Citizens assemblies represent one pathway towards a more collaborative form of democracy that puts everyday people at the center of governing. Three qualities make them stand out: the use of random selection to create a representative sample of the public, the space and time for deep deliberation, and an emphasis that policy recommendations be tied to actual decision-making power. Such lotteries were a core feature of decision making in ancient Athens. And contemporary assemblies have tackled controversial and complex issues, from climate change in France to abortion and same-sex marriage in Ireland.

From Germany to Colombia, Japan to Chile, such assemblies are on the rise at all levels of government. In Bolivia, schools have demonstrated the benefits of using lottery to inspire civic duty and participatory culture in student government. And NYC experimented with deliberative committees as part of its citywide Participatory Budgeting in 2023.

Join us to discuss the possibilities and limits of these assemblies. How might they contribute to the protection and “revitalization” of democracy?

The event is available in-person and online.

• In-person: 2 West 64th Street New York, NY 10023 (The New York Society for Ethical Culture)

• Watch online: Click to join at start | ID 863 0430 0961 | Passcode 609424