EU-CIEMBLY: Advancing Inclusive Democracy through Citizens’ Assemblies

‍EU-CIEMBLY’s mission is clear: to overcome the barriers to participation that often leave many voices unheard and to promote a more inclusive, transparent, and democratic European Union. Central to this vision is the idea that citizens should have the power to influence key decisions that affect their lives, creating a more accountable, accessible and participatory democratic system.

The project’s four key objectives include:

• Theorising intersectional inequality: Developing a framework for Citizens’ Assemblies that ensure inclusivity and equality by addressing intersectional discrimination and the power relations that affect democratic processes.
• Evaluating existing models: Assessing current Citizens' Assemblies at local, national, and EU levels to identify how inequalities and exclusion impact participation and deliberation.
• Piloting new models: Testing three new Citizens’ Assemblies that prioritise inclusivity by using age, gender, and location as intersecting characteristics, ensuring diverse participation in deliberative democracy.
• Recommending reforms: Drawing from these pilots, EU-CIEMBLY will propose improvements to Citizens’ Assemblies at all levels of governance to make them more inclusive, responsive, and representative of all citizens.

Make.org Role in the EU-CIEMBLY Project

Make.org is proud to be a key partner in EU-CIEMBLY, bringing our expertise in participatory democracy and technological innovation to the table. We will provide key input from our extensive experience in participatory democracy, particularly in building online platforms that facilitate wide citizen participation. Make.org involvement is centred on piloting innovative Citizens' Assemblies models across Europe. We are responsible for managing the technical elements of the assemblies. This ensures that the process remains inclusive, accessible, and fair.

As part of our commitment to inclusivity, Make.org is focusing on creating multilingual platforms for citizens to engage in deliberations, ensuring that language barriers don’t exclude anyone from participating in democratic processes. This work is built on Make.org’s experience in running interactive participatory platforms, which foster transparency and empower citizens to shape public policy.

Additionally, we are helping evaluate these assemblies by collecting and analysing data on their effectiveness. The findings will help refine the models, contributing to a final, scalable prototype for future, even more inclusive Citizens' Assemblies across the EU.

Enhancing Democratic Participation Across Europe

By piloting these Citizens' Assemblies, Make.org will gather valuable insights into the best ways to promote democratic engagement and ensure all voices are heard. This evaluation will be key in refining the models for wider adoption, ultimately helping to shape a more inclusive, transparent, and effective democratic system for Europe.

Make.org’s work in this project is an extension of our mission to transform democratic processes through innovative, participatory models. We are committed to empowering citizens with the tools and opportunities they need to actively participate in shaping their future.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to work on these exciting developments and bring more voices into the democratic process. You can follow our updates on our LinkedIn or Facebook page.