Worldwide there are a great number of innovative ideas and projects trying to improve our democratic systems. For instance, projects trying to make institutions more transparent, improving election processes or shedding light on the various options of liberal democracy. There is no shortage of good ideas – but there is a lack of networking between countries and sectors. A citizens assembly project in Brazil remains unknown in Poland; A project to improve youth participation through digital tools in England will not be heard of in Germany. This is why we would like to gather all ideas and projects in this “Idea Pool” that we have found during our own research and work at Das Progressive Zentrum.
This page should serve as an inspiration for everyone who seeks out new ideas and interesting projects in the area of democratic innovation. If you have questions or would like to contact one of the projects, we are happy to help.
Categories
Digital Democracy: Also known as e-Democracy or Internet Democracy, digital democracy refers to the incorporation of information and communication technologies into democratic decision making processes. It includes social, economic and cultural conditions that allow the free and equal exercise of political self-determination enabled by technologies such as internet, software, big date and satellite systems.
Citizen Assemblies: The gathering of citizens, primarily at the local level for the purpose of political decision-making. This gathering can be motivated by political decrees, or by the will of the participants alone and serve, for example, the foundation of a citizens’ initiative.
Urban planning: Urbanization describes the progressive and accelerating spread of urban life forms, for example through developments such as rural exodus and the growth of cities, but also through infrastructural development of rural areas. The decline of the rural population, combined with the rapid growth of urban populations, especially since the end of the 20th century, is tied to a number of political and economic implications.