWING AND IMPROVING CITIZEN PARTICIPATION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL THROUGH PROGRAMS LIKE OURS, CAN REVITALIZE DEMOCRACY AND GENERATE MORE PUBLIC POLICY OUTCOMES. * PARTICIPATED IN THE ASSOCIATION OF OREGON COUNTIES CONFERENCE TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEADERS IN OREGON.

THE DEMOCRACY R&D NETWORK EXISTS TO HELP ITS MEMBERS TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL, AND TO PROMOTE SUCCESSFUL COLLABORATION. ULTIMATELY, THE NETWORK EXISTS IN ORDER TO ENABLE MORE CITIZEN DELIBERATIONS, AND (ESPECIALLY) MORE DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRATIC REFORMS -- OF MORE TYPES, IN MORE PLACES, FROM LOCAL TO SUPRANATIONAL, WITH MORE INFLUENCE AND POWER, WITH HIGHER LEVELS OF QUALITY, AND MORE WIDELY KNOWN ("MORE" MEANS "COMPARED TO WHAT WE COULD DO WITHOUT THE NETWORK").CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O. DEMOCRACY CHANGE:* NETWORK MEMBERS SUCCEEDED IN THEIR EFFORT TO INCLUDE A DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY COMPONENT IN THE NEXT PRESIDENT BIDEN INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRACY SUMMIT. THE SUMMIT NOW HAS A COHORT FOCUSED ON DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY AND CITIZEN'S ASSEMBLIES.* DRD CONVENED MONTHLY MEETINGS OF NETWORK MEMBERS FROM BELGIUM, SCOTLAND, FRANCE, AUSTRALIA, COLOMBIA, AND THE USA WORKING ON PROJECTS TO INCORPORATE CITIZEN DELIBERATION AS A PERMANENT PART OF DEMOCRACY.* THE FRONTIERS OF DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY PROJECT (WHICH INCLUDES A FOCUS ON INSTITUTIONALIZING DELIBERATION) NOW HAS ITS FULL SIX-PERSON CORE TEAM IN PLACE.ANNUAL MEETING:THE DRD NETWORK HELD ITS THREE DAY ANNUAL MEETING IN BERLIN, WITH MORE THAN 120 PEOPLE ATTENDING. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED A MEETING WITH MEMBERS OF THE GERMAN PARLIAMENT (BUNDESTAG). TWO STAFF MEMBERS TO THE BUNDESTAG ATTENDED THE MEETING, AND THEY HAVE APPLIED TO BECOME MEMBERS OF THE NETWORK.NETWORK MEMBERS COLLABORATED ON THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS:* A CITIZENS' CONFERENCE ON THE FUTURE OF EUROPE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION.* A PROPOSAL COMMISSIONED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF SCOTLAND, ABOUT INSTITUTIONALIZING PARTICIPATORY AND DELIBERATIVE PROCESSES IN SCOTTISH DEMOCRACY.* A NEW ONGOING RANDOMLY SELECTED CITIZEN COUNCIL WITH SIGNIFICANT LEGISLATIVE POWER WITH THE CITY OF PARIS.* A PROJECT TO ADVOCATE FOR DEMOCRACY ACTION FUNDS, WITH THE GOAL OF PERSUADING GOVERNMENTS TO COMMIT FUNDING EQUIVALENT TO 5% OF WHAT THEY SPEND ON ELECTIONS TO (A) FUNDING CITIZEN DELIBERATIONS; AND (B) CAPACITY BUILDING.* NETWORK MEMBERS CONTINUE TO WORK WITH A NEW INTERNATIONAL NETWORK CALLED KNOCA - KNOWLEDGE NETWORK ON CLIMATE ASSEMBLIES.COMMUNITY BUILDING:* HOSTED BI-MONTHLY MEETINGS OF MEMBERS IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION, FEATURING PRESENTATIONS OF PROJECTS, AND UPDATES FROM PARTICIPANTS.* ORGANIZED MONTHLY MEETINGS OF THE NORTH AMERICA GROUP, FOCUSING ON DISCUSSIONS OF CHALLENGING ISSUES FOR THE FIELD.* HELD MONTHLY MEETINGS OF THE CENTRAL/EASTERN EUROPE GROUP, FOCUSING ON THE PROPOSAL TO THE PRESIDENT BIDEN DEMOCRACY SUMMIT ABOUT DEMOCRACY ASSISTANCE TO CENTRAL/EASTERN EUROPE.* HOSTED MONTHLY REGIONAL MEETINGS OF MEMBERS IN LATIN AMERICA, CONDUCTED IN SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE. MEMBERS OF THIS GROUP SUBMITTED A MAJOR COLLABORATIVE GRANT PROPOSAL TO THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY.COLLABORATIVE LEARNING:* HOSTED AN ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS FORUM ABOUT HOW TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION, PUBLICIZE EACH OTHER'S WORK, AND WORK TOGETHER ON LANGUAGE AND FRAMING TO COMMUNICATE ABOUT DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY. * HOSTED 11 INTERNATIONAL LEARNING CALLS, IN WHICH MEMBERS GAVE PRESENTATIONS ABOUT THEIR PROJECTS, ANSWERED QUESTIONS, AND ENGAGED IN DIALOGUE WITH PARTICIPANTS.* HELD CONSULTATIONS FOR MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS FACING TOUGH POLITICAL OBSTACLES IN THEIR WORK. THE CONSULTATIONS MADE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN ENABLING THE ORGANIZATIONS TO MOVE FORWARD.