FDSD Newsletter, Autumn 2023
Deepening Democracy for the Long Term | By Graham Smith
The following is an extract from ‘Can Democracy safeguard the Future’—By Graham Smith, Polity Press, 2021. Participatory democracy would appear to be a counterintuitive approach to long-term governance. The short-sightedness of the public is widely viewed...
Deliberative democracy and the just transition: from one-off activities to embedded participation | Winter Newsletter, 2022
FDSD update: Quiet but busy… FDSD has been quiet during COVID, but not inactive. We have been rethinking how we can best contribute to the profound challenges facing democracies today. We are planning an event in 2023 to bring together the diverse and fragmented...
Democratic infrastructure: turning one-off deliberations into resilient democracies
By Hanne Bastiaensen and max stearns, Democratic Society Who we are Hanne Bastiaensen is trained as a sociologist and has worked in the field of democratic innovation for over a decade, mainly in designing and implementing projects and processes. More recently she is...
Towards collaborative governance: Why innovation in deliberative democracy and the public sector must go hand in hand
By Lukas Kübler, Giulia Molinengo, and Monika Arzberger Lukas Kübler, Giulia Molinengo and Monika Arzberger work at the Collaborative Governance Lab (Co:Lab), a public sector innovation lab of the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) in...
Why understanding what people think is crucial to the next phase of climate policy—Interview with Chris Stark | By Jake Ainscough
Jake Ainscough (pictured on the left) is a Senior Research Associate on the Climate Citizens project at Lancaster University. Climate Citizens is a research project exploring options for opening up climate policy making to the public. He interviewed Chris Stark...
Brussels launches permanent citizens’ assembly on climate
The Brussels-Capital Region has announced that it will launch a permanent Citizens’ Assembly on Climate in 2023. Each year, the assembly will bring together 100 citizens to select topics, deliberate and come to recommendations. The citizens will also have a role in...
Building a more effective and participatory government | Workshop with Matthew Quinn and Walter Pasquarelli, 22 Sept 2022
On 20 September 2022, FDSD partnered with the Institute for Government and the Bennett Institute, University of Cambridge to hold a workshop at IfG on Building a more effective and participatory government—to improve policy-making and delivery. Participants from...
Constitutionalising the long-term future | Conference
As part of their ongoing research on Present Democracy for Future Generations, the Laboratory of Ethics and Political Philosophy in the Nova University, Lisbon’s Institute of Philosophy, Ifilnova, held a conference on 19-20 September 2022 on Constitutionalizing the...
Knowledge Network on Climate Assemblies (KNOCA) launched
The European Climate Foundation has launched the Knowledge Network on Climate Assemblies (KNOCA) as a ‘go to’ place for those seeking considered, rigorous and widely-sourced input on the design and implementation of climate assemblies. FDSD’s own Professor Graham...
Can Democracy Safeguard the Future? | New book by Graham Smith
Our democracies repeatedly fail to safeguard the future. From pensions to pandemics, health and social care through to climate, biodiversity and emerging technologies, democracies have been unable to deliver robust policies for the long term. In his new book, Can...
Video | Nature of Prosperity Dialogue with Roman Krznaric, Jane Davdison and Rebecca Willis
How can we nurture visions of the good life that preserve nature and protect the interests of future generations? Can new institutions help us to re-invigorate democracy? Can creativity inspire us to conserve what we love? How can we become the ‘good ancestors’ we...
UN Sustainable Development Goals—LGA and UKSSD launching ‘A guide for Councils’
The Local Government Association (LGA) in partnership with the UK Stakeholders for Sustainable Development (UKSSD) have launched a guide to help boost councils’ efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in England and Wales. The SDGs are an...
Leaders call on Prime Minister to create socially just and green recovery from Covid-19
FDSD, together with over 100 companies, universities, charities and trade associations, signed a letter to the UK Prime Minister urging that the recovery from COVID-19 use the Sustainable Development Goals to help “consolidate and future-proof these plans”. It argues...
Vacancy: Campaigns Manager for #TodayForTomorrow campaign
Following its successful launch in early Spring 2020, the #TodayForTomorrow campaign—founded to advance the Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill through the UK Parliament—is now looking for an experienced campaign manager to lead this project forwards. The ‘Future...
Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill | First reading in the House of Commons
On 24 March 2020, through a ten minute rule motion—backed by MPs from every major party—Caroline Lucas MP introduced the “Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill” to the House of Commons. “It is essential to deal with coronavirus as it is—a global emergency—but it is...
Vacancy | APPG for Future Generations is hiring a Parliamentary Coordinator
Role: Parliamentary Coordinator Working with: All-Party Parliamentary Group for Future Generations Start date: ASAP Duration: Funding available for 1½ years Working pattern: Full time. (Part time and flexible working applications accepted.) Location: Westminster,...
Launching the Campaign for a UK Future Generations Act
FDSD is playing a leading role in developing the campaign for a UK Future Generations Act in partnership with Lord Bird and the Big Issue. On Tuesday 12 February, a standing room-only meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Future Generations considered the...
Towards a Wellbeing Economy | EESC calls for a new vision of prosperity
On 23 January 2020, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) overwhelmingly adopted an innovative ‘own initiative opinion’ (OIO) on the sustainable and inclusive ‘wellbeing economy’ that Europe needs. The EU Council and the European Commission have a...Sign up for newsletter
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