Additional Learning
More Resources
If you are seeking one to one advice on how to organise or run your assembly, one of the Assemblies Escalation Working Group holds an 'ask anything and share experiences' drop in every Friday afternoon at 3pm. Drop in link
To learn more about assemblies happening all round the world, the XR Local Group Support Pack contains a list of website and video links to grassroots organisations doing deliberative democracy in their way... It's truly inspirational... Here's a taster:
Case Studies
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Video on Cheshire East People’s Panel on the Cost of Living with Positive Money: Cheshire East People's Panel on the Cost of Living.
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Take The Square blogs about local deliberative democracy
National and International Assembly Campaigns
To find out more on international examples of CITIZEN's (national, plus other differences) assemblies, watch out for trainings by the Citizen's Assemblies Advocates Group promoted via the Movement Broadcast. Meantime, some empowering background here:
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Sortition Foundation: proposal for a House of Citizens is supported by Extinction Rebellion
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Why Extinction Rebellion Demands A Citizens' Assembly On Climate And Ecological Justice explanatory video.
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Extinction Rebellion: Webpages and links on XR's 3rd Demand for a Citizen's Assembly on our climate and ecological emergency
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Children's Assembly on Biodiversity Call on Ireland to 'treat the Earth like family'
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Los Indignados Assemblies in Spain
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Luxembourg 'step up' green energy and efficiency targets partly due to citizens' assembly (Euro News)
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The COP26 Global Assembly](https://globalassembly.org/)
Alternative and Supplementary Guides to Deliberative Democracy
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Community At Work: Deliberative Democracy manual
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XR Community Alliance Building Trainings (Relationships Circle on YouTube)
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Reforming The Political System Messaging Guide
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Open Space Technology: Alternative models of deliberation
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Better Evaluation: Goldfish Bowl Meetings
Books
- 'What If?' Rob Hopkins
- 'DIY Community Action: Neighbourhood Problems and Community Self-Help' Liz Richardson
- 'When Citizens Decide : Lessons from Citizens' Assemblies on Electoral Reform'. Patrick Fournier, Henk van der Kolk, R. Kenneth Carty, André Blais, Jonathan Rose
Other Resources
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Podcast: Power of Community Imagination
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Podcast: Planet Critical
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Campaign Zero Hour - the Climate and Ecology Bill
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Website (World Economic Forum) David Attenborough inspired the UK to create a People's Plan for Nature. People's Plan for Nature
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RebelWebsite:ToolkitExtinction Rebellion on Citizen's Assemblies
For Facilitation Training, the Facilitation Circle holds regular, in depth trainings. While 'business meeting' oriented, these can be adapted to different settings, including Assemblies, but we hope to offer tailored trainings for local groups wanting to set up a Community Assembly in future.
Meantime, you can contact the Assemblies Working Group with your questions at communityassemblies@extinctionrebellion.uk
Street Scripts on Citizen’s Assemblies
Trust the People TTP are THE expert trainers inspiring and empowering people everywhere to really bring democracy home. Enjoy 8 weeks worth of in-depth and fun training to equip your local community to organise and run an effective magical experience in deliberative democracy. And it's totally free, twice per year from the experts in building deliberative democracy
Community At Work Check their: "Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision Making". They run online trainings too but there is a hefty price tag. Check their schedule.
Hope For The Future Talking to Politicians whom you may invite to your assembly or even writing to them and meeting them in person can seem daunting. Being prepared ensures you get what you need from dialogue with those in positions of power to bring about change. The General Election is not far off and hustings will be happening... Skill yourself up and boost your confidence in talking to politicians, be they local, regional or national.