Massembly Resources

• Massembly Links
• What happens next?
• Summary of Results
• Have your say via Pol.is

Massembly Links

Thank you for taking part in the Massembly

Please follow the links below to the following resources:

Click here to access Pol.is - Pol.is now closed

If you follow the link above you can see an analysis of voting patterns. For a full sumary of the results please see below.

See a summary of the Massembly results

Massembly Information Cards

Find out what happens next

What happens next?

We hope that you have enjoyed taking part in the Massembly, and experiencing first-hand what it feels like to participate in deliberative democracy! Hopefully you should now have a clearer idea about how democracy could be upgraded and what XR is doing about it. So what happens next?

See the initial results in the summary report

• We will use these results to help inform our thinking and plans for taking Upgrade Democracy forwards

Encourage others to join the conversation

• We plan to run further assemblies using the same process, so that as many people as possible can take part.
• This may include inviting local groups to run their own assemblies, running a further online assembly, and using Pol.is directly to widen participation.

Join XR!

• Sign up to find out more about how you can help

Other ways to learn more and get involved

• [For individuals] Learn more about Citizens’ Assemblies and XR’s Third Demand

• [For XR groups] Take action on Citizens' Assemblies

• [For individuals and XR groups] Learn more about our campaign to promote Community Assemblies

• [For individuals] Support Zero Hour’s campaign for the Climate and Nature Bill

Summary of Results

Here are some preliminary results from Saturday 31st August's in-person and online Massemblies. We will continue to update as further phases of the Massembly occur.

Over 450 people took part in our incredible Massembly at Upgrade Democracy, to discuss the question: "How can we take meaningful steps to Upgrade Democracy?". We will use these results to help inform our thinking and plans for taking Upgrade Democracy forwards.

1. Citizens' Assemblies and Participatory Democracy

• Advocacy for the widespread use of citizens' assemblies at local, regional, and national levels (e.g., replacing the House of Lords, setting up assemblies for long-term issues, starting at the local level to build trust).
• Emphasis on participatory budgeting and decision-making processes that involve ordinary citizens.
• Support for creating spaces and opportunities for grassroots democratic participation, including community assemblies and participatory budgeting.

2. Civic and Political Education

• The need for better and earlier civic education, starting from primary school, to empower young people and encourage political engagement.
• Incorporation of political and ecological education, including rights of nature, to create a culture of informed and active citizenship.
• Promoting a culture of democracy through experiential learning in schools and community involvement.

3. Accountability and Transparency in Politics

• Calls for effective mechanisms to hold elected representatives accountable, ensuring transparency in decision-making and reducing the influence of lobbyists and vested interests.
• Proposals for job descriptions for MPs, declarations of outside employment, and transparency in funding and lobbying.
• Introduction of independent bodies for fact-checking and monitoring disinformation.

4. Political Reform and Representation

• Criticism of the current political system as serving a minority elite, with proposals for reforms to make it more representative and fair (e.g., replacing the House of Lords, limiting political donations).
• Support for fair and transparent government funding of political parties to reduce the influence of private and corporate interests.
• Encouraging inclusivity and diversity in political processes, ensuring that all voices, including marginalized groups, are heard and represented.

5. Environmental Protection and Rights of Nature:

• Advocacy for legal rights for nature and the criminalization of ecocide.
• Proposals to integrate environmental considerations into all aspects of policy-making, including the appointment of commissioners or legal guardians to protect future generations and ecosystems.
• Calls for a nature-based curriculum in schools and the protection of the interests of future generations.

6. Building Trust and Confidence in Democracy

• Emphasis on rebuilding public trust in the political system through inclusive, transparent, and participatory processes.
• Encouragement of civic engagement and community involvement as a means to foster trust and counter populist movements.
• The role of local projects and assemblies in building understanding and confidence in democracy.

7. Long-term and Future-focused Governance

• Proposals for creating positions like a Commissioner for Future Generations to ensure policies are assessed for their long-term impacts.
• Calls for policies and governance structures that consider the well-being of future generations and the planet.
• Use of frameworks like doughnut economics to assess policy decisions and their impact on planetary boundaries.

Have your say via Pol.is

Thank you for taking part in the Massembly.
Please follow these steps:

1. Info cards

Read the Massembly information cards

2. Vote

Follow this link to Pol.is to vote. Spend 15 mins online, voting (Agree/Disagree/Unsure) on as many democracy and personal statements as you can. Please do NOT add any new perspectives at this stage (i.e. no typing).

3. Submit your own ideas

After you have voted, you can enter up to three ideas by entering into the text field and pressing submit. Be concise - Pol.is has a 140 character limit.

4. What happens next

Find out what happpens next after the Massembly

5. Results

Return later to this page to see a summary of the results of the Massembly