Civic Innovation: INsights on CItizens' Democratic Empowerment

forthcoming

Democracy is a core EU value, but it cannot be taken for granted. Representative democracy is a “living thing,” a practice that needs to reinvent itself and adapt to survive and thrive in a changing world. Adaptation requires innovation to build more just and sustainable societies. The European, national, subnational, and local institutions have taken up the challenge of innovating representative democracy by promoting citizens’ engagement in decision-making beyond elections. Yet, Democratic Innovations (DIs), are not a panacea. To make them work, DIs require adequate knowledge of their opportunities, as well as of their limits and constraints. They need visibility and awareness among citizens, as well as support and competencies among policymakers and civil servants. The CI-INCIDE Module addresses DIs as a tool to strengthen the EU value of democracy through civic engagement and participation. The Module aims to provide knowledge, insights, and practical skills to leverage innovation in democratic systems through participatory and deliberative initiatives. To achieve its educational, scientific, and societal purposes, the Module will offer a variety of learning opportunities, combining traditional activities, like lectures and roundtables, with innovative and interactive approaches, including discussion-based pedagogies (DBP), active learning through practical laboratories, project-based learning (PBL) activities, and advanced training for the public sector. Moreover, over the three years, the Module’s participants will take part in real participatory and deliberative processes, to give them the opportunity to learn by getting hands-on through experiential learning and give practical meaning to the often-vague concept of DIs. Through the LED (Learning, Engagement, and Dissemination) action steps, CI-INCIDE will foster awareness, practical skills, and dialogue among different target groups, including students, citizens, civil servants, and policymakers.